Just as the cumulus clouds begin
to build before a storm, so
does the multilayered assistance
and outreach to Illinois munic-
ipalities when a storm strikes.
From readiness to response
to final recovery, it is a team
effort. Local government is
at the center of the event.
Readiness Strategies
Long before the storm strikes, Illinois
Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Urban
and Community Forestry Program has reached
out to communities to provide readiness—the
first step in creating a sustainable local for-
estry program. In partnership with the Arbor
Day Foundation (ADF), IDNR creates that ini-
tial storm readiness through the Tree City USA
program standards. Those standards include
Storm Readiness
and Recovery
Collaboration in
Illinois: A Mutual
Aid Approach
By Reinee Hildebrandt,
Illinois State Urban
Forestry Administrator
Photos Courtesy of Illinois
Public Works Mutual Aid
Network except where noted
After the major debris was
removed in the wake of the
Ottawa/Naplate tornado, IDNR
deployed an Urban Forest Strike
Team to look for hidden tree
defects and evaluate risk. Photo
by Barb Grabner-Kerns
18 CityTREES
