Tree Advisory Board Meeting - 2026-03-20

Detailed briefing

Harbor Springs Tree Advisory Board — March 20, 2026 ATTENDEES: Henry, Carol, Molly, Bob; Kathy arrived after roll call. • The board approved the previous meeting’s minutes. Members then reviewed possible 2026 street-tree locations. They agreed to focus further review on Lake Street, State Street, the Shay House area, and another street name that was unclear in the transcript. Utility wires, narrow rights-of-way, and existing school-planted trees were identified as constraints at several locations. • Members discussed a possible 50/50 matching grant from the Harbor Springs Community Foundation’s urban-canopy fund. A working example was six trees at $600 each: $3,600 sought from the grant and $3,600 from the general fund. Staff said council approval was not expected at that spending level but would be confirmed. • The board made the tree, education, and city-property management plan its leading project priority. DPW training was also identified as a worthwhile priority. Work on the plan is currently on hold while staff address capacity issues and determine who will handle responsibilities connected to Lucas’s role. • The board reviewed a tree survey with 142 responses. Members said the results supported continued work on canopy management, new planting, resident education, and information about identifying tree disease. They also discussed improving outreach through newspapers, the city website, Facebook, and Instagram, and following up with residents who provided contact information. • For Arborfest, the board selected red oak and white birch seedlings and discussed ordering 200 total seedlings, potentially split evenly between the two species. Members favored a theme focused on the history of trees and forests in Harbor Springs and northern Michigan. Potential educational elements included proper seedling planting and tree bingo. • Arborfest sponsorship and logistics work began. Members discussed seeking $500 from one prospective sponsor and $250 from several others, with unused sponsorship money potentially supporting future tree planting. Staff and members were assigned preliminary outreach on sponsors, seedling bagging, a possible event banner, and sturdier poster bases. • A donated Japanese maple, memorializing Madeline Avery, still needs a protected location and a caretaker willing to provide winter protection without adding city maintenance. Parks and garden-club contacts were asked to consider possible sites. Worth watching: • Whether staff confirm funding authority and match details for 2026 street trees. • When the management-plan work can resume and who will support it. • Whether a protected, privately maintained site is found for the donated Japanese maple. Upcoming: The board plans to revisit school partnership ideas, outreach, survey follow-up, and tree planting details at its next meeting. Why it matters: The board is linking public input, grants, maintenance capacity, and event planning to shape Harbor Springs’ future tree canopy.

No open public follow-ups are linked to this meeting yet.