About the Tree Board
The Village of Elburn has participated in the Tree City USA program since 1999 and has been re-certified as a participant each year since then. Tree City USA is a community improvement project sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters, USDA Forest Service, US Conference of Mayors, and National League of Cities.
Standards
There are four standards that the Village must meet each year to continue our certification.
The village has a Tree Board that is required to meet at least four times a year. Our Tree Board is made up of our Planning Commission/Zoning Board of Appeals members and the meetings are often held on the same evening as a regular Planning Commission/Zoning Board of Appeals meeting. This gives the Tree Board more leverage with developers as well.
The Village of Elburn has a Shade Tree Ordinance that regulates planting and care of trees that are placed in village rights-of-way and parks. The ordinance also addresses specific species of trees to be planted with spacing and location requirements.
Annually, the Village budgets at least this amount for the purchase and installation of new trees, tree trimming and maintenance, storm damage and clean-up work, and educational materials. If you have any recommendations for expenditures, you may wish to contact one of our Tree Board members.
Arbor Day is officially celebrated in Illinois on the last Friday in April. In the Village of Elburn, we typically host a ceremony on the last Saturday in April to allow youth organizations to participate in the ceremony. A tree will be planted and the ceremony is open to the public.