Tornado ReLeaf - A Case Study
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Written by:
Mary B. Bushnell
Illinois Department of Conservation |
7.1 Chapter
Summary
In planning the essential elements of an effort to educate and
promote prompt restoration of both private and public urban forests damaged by
a natural disaster, it is important to:
- Identify the need.
- Identify the agencies, private organizations and individuals
who have jurisdiction, funding and motivation.
- Choose the leaders for the project.
- Develop a mechanism to provide assistance.
- Identify those who need and want assistance.
- Provide publicity for the project.
- Develop a time frame for the project.
- Identify supporting relationships in the project.
- Identify nursery leaders.
- Develop criteria for species selection and standards for each
species.
- Develop periphery organizational support.
- Identify an organization to receive tax deductible
contributions, dispense the funds, and complete the audit.
- Develop a mechanism to disperse the funds.
- Specify a closure date for the project.
- Develop the mechanism of accountability for the project.
7.2 Chapter
Outline
I. Background
II. Initial Response
III. Getting Started
IV. Educating the Public
V. Raising Funds
VI. Providing Assistance
VII. For More Information
7.3
Background
On August 28, 1990, a tornado struck the Illinois counties of
Will, Kane and Kendall. Twenty-nine people lost their lives and the area
sustained more than $200 million in property losses. Those dollars do not
reflect the value of the 3,000 trees that were totally destroyed or damaged
beyond recovery.
The emergency work of restoring utilities to the area required all
available assistance to the investor-owned utility companies serving their
customers. At that point in time, damaged trees were regarded as a liability to
be chopped and burned in order to restore vital transportation routes,
electricity, cable television and telephone services.
When the emergency needs of the communities had been resolved,
people began to look at the ravaged area. The reality of what had happened to
the vegetative cover was understood. This impact was at first thought to be a
strictly visual one, until residents comprehended the enormity of the loss of
energy savings, air filtering, noise abatement, water conservation, and habitat
that trees bring to both urban and rural localities.
As a member of the regional emergency response team, District
Forester Tom Gargrave of the Illinois Department of Conservation (IDOC)
identified the following response. He recommended that the IDOC identify needs
and provide immediate educational and technical assistance to local
governments, businesses and private landowners in the tornado-stricken
corridor.
Prompt reforestation was the first concern. It is obvious that the
sooner trees are replaced, the sooner growth occurs. What is not so obvious is
the psychological impact of a denuded landscape on not only those who live
there, but on those who pass through or who work in the neighborhoods. There is
an air of hopelessness for the future as residents go about the difficulty of
replacing homes, possessions and personal records. As they sort through the
paperwork with their insurance carriers, they get the bad news that their trees
are not covered in their home-owners policies.
7.4 Initial
Response
The IDOC hosted a general meeting on November 8, 1990, for all
affected units of local, state and federal governments; not-for-profit
organizations; and, residents.
Federal agencies invited included the Department of Agriculture's
Agriculture Stabilization and Conservation Service (ASCS) office managers in
the three counties, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Fish and Wildlife Service,
and the USDA Forest Service (USFS). These agencies offer technical assistance
capabilities, jurisdiction, related activities, and grant programs that might
be accessed.
Illinois departments or agencies included the Department of
Transportation (IDOT), Emergency Services and Disaster Agency (ESDA), the
Department of Agriculture, the Department of Energy and Natural Resources
(ENR), and the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service (CES).
Units and offices of local government included county boards,
county disaster relief agencies, forest preserve districts, soil and water
conservation districts, township officials, mayors, public works committees,
municipal foresters, and park districts.
Not-for-profits included Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Red Cross,
Telephone Pioneers of America, Garden Clubs of Illinois, Rotary and other
service organizations, The Morton Arboretum, OpenLands, 4-H Clubs, church
organizations, and Parent Teacher Associations.
DOC officials said their goals in hosting the meeting were to
identify needs and decide on a plan of action to meet those needs. It was
immediately determined that while there are many existing agriculture-related
forestry programs and programs to replace publicly owned trees, there was no
program to assist the private landowner in the replacement of "landscape"
trees.
7.5 Getting
Started
Tornado Releaf (TR) was organized in response to the need to
reforest on a fast-track basis. TR was divided into two segments: the Public
Lands (TR-PUB) portion was organized under the direction of Dr. John Andresen,
University of Illinois, Department of Forestry; and the Private Lands (TR-PRI)
portion was under the direction of Mary B. Bushnell, PLANT ILLINOIS Program
Director and Assistant to the Director of the DOC.
In a brief and informal telephone survey of the states in the USFS
Northeastern Area, it was determined that Illinois is not unique in its lack of
legal authority to provide monetary assistance or plant material to private
landowners for "landscape" trees.
Another survey of disaster relief agencies revealed that private
emergency relief groups were overwhelmed by the numbers of individuals applying
for assistance. They were also astonished by the amount of donations pouring
into their organizations.
These agencies were searching for a way to coordinate financial
assistance and other services in order to prevent duplication and fraud. They
were relieved to know that TR would deal with the problems and opportunities of
reestablishing the urban forest.
7.6 Educating the
Public
Timing is a key element of a successful financial assistance
program for reforestation of private lands. Launching a fund raising effort too
soon may invite criticism that human needs for housing, utilities and social
services are not as important to the organization as its own special
interest.
Launching too late entails the risk that the public is tired of
hearing about the disaster or believes that the rebuilding process is over.
