Green Macomb Urban Forest Partnership

Implementing Macomb County’s

Green Infrastructure Vision

Macomb County Planning and Economic Development Department

Gerry Santoro AICP

Land and Water Resources Program Manager

gerard.santoro@macombgov.org I 586-469-6443

Brent Geurink

Associate Planner - Land and Water Resources

brent.geurink@macombgov.org I 586-469-6285

Historical Trends

From “Status and Trends of Michigan’s Wetlands: Pre-European Settlement to 2005”

Michigan Department of Environmental Quality 2014

http://www.globalchange.umich.edu/globalchange2/current/lectures/deforest/deforest.html

Primary forest: is a forest that has never been logged and

has developed following natural disturbances and under

natural processes, regardless of its age.

Primary Forest

Historical Trends

As these natural areas and wetlands diminish, the ecosystem services

they provide – clean water, clean air, flood control, species

habitat and resiliency to climate variation through local attenuation

of extreme temperature and precipitation events – are lost as well.

• Forest Regeneration

• Globalization (pests and disease)

More Recent Trends

• Urbanization

• Suburbanization

• Climate Variation (increase in extreme weather events)

More Recent Trends

More Recent Trends

From “Status and Trends of Michigan’s Wetlands: Pre-European Settlement to 2005”

Michigan Department of Environmental Quality 2014

8+

Green infrastructure is a way of addressing issues

of pollution and flooding while also providing additional

community benefits including recreation, public health,

quality of life, increased property values, improved air quality,

and reduced infrastructure costs.

Green infrastructure includes both the

interconnected network of open spaces, parks, wetlands,

and natural areas as well as features intentionally designed

to mimic these natural systems, such as rain gardens,

bioswales, urban parks, and urban forests.

Green Infrastructure Vision

Macomb CountyFrom “Green Infrastructure Vision for Southeast Michigan”

SEMCOG, Southeast Michigan Council of Governments 2014

Green Macomb: VisionTo create a coordinated green infrastructure strategy to

implement environmental best practices in Macomb

County that strengthen the economic vitality, quality of

life, and environmental wellbeing of the region.

• Improve water quality

• Increase aesthetics and property values

• Reduce potential of flooding

• Enhance quality of life

• Support public health

• Capitalize on infrastructure investments

• Better connect residents with green

infrastructure (parks, trails, natural areas)

• Encourage improvements on private property -

including a well-supported public-private tree

planting program

Green Macomb: Goals

Green Macomb: Scope

• Regional tree canopy enhancement

• Floodplain conservation Central Macomb Greenway

• Agricultural conservation

• Green (complete) streets

• Low impact development standards + projects

• Parking lot retrofits

• Park renovations

• New parks + greenspaces

• Expanded bikeway and trail network

• Brownfield redevelopment and remediation

Green Macomb: Scope

• Regional tree canopy enhancement

• Floodplain conservation Central Macomb Greenway

• Agricultural conservation

• Green (complete) streets

• Low impact development standards + projects

• Parking lot retrofits

• Park renovations

• New parks + greenspaces

• Expanded bikeway and trail network

• Brownfield redevelopment and remediation

Recent conversion from agriculture

to suburban development with active

landscaping standards in place.

Selfridge Air

National

Guard Base

Green Macomb

Urban Forest

Partnership Phase I

Priority Area Boundary

Green Macomb Urban Forest Partnership

Green Macomb: Phase IUrban Forest Partnership

Overview

• Funding through Michigan DNR Urban and

Community Forestry Grant through the US

Forest Service with full match from ITC

Holdings.

• Project area:

• Lowest tree canopy coverage

• Highest population density

• Oldest infrastructure

• Most highly impacted subwatersheds

in Macomb County

Green Macomb:Urban Forestry Partnership

Goals

• Establish a network of communities and

organizations to implement urban tree programs.

• Support local programs and increase capacity to

address deficiencies in tree canopy cover.

• Utilize a regional approach to a regional challenge.

• Strategic implementation to maximize social,

economic, and environmental benefits.

Green Macomb:

Urban Forestry Partnership

Grant Objectives and Outcomes

• Consolidate existing conditions into a

resource guide for local communities,

including canopy distribution with land

cover maps.

• Conduct needs assessment for each local

government including tree ordinances,

urban forestry programs, existing data,

resources, and community goals.

• Develop prioritized planting locations

based on environmental, economic, and

social factors, including an equitable

canopy distribution analysis.

Green Macomb:

Urban Forestry Partnership

Grant Objectives and Outcomes

• Produce Community Forest Roadmap to

guide long term partnership and programs

moving forward.

• Develop tree-for-tree styled planting

program.

• Demonstration plantings and planting

plans.

Green Macomb:

Urban Forestry Partnership

Regional Challenge

Green Macomb:

Urban Forestry Partnership

Local Solutions