Bridgewater & Sharon Township residents asked to take tree survey

Michigan maple tree in fall

The Washtenaw County Conservation District (WCCD) is asking Bridgewater and Sharon Township residents to take survey about trees!

WCCD is piloting a project which aims to identify how trees could best serve the residents of each pilot municipality, which includes Ypsilanti Township, or the City of Ypsilanti in addition to Sharon and Bridgewater. Informed by community priorities, the WCCD will lead a review of current ordinances and zoning policies, use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to assess the current distribution of trees, and identify potential planting and/or preservation areas.

Access the survey at washtenawcd.org/forestry-pilot 

If you do not have reliable access to the internet or a working email address, WCCD will have paper copies available at Bridgewater Township Hall located at 10990 Clinton Road, (call (517) 456-7728 for hours) or Sharon Township Hall, 18010 Pleasant Lake Rd (call (734) 428-7591 for hours). A paper copy can also be mailed to you by calling WCCD at 734-302-8715. The survey period closes March 21, 2022. Results from the pilot project will be shared at a public meeting in fall 2022.

WCCD survey website states, “Trees provide a wide range of benefits: the oxygen we breathe, stormwater mitigation, cleaner air and water, reduction in surface heat island effects, carbon sequestration, and improvements to human mental and physical health. These benefits make trees a vital component of any community and excellent problem solvers. However, sometimes policies or the distribution of trees on the landscape reduces or limits their beneficial impact.”

This pilot project was funded with a grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resource’s Urban and Community Forestry Program.

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.