News

Imagine a community - or world - without trees.

Not a very appealing image, is it?

Trees are an essential part of home and community landscapes. They provide beauty, shade and habitat for wildlife. Trees screen unsightly views, provide privacy, reduce noise pollution and lower utility bills.

To foster more tree planting in Sioux City, a committee has been formed with support from local community and business volunteers. The committee’s primary – and simple – mission is to encourage homeowners to plant more trees, according to Vernon Meyer, committee chair and development director at the Sioux City Gospel Mission.

“The Siouxland Chamber of Commerce and city of Sioux City have been discussing formation of an advocacy group to focus on tree planting issues for some time now. Through the new formation of the Trees For Siouxland Committee, a sub-committee of the Chamber, committee members are working hard to spread the publicity about the need for planting more trees in Sioux City and surrounding communities,” Meyer said.

“There are so many positive reasons why homeowners and others should plant more trees. Our committee’s task is to help encourage those efforts.”

A series of public activities is already in motion to drive that mission. The most visible event will be inclusion at Sioux City Manager Paul Eckert’s weekly media briefing at 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 27. Held at Rose Hill Park, located near the intersection of Fourteenth and Grandview, the briefing will provide more information about the committee’s activities and showcase the planting of a tree. The media and members of the public are invited to attend.

The Sioux City Journal also has agreed to print an ongoing series of articles about the benefits of tree planting, and other events are being discussed to showcase tree planting efforts.

The committee chose to focus on residential tree planting efforts due to the lack of planting now occurring in the city, according to Kelly Bach, parks superintendent with the city of Sioux City.

“A community the size of Sioux City should have much higher number of trees located on residential properties. Over the years, the number of trees in Sioux City has declined per capita for a number of reasons including diseases which have attacked specific species, redevelopment and new commercial developments, among other causes.

“We hope that by working to educate the public more about the benefits of adding trees on their property, residents will really step up and plant more trees.”

Even though Sioux City earned its designation in the Tree City USA program a number of years ago, the number of trees located on residential properties in Sioux City has declined over the past few years. Situations like in the 1970s when Dutch Elm Disease hit the Midwest, wiping out many of that type of tree, caused a huge decline in tree population. A similar problem may be faced soon if the emerald ash borer, a green beetle native to Asia, continues to invade the U.S. tree population.

Dutch Elm Disease killed 200 million trees while the threat of destruction by the emerald ash borer is projected to impact 7.5 billion ash trees nationwide.

“We are hoping people take up the challenge to plant more trees on their property because it not only enhances the look and appeal of their property, it also benefits the environment and makes the community a more pleasant place,” Meyer added. “It is the perfect way to leave a long-lasting mark on your community and property. Trees add character and life to our neighborhoods.”

The city of Sioux City has a list of recommended tree types for planting which includes various maples, ash, oak and linden, along with other species of trees.

The committee is working with various local businesses and organizations to create incentives to help homeowners plant more trees. More information about those plans will be announced at a later date.

In addition to Meyer and Bach, the Trees For Siouxland committee membership includes Mimi Shanahan, a horticulturist with Iowa State Extension, and various business persons.