Fairbury City Council Hears Parks Tree Plan

Laura Bedlan, Development Services Director for the City of Fairbury, presented the Annual Comprehensive Municipal Tree Plan for the City of Fairbury at a meeting of the City Council on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, on behalf of the Public Works DepartmentIn accordance with Ordinance §93.090 section (A) (1) of the Fairbury City Ordinances, and with the help of the Nebraska Forest Service, the state-wide arboretum, community volunteers, utility departments and the Fairbury Tree Board, the Fairbury Public Works Department has continued to care for all of the City's trees in accordance with the CTAP (Community Threat Assessment Protocol), Street Tree Plan and Parks Tree Plan provided by the Nebraska Forest Service. Additionally, the city was able to complete an Arbor Day planting, remains an active Tree City USA member and is completing a $25,000 Community Forestry Inflation Reduction Act grant (IRA) that has removed dead trees and brush in the McNish and City Parks and replaced them at a 3:1 ratio throughout the community parks, schools and on some right of ways.Below is information specific to tree care in the city's three main parks. McNish ParkAs is the Public Works Department's standard procedure dead or dangerous trees will be removed and they will continue to prune as directed in the Nebraska Forest Service recommendations. It was noted in the 2017 report and 2020 arboretum review that this park has a good diversity of tree stock and a high number of trees. However, a high number of dense trees can restrict air flow and increase the potential for the spread of disease. For that reason, the parks department continues to thin and remove trees in this park as needed. The IRA grant assisted with removal of 34 trees in the park and the city is planting back 14 at this location. City ParkAgain, as is standard procedure, the Public Works Department will remove dead or dangerous trees and continue to prune in this park as was directed in 2020 by the Nebraska Forest Service. Along with this regular maintenance, parks staff are continuing to work on upgrading and expanding the tree species identification in the Fairbury City Park arboretum. Additionally, with the assistance of the IRA grant the city has planted young trees in the city park to replace older tree stock as they age out and is continuing its phased removal and replacement of the older pine trees and brush located in and behind the Cloverleaf Softball Complex. This project will amount to approximately 34-56 new trees planted in the City Park. Crystal Springs ParkThis park is also managed by the Fairbury Public Works Department and as is their practice in all of the city parks they maintain the existing tree stock by removing dead and dangerous trees along with completing the recommended pruning and maintaining wildlife deterrent measures for the young tree stock as necessary. This park does not qualify for the IPA project. However, three newly planted trees that did not survive last year's planting are being replaced by the nursery this spring.

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