Karen Zumach, Community Forestry Manager, Tree Trust & Margaret Tyler, Environmental Inspector, City of Minneapolis Health Department

1. Margaret Tyler, City of Minneapolis
Karen Zumach, Tree Trust

2. Let’s create a new GREEN
initiative for businesses…
• Parameters:
• Sustainability Indicators
• Budget:
Between $1,000-$30,000

3. Raingardens
• Water quality into the
Mississippi
• Business could get storm
water credit
• Learned the reality
Trees
• Urban canopy assessment
• Canopy busting tornado to
the north side of the city in
2010
• 2013 windstorm
• Emerald ash borer
• Existing partnership
State University of New York College of
Environmental Science and Forestry

4. Tree Canopy Assessment
• Businesses with >35%
green space on the east
or west side
• 6,000 eligible businesses
• Minus downtown
• Minus skyways
• Minus the university
• Businesses in lower
canopy neighborhoods
• School district

5. 150 Trees
20 Businesses

6. • Licensing inspector
contacts
• Website update with
information
• Cold letters to ~1,000
PCAB paying
businesses
Dear (Property owner name ),
Re: Property address (es) (list them here)
Our urban forest has been hard hit by storms, pests and diseases. Because of the
emerald ash borer alone we will likely lose nearly 200,000 ash trees in Minneapolis in
the very near future . Now is the time to plant tomorrow’s trees . The biggest
opportunity for tree planting lies on private land (this is where you come in). Because
of this fact, the City of Minneapolis is planting trees on commercial properties for
FREE* in the fall of 2014.
Your business could qualify for a free tree if you :
1. Pay a pollution control annual bill (a “PCAB” or pollution registration for
equipment such as air conditioning units, public restrooms, restaurant hoods,
etc.)
2. Have enough green space to accommodate a tree (not the boulevard).
3. Have the capacity to maintain and water the tree (especially the first two years).
Our contractor will provide instructions and a watering bag. It is critical that
young trees are watered regularly.
You can reserve a tree for the fall planting. Check our website for more details:
http://www.minneapolismn.gov/environment/green/index.htm . Call 612-673-5815 or
email with any questions or to reserve a tree this year. Please email
margaret.tyler@minneapolismn.gov with your tree selection (s).
The trees are available first -come, first-served. There is no limit on the number of trees
you can request, as long as you have the space and ability to water them.
Sincerely,
Margaret Tyler ,
Environmental Inspector , City of Minneapolis Health Department
* Trees must be watered weekly in the absence of rain for the first three years.

7. 75 Trees
17 Businesses

8. • Licensing inspector
• Green space
stalking/Cold calling
• Chamber of
Commerce
• 2,000 letters
• Website with Survey
Monkey to place order
• Council
members/neighborhoo
d group newsletters
Is there
space?

9. 200 trees
41 Businesses

10. • Meet with property
owners
• Utility locate
• Create site maps
• Create route maps
• Order the trees,
mulch and gator
bags
• Plant the trees

11. 75 Businesses