Surprisingly, the answer is yes. But there are stipulations, of course! According to Paul D'Agostino (Asst Dir of Public Wks, Parks/Forestry) at a Tree Summit at the Levy Ctr on June 22, you can select a tree from one of the city's 46 approved species. And you must meet the required spacing, which is 30-35 feet between each tree. Also the contractor that plants the tree must have approval or get approval from the city. Contact the Dept of Forestry (forestry@cityofevanston.org) for information.
The parkway plantings in Evanston came in two waves. The first wave was to plant all American Elms, which were considered the perfect parkway tree. But Dutch Elm Disease ravaged many of these. The second wave was to plant a different species for each block. But the Emerald Ash Borer wiped out whole blocks of ashes and a new style needed to be devised. Now we are in the third wave, in which different species are planted WITHIN each block.
Because of the devastation of the borers, the city is about two years behind in the planting of new trees to replace the old. So a homeowner may speed this process by getting a tree to plant. In some cases the homeowner may plant a larger tree than the city would plant because of the cost. The beauty of Evanston is certainly dependent on its trees. You can also donate to the tree replacement budget by contacting Kelsey Atkinson (atkelsey@gmail.com).
