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PROPOSED GRANT AWARD
Department: Department of Resource Management
Grantee: Forest Preserves of Cook County (the “Forest Preserves”)
Grantor: The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Illinois
Request: Authorization to accept grant
Purpose: Authorization is sought for the Forest Preserves to accept grant and enter into a subrecipient agreement with the Morton Arboretum for tree planting utilizing funds received through the U.S. Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program.
Grant Amount: $25,000.00
Grant Period: 5/9/2023 (retroactive) - 12/31/2025
Fiscal Impact: Not to exceed $35,000.00 in direct match
Accounts: Professional Services 51033.520840; Grant and Mitigation 51010.521444 and 51010.520840; and all future Professional Services and Grant and Mitigation accounts
Concurrences: The Interim Chief Financial Officer has approved this item. Final grant agreement is subject to legal review and approval.
District(s): 5, 6, 17
Summary: The Forest Preserves has been sub-awarded grant funds from the Morton Arboretum via the U.S. Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program to plant a total of sixty (60) trees in picnic groves within key preserves in southwest Cook County including Midlothian Meadows, Yankee Woods, Catalina Grove, St. Mihiel Woods, and Turtlehead Lake. These planting efforts serve to reduce the negative impacts of historical ash tree loss due to the Emerald Ash Borer and other stresses that trees in the urban environment face, including impacts from deer, invasive species, and an increasingly stressful climate.
The project will increase forest diversity and resiliency, improve wildlife habitat, and provide additional benefits in the form of improved air and water quality as well as shade for visitors’ enjoyment. Trees will consist of a diverse mix of native species.
Total project costs are $60,000.00, of which the Forest Preserves will contribute $35,000.00 or approximately 58% in direct match.
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