ATC

ATC helps five Wisconsin communities replace lost trees

This year, American Transmission Co.’s Community Planting Program helped five Wisconsin communities improve their urban tree diversity and replace trees lost to age, construction, disease and weather events.

Over 140 million acres of America’s forests are located in cities, towns and villages. These trees provide essential benefits for people and improve urban wildlife habitats.

Antigo (Langlade County)

The city of Antigo planted 10 trees to replace ones that had died, been removed due to risk, or uprooted during recent storms in City Park East and West. The trees were a mix of oak, maple and linden and met the city’s goals of species and tree age diversity. Volunteers from Mission Antigo and Wisconsin Public Service assisted with the plantings.

Chenequa (Waukesha County)

The village of Chenequa lost approximately 150 trees in a one-acre area this summer with the redesign and reconstruction of the intersection of County Highway C and Oakland Road. The village planted a mix of Norway spruce, white pine, tamarack, hackberry, swamp white oak, Kentucky coffee tree, quaking aspen, sugar maple and red maple trees and dogwood shrubs in the 0.85 acres of public land. Waukesha County filled the gaps between the trees with a pollinator seed mix. Chenequa has been a Tree City USA community for 35 years and is committed to maintaining a healthy and safe tree canopy throughout its public rights-of-way.

Oakfield (Fond du Lac County)

The village of Oakfield lost dozens of trees when an F5 tornado swept through the village center in 1996 and more recently had to remove ash trees infested with emerald ash borer in Village Park. The village planted trees from its tree farm along with a mix of Norway maples, scarlet maples, swamp white oaks, burr oaks and red oaks in Village Park and in a grassy area where the 34-mile Wild Goose State Trail crosses North Elm Street. Oakfield has been a Tree City USA community for 24 years and is committed to restoring the rich canopy that once towered over the village prior to the 1996 tornado.

St. Francis (Milwaukee County)

The city of St. Francis has its Veterans Memorial within an ATC easement with low growing trees, shrubs, perennial and annual flowers. One of the trees was dying and removed. The city and volunteer Memorial Committee selected and planted a flowering shrub to replace it.

Wausau (Marathon County)

Memorial Park in Wausau has lost a significant number of trees in the past several years due in part to the age of the trees and many of the other trees in the park are ash trees, which are susceptible to emerald ash borer. The city planted a mix of dawn redwood, Douglas fir, accolade elm and hawthorn. The hawthorn trees replaced crabapple trees that were donated by mothers of World War II veterans.

ATC’s planting program

ATC’s Community Planting Program enables us to encourage and support communities to plant trees and vegetation that beautify the landscape in a way that doesn’t compromise the safety and reliability of the electric transmission system.

The program provides financial support to eligible cities, villages, towns, counties and tribes in ATC’s service area for planting projects on public property, outside transmission line rights-of-way. Program funds can be used to plant trees and other tall-growing vegetation. Since 2013, ATC has awarded approximately 240 communities and organizations with funds totaling more than $425,000.

ATC accepts applications from June 1 through Sept. 30, and award recipients are selected and notified by the end of the year. Awards range from $100 to $5,000. Additional information and program applications can be found at atc-GrowSmart.com.