Dane County Tree Board
Trees are an important component of Dane County’s infrastructure. At this time, the health of many trees in Dane County is threatened not only by disease and insects, but by the effects of community growth. To ensure the future health of our trees, more management information and public education is needed. The Dane County Tree Board is committed to bringing information to the citizens of Dane County about one of our most treasured resources: trees.
The Board’s Mission, Vision, Goals and Objectives
Mission Statement- Advocating for equitable healthy community forests in Dane County
Vision Statement – Increased canopy cover and healthy community forests for all
- Goal: Increase/promote equitable tree canopy: Objective: support IRA grant for tree planting.
- Goal: Support tree preservation: Objective: Develop tree preservation resolution for county properties, that can be used as a model for other communities
- Goal: Support forestry careers and opportunities: Objective: Collaborate with community organizations to support forestry careers. Support county relationships with vocational training programs. Add an advisory Tree Board position for student member.
- Goal: Advocate and support Dane County Forestry Programs: Objective: Advocate for funding levels that meet Tree City USA requirements, $2 per person in the county
- Goal: Increase education/knowledge about trees: Objective: Coordinate with communities and the Tree Canopy Collaborative on educational materials for children and adults. Objective: Develop a tree related educational network to explore opportunities, and leverage support for tree related education
Accomplishments
Community Projects
Dane County Vegetation Maps
A 50 year inventory of Heritage Oaks (oaks older than 200 years) in Dane County. In 1976 Walter Scott initiated an inventory of all oaks greater than 200 years old. These same trees were inventoried in 2001 and then again in 2023. This was a crowd sourced project involving the public, anyone can contribute to the project and add a tree.
Heritage Oak Web Map
Map your progeny oak received from the Dane County Tree Board. in 2024 the Dane County Tree Board gave away 650 heritage oak seedlings and initated enviornmental education curriculem through growing trees at 5 school locations in Dane County.
Heritage Oak Progeny Map
Dane County Old Growth Forest (> 100 years old). Data was created using data from the 1939 Bordner Survey and recent vegitaion mapping.
Dane County Old Growth Forest
Dane County 1834 Historic Vegetation and Original Witness Trees. This map represents what the landscape looked like prior to Euro-American arrivals to Wisconsin
1834 Historic VegetationPartnerships
- Cambridge Tree Project
- Capitol Area Regional Planning Commission
- Dane County Extension
- Tree Canopy Collaborative
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
- Wisconsin DNR Nursery
- State Cartographer’s Office
Tree Board Members
- Tree Board Chair - Matt Noone, Senior Environmental Resources Planner, Capital Area Regional Planning Commission
- Tree Board Vice-Chair - Jay Weiss, Cambridge Tree Project
- Tierney Bosci, UW-Madison PhD student
- Cathy Brodbeck, Certified Arborist
- Tedward Erker
- Cory Rich, Operation Fresh Start, Legacy Construction & Conservation Manager
- Michele Ritt, Dane County Board Supervisor
- Laura Wyatt, Horticulturist, Certified Arborist
Advisors
- Adam Alves, Dane County Parks
- Brian Wahl, Wisconsin DNR
Tree Board Staff
- Lisa Johnson, Dane County Extension Horticulture Educator