Sheboygan’s Parks and Forestry Superintendent has released the division’s end-of-year data for 2024.
At the City’s Board of Marina, Parks, and Forestry meeting on Tuesday (February 4th), Superintendent Joe Kerlin shared last year’s data, revealing it was a good year for the Forestry Division.
In 2024, the city planted more than two times as many trees as they removed, having planted 740 while removing just 310.
Another major facet of the Forestry Division’s work last year was focused on the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), which continues to pose issues for Sheboygan and many other communities in the state.
The city treated 607 ash trees last year, while an increased budget allowed the city to hire outside companies for the removal of over 1,000 dead ash trees from various parks and public spaces.
This included removing 350 dead ash trees from Najacht Road, 300 from Jaycee Park, and 120 from Maywood Park, all of which fell victim to EAB.
This increased budget was in part thanks to the Forestry Division receiving three grants from the DNR in 2024 worth approximately $230,000, two of which directly address the city’s EAB problem.
In his report, Superintendent Kerlin also said the goals of the Forestry Division in 2025 will be to once again plant more trees than they remove, prune 4000 trees, a number they failed to hit in 2024, and keep up with stump grinding.
