Kokomo Standard

2022 Tree Canopy Survey

With support from Indiana University-Bloomington’s Environmental Resilience Institute (ERI), the City of Huntington will complete a tree canopy assessment this summer to prioritize where tree planting is needed most and proactively work against problems that can lead to tree loss.

What is a Tree Canopy Assessment?

Throughout the summer local tree data will be analyzed and combined with community input, culminating in the presentation of a city tree planting plan. Plans such as these capitalize on the many benefits trees provide to help communities form strategies for reducing air and water pollution, reducing the number and intensity of high heat days, lessening stormwater impacts, preventing erosion, dampening street noise and enhancing property values. Data sources for the city’s tree canopy assessment will include satellite imagery and geospatial mapping tools alongside direct measurements, observations and community surveys.

“The goal, over time, is to see what change is happening in Huntington’s tree canopy, so we may better direct and prioritize efforts to maintain and increase tree canopy cover,” said Rae Handy, a McKinney Climate Fellow hosted by the City of Huntington through ERI’s Urban Green Infrastructure internship program.

Why is It Important?

By providing shade and absorbing carbon dioxide from the surrounding air, trees are an important component in many Indiana communities’ plans – including Huntington’s – to lessen the impact of an expected increase in the number of high heat days each summer. Alongside more intense summer heat waves that will increase energy demand for cooling, IU-Bloomington’s ERI analysis of recent patterns predicts central and northern Indiana can expect more frequent heavy rainfall events and decreased productivity of crops such as corn and soybeans.

Trees are a crucial part of the solution. In addition to cleaning pollutants out of the air and water, trees reduce soil erosion that contributes to less productive crops, lessen flooding during periods of heavy rainfall and help manage excess stormwater.

“The main objectives of my Urban Green Infrastructure internship with Huntington are to assist in further developing the city’s plan for sustainability and preservation, providing quantifiable data to identify priority tree planting areas for the city, with ongoing public and stakeholder engagement throughout the process,” Handy said. “Environmental stewardship and resilience principles are at the heart of my work.”

Community Input

We want to hear from you! Huntington residents are encouraged to complete a Tree Canopy Survey that will help the city further identify community needs and expectations regarding priority tree planting areas. The survey can be completed online no later than July 10 by clicking here.

Printed surveys can be found at a number of community locations including Huntington City Building offices and the utility payment drop box area, Parks & Recreation offices, Police station, Huntington City-Township Public Library, Huntington County Visitors Bureau and several downtown businesses. Completed print surveys can be dropped off in the Mayor’s office on the third floor of the City Building or mailed to ATTN: Mayor’s Office, 300 Cherry St., Huntington, IN 46750, by the same deadline as above.

A QR code linked to the survey can be found on flyers in various community locations as well.

What Other Steps are Being Taken?

In 2021, the City of Huntington completed greenhouse gas emissions inventories through ERI’s Climate Fellow Cohort program. These reports analyzed local data to determine how much is being emitted and where these emissions are coming from in the Huntington area. Building upon this initial work last year, the City of Huntington is continuing with the cohort’s second phase to develop a Climate Action Plan (CAP) this summer. This project is being conducted by a second McKinney Climate Fellow, Qidi Zhu, through a CAP internship opportunity.

About the McKinney Climate Fellow Program

McKinney Climate Fellows are IU students who work with local governments and other entities across Indiana to help them set and achieve environmental stewardship goals. Handy (who is working on the tree canopy assessment) and Zhu (who is working on the Climate Action Plan) are both IU-Bloomington graduate students working toward Master’s degrees in natural resource conservation management, environmental policy, ecology and energy.

^{Source: https://www.huntington.in.us/city/topic/subtopic.php?topicid=241&structureid=3}