Fiscal Note
The City of Madison Streets Division, in collaboration with the Madison Parks/Forestry Section, has applied to the Wisconsin DNR Urban Forestry Grant program for $25,000 to support the costs of the Urban Wood Utilization Project. The Urban Forestry Grant requires a 100% match in cash or in-kind services. The 2013 Executive Operating Budget provides $43,585.70 in the Streets and Forestry budgets for in-kind services needed to carry out the project. This amount is more than sufficient to match the $25,000 requested from DNR for the project. The total cost of this proposed project is estimated to be $68,585.70, which will be available within the 2013 Streets and Parks Operating Budgets. No additional appropriation is required.
Title
To authorize the Streets Division of the City of Madison to apply for and accept a 100% matching fund grant of $25,000 from the Wisconsin DNR Urban Forestry Grant Program to rent a portable sawmill and develop an urban wood utilization program . (Various ADs)
Body
WHEREAS, In a typical year, the City of Madison Forestry Section removes approximately 2,000 trees from public spaces; and,
WHEREAS, Madison anticipates that in the next five years the emerald ash borer, which has been discovered in several nearby communities, will have infested our urban forest, and we will be handling a significantly larger volume of downed trees annually; and,
WHEREAS, Once downed, these trees are disposed of by the City Streets Division, and while a few of these trees have been used by City departments for such items as posts and benches, most have been ground up for use as mulch and animal bedding; and,
WHEREAS, Forestry and Streets staff estimates that 25-30% of these trees could be used for higher value products, such as dimensional lumber; and,
WHEREAS, Staff believes that it may be possible to develop markets for this resource so that wood from our urban trees can be used for higher purposes. It also may be possible to realize offsets to the costs of managing our urban forest and reduce the City's need to purchase some lumber products; and,
WHEREAS, To test the proposition that markets exist for urban lumber, Madison Streets Division is applying to the State of Wisconsin DNR for a $25,000 grant to develop an urban wood utilization program. Grant funds would be used to rent a portable sawmill; train Streets Division staff in the safe and efficient use of the mill; and, train Streets and Forestry staff in rating and handling trees selected for milling; and,
WHEREAS, To maximize the impact of this program, Madison will partner with Dane County Land and Water Resources Department; Dane County Solid Waste/Recycling Division; and, the public works departments of Sun Prairie, Middleton, and Fitchburg to create a network of marshalling yards in Madison and Dane County. Downed trees will be transported to these yards where Madison staff will operate the portable sawmill to saw select logs into dimensional lumber. The lumber will be retrieved by each community for drying, storing, internal use, or external marketing. Madison Streets Division staff will reach out to the public and private sectors to develop markets for the lumber; and,
WHEREAS, Staff expects this project to require two years and anticipates submitting a second follow-up proposal to the DNR Urban Forestry program for work in 2014. Staff expects that the City and surrounding communities will have worked out the logistics of an urban wood utilization program by the end of 2014 when we anticipate that the emerald ash borer infestation will begin to have significant impact on the Madison area;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Madison Streets/Public Works Strategic Initiatives Coordinator is authorized to act on behalf of the Streets Division of the City of Madison to submit an application to the State of Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to obtain the sum of $25,000 in financial aid that may be available; to accept said funds, to sign documents; and take necessary actions to undertake, direct and complete the approved urban wood utilization project; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED THAT the Streets Division of the City of Madison will comply with state and federal rules for the program; perform requested account work; provide or be responsible for 100% of updating plans or ongoing operations and will obtain from the State of Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources approval in writing before any changes are made to the proposed urban wood utilization project.
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