Elmhurst Must Stop Tree Loss, Construction Among Causes: Group

ELMHURST, IL – Elmhurst is losing trees, and it must do something to stop it, a group says.

On Monday, the Elmhurst Cool Cities Coalition presented Google Earth photos to the City Council of commercial and residential properties before and after development.

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In the examples, developers removed many trees.

The coalition cited a study that showed the local tree canopy covered 29 percent of Elmhurst in 2010, dropping to 28 percent seven years later.

"While 1% might seem inconsequential, 1% canopy loss could equate to as many as 3,000 trees lost in a decade, assuming roughly 65,000 trees in Elmhurst," the coalition said in a statement to the city.

During Monday's City Council meeting, resident Barbara Lonergan, a coalition member, said her group appreciated the city's decision this year to spend $10,000 on private property tree planting, resulting in 20 to 40 new trees.

She said the coalition wanted the council to spend more money on such planting.

"Trees and stormwater management go hand in hand," Longergan said. "Our community will save money in the long run by funding additional private property tree preservation efforts now."

She pointed to city research that indicates 15 of 31 nearby towns have ordinances that protect trees on private property during new construction.