SKOKIE, IL - Officials from the Village of Skokie, USDA Forest Service, and GreenLatinos joined representatives of Masjid Madinatul Uloom on Monday to celebrate the launch of an urban tree planting initiative that will bring hundreds of new trees to Skokie over the next five years.
In 2023, the Village was awarded a $327,740 Urban Forestry Grant provided by the Inflation Reduction Act and the USDA Forest Service, Urban and Community Forestry Program in partnership with GreenLatinos. The grant, secured with support from the Village’s Beautification & Improvement Commission, will advance Skokie’s Environmental Sustainability Plan goal of increasing tree canopy coverage Village-wide by funding a new initiative to plant 450 free trees on non-Village-owned properties over the next five years. Areas that meet the federal government’s Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST) criteria are being prioritized, followed by other areas of Skokie with a high percentage of low- and moderate- income households.
The Village kicked off its program on Monday with a ceremonial tree planting at Masjid Madinatul Uloom, 7401 Lincoln Ave., which received 18 new trees as part of the program, including native swamp white oaks and hackberries. An additional five trees will be planted on site in the spring.
“The Village is excited to partner with the USDA Forest Service, GreenLatinos and local community partners, including Masjid Madinatul Uloom, to plant hundreds of trees across Skokie over the coming years,” said Mayor George Van Dusen. “Trees are at the root of cleaner, greener, and healthier neighborhoods. This grant will greatly aid our efforts to increase tree canopy coverage from 25.5 percent to 31 percent by 2040, a key strategy of the Village’s Environmental Sustainability Plan.”
For every tree planted on private property through the program, the Village will plant at least one additional tree on a Village parkway or Village-owned right-of-way in a CEJST-designated or other priority area, with the goal of planting 1,065 trees overall. This fall, the Village has partnered with Middleton School, Park Lincoln Condominium Association, East Prairie School and Masjid Madinatul Uloom to plant 50 native trees in Skokie.
“We are thrilled to see the partnership between GreenLatinos and Village of Skokie to implement the Urban and Community Forestry grant that will support planting and maintenance of 450 trees to help mitigate urban heat island effects and improve air quality,” said Andria Weeks, USDA Forest Service Associate Deputy Chief of State, Private and Tribal Forestry. “The new trees planted at the Masjid Madinatul Uloom and across Skokie will provide healthier and more vibrant environments for years to come.”
A single mature tree can intercept over 12,000 gallons of rainwater annually and save homeowners up to 56 percent in air conditioning costs. Trees also provide intangible community benefits – shaded streets increase pedestrian activity, which improves physical and mental health, creates more sociable and safer neighborhoods, and enhances economic vitality.
“GreenLatinos is proud to partner with USDA in delivering the USFS Urban & Community Forestry funding to non-profit organizations and municipalities like the Village of Skokie. This program is integral in our efforts to serve frontline communities as a resource intermediary through our Justicia y Equidad Fund (JyEF). In 2024 the JyEF will deliver over $22.5M to directly impacted, disenfranchised, and disinvested communities to engage in Urban Greening and tree planting work, increasing tree canopy to lower extreme heat temperatures and clean the air in the communities that need it the most,” said Mark Magaña, Founding President & CEO, GreenLatinos. “The Village of Skokie project will not only plant hundreds of trees, but it will also serve a diverse mix of faiths and students through meaningful and intentional community engagement.”
“As we plant these trees, we plant seeds of peace, unity, and sustainability for generations to come,” said Masjid Madinatul Uloom Imam Syed Ahmed Ali. “Through planting trees, we not only beautify our surroundings but strengthen the bonds that hold our community together.”
Skokie has a longstanding commitment to its urban forest, achieving Tree City USA designation every year since 1985. Skokie community members who have space in their yard or on their parkway are encouraged to consider planting a new tree. The Village offers free parkway trees for any parkway with space. In addition, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago offers free tree saplings for homeowners as part of its Restore the Canopy program.
Learn more about the Urban and Community Forestry Grants, made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act.