Bondurant Using Grant Funds to Strengthen Tree Canopy

A disaster beyond our imagination destroyed and uprooted trees across Iowa on August 10, 2020. The derecho, or land hurricane, damaged many trees throughout the community. Through the Planting Hope Grant offered by Trees Forever and the Derecho Community Grant Program offered through the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, the City has been able to secure nearly $24,000 in funding to replant and strengthen the City’s tree canopy!

The funds awarded by the Planting Hope Grant are used to discount some of the trees that are for sale during the Bondurant Tree Board’s Annual Tree Sale happening right now. Check it out on the city’s website: https://www.cityofbondurant.com/home/news/2021-annual-tree-sale

The funds awarded by the Derecho Community Grant Program are used to help recover from the derecho by planting trees suitable to Iowa on publicly owned lands. Qualifying public planting lands include street rights-of-ways, parks, cemeteries, libraries, and trails. The City Council recently approved a street tree ordinance to facilitate planting trees in the right-of-way and Bondurant plans to plant trees along Lincoln Street SE and Deer Ridge Drive NW, as well as in the Bondurant Cemetery. Planting will occur yet this fall. Public Works will be out placing stakes in the street right-of-way areas - if you see any, please do not touch. 

Access the Urban Street Trees: 22 Benefits Specific Applications published by Dan Burden, Senior Urban Designer in Summer, 2006. 

The need to expand the community's tree canopy was identified in the City's 2020 Urban Forest Management Plan prepared by the Iowa DNR. The plan inventoried trees in Bondurant and determined:

•           Bondurant’s trees provide $52,302 of benefits annually, an average of $96.67 a tree;
•           There are over 52 species of trees from 29 different genera;
•           The top three generally are Maple 21%, Apple 11%, and Catalpa 9%;
•           18% of trees are in need of some type of management; and
•           45 trees are recommended for removal.

The plan also identified energy, stormwater, air quality, and carbon annual carbon benefits that trees provide. The report noted, “Trees conserve energy by shading buildings and blocking winds. Bondurant’s trees reduce energy-related costs by approximately $14,747 annually” and “Bondurant’s trees intercept about 664,983 gallons of rainfall or snowmelt a year…. This interception provides $18,021 of benefits to the city.” In annual air quality benefits, the report indicated a value of $2,375 from the removal of various air pollution, $1,113 in carbon sequestering, and $15,217 in a yearly benefit of carbon storage." The full 2020 Urban Forest Management Plan can be found here: https://www.cityofbondurant.com/parks-and-recreation/pages/2020-urban-forest-management-plan

Good urban forestry management involves setting goals and developing management strategies to achieve these goals. As a result of this Plan's suggestion on expanding the tree canopy, the City of Bondurant applied for and was selected as a recipient of the Iowa DNR's Derecho Community Forestry Grant program. The City submitted three projects under the program and was awarded funding to implement all three of its requested projects. Trees pay us back through environmental, economic, and health benefits and so much more. 

If you are interested in planting a Street Tree, please access the Street Tree Planting or Removal Permit.