There is always the very real concern that subsequent events will receive a
large amount of media attention that will refocus public concern and
interest.
The first step was to educate the public on the importance of
replanting the urban and rural forest. Area newspapers carried articles on the
benefits of trees in the communities and for their residents. Arbor Day 1991
and Earth Day 20 did a great deal of education work for TR. Even the play on
words in the name of the program was helped by Global ReLeaf and their news
releases and educational material during Earth Day 20.
An Arbor Day event was held in a centrally located municipality in
the torn ado-affected area. Demonstration streets were planted with both TR-PUB
and TR-PRI trees, and each tree had a red, white, or blue bow attached to catch
the eye of the public. A parade was held complete with a high school marching
band, banners, children, elected officials, and volunteers.
Three historic trees were planted to commemorate the event. These
George Washington Sycamores were grown from seed collected from a Sycamore
planted at Mount Vernon by General Washington. One was planted in a park to
honor the victims of the tornado, one on public land to call attention to
TR-PUB, and one on private property to focus on TR-PRI. The event was covered
by a variety of local newspapers and TV stations and was filmed by the local
cable television station.
7.7 Raising
Funds
Early on, TR-PRI decided the organization must raise money for
assistance through the private sector.
It is vital in a fund-raising program to decide how to go about
the process. If professional fund-raisers are the choice, the sponsoring
organization must do a thorough search using the best method possible. Cost,
experience and reliability must be verified and the need for legal
representation in writing the contract for services is essential.
If the sponsoring group decides to do the job itself, a number of
considerations must be assessed. They are as follows:
- Is the project going to be run by a committee or an
individual?
- Who are the potential donors?
- Is there a targeted audience?
- Is there to be an advertising campaign, and who is to develop
the print and video materials for such a campaign?
- Who is responsible for the fund-raising material to be sent to
potential donors?
- Can the group find a "name" or well-known person to endorse
the project, who will lead the fund-raising campaign?
- Who has the ability and the reliability to handle the
donations as they come in?
- How is accountability for the project going to be handled?
- Are the books to be audited at the completion of the project?
- Will the donations be tax-deductible?
Just as vital are the concerns about how, when and who qualifies
for the funds after they are acquired. Donors will want to know how the funds
are to be managed and how distribution will be made. Questions to consider
include:
- Is the process fair and open?
- What is the criteria for financial aid and how can those
qualifications be verified?
- When is distribution going to be made?
- Is there a definite date for the closing of the project?
TR-PRI, through the support of private organizations and the DOC,
decided to do the fund-raising itself rather than hire a professional group.
Fund-raising was done by PLANT ILLINOIS, with the program director and a
volunteer as co-chairs.
The Illinois Forest Park Foundation volunteered to receive the
donations and dispense the funds to the recipients. They also volunteered to
pay for an independent audit report at the close of the project. The Forest
Park Foundation is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501-C3
organization, so all donations were tax-deductible.
Governor Jim Edgar and DOC Director Brent Manning agreed to
sponsor the TR-PRI fund-raising effort by sending a letter to potential
donors.
The areas targeted to receive letters asking for donations were
the counties of Kane, Kendall, Will, DuPage and part of Cook. Lists were
prepared using Chamber of Commerce memberships and economic development lists
of businesses in those counties. There was a deliberate decision to eliminate
all those appearing on the lists with zip codes in the devastated area. Those
businesses had either been directly or indirectly impacted by the tornado, and
their resources were strained at best.
The letter was developed, approved, signed, and mailed to 1,500
business people. A financial institution volunteered to accept the donations
for the Forest Park Foundation. Further fund-raising was targeted to
foundations headquartered in Illinois or those with a direct link to the
tornado area which had grant criteria applicable to the TR-PRI project. These
foundations are supported by a corporation or business with facilities in Will,
Kane, or Kendall counties. Grant applications were written and sent to three
foundations.
7.8 Providing
Assistance
As the decisions were being made on the fund-raising for TR-PRI,
the co-chairs were also developing the criteria and the methodology on how to
identify and verify recipients for the fund distribution. Using IDOT low-level
aerial photographs of the affected area, both before and after the tornado,
Peter Roberts, DOC photogramatist, and Lisa Burban, USFS Urban Forester,
determined the exact path of this tornado. With the assistance of township
assessors, they identified the parcels involved and the numbers of trees
lost.
Each parcel index number, the owner's name, and the address were
entered into a DOC computer. Letters were sent to owners outlining the details
of the TR-PRI program. At the same time, public notice was given through area
newspapers of the TR-PRI process. Those who thought they were able to meet the
eligibility requirements, but who did not receive a letter, were told to call
their township office to be added to the list.
The DOC District Forester contacted local nurseries asking if they
wished to participate in the program. If so, they were asked to sign a
statement agreeing to: 1) sell only trees recommended by the District Forester;
2) sell only those trees that would meet or exceed the forester's minimum
standard for that species, and, 3) sell the tree at wholesale prices. Delivery
and guarantee costs would be priced separately. Nine nurseries signed the
agreement of participation.
The TR-PRI co-chairs next sent applications to the list of those
property owners who qualified or assistance. They were asked to return the
application by a specified date in order to receive a voucher that they could
then use to purchase a tree from one of the nine participating nurseries.
The value of the voucher was determined by dividing the number of
applications into the total amount of money raised. The TR-PRI said very
specifically that the value of the voucher and the discount would not exceed
50% of the purchase price of the tree. TR-PRI felt from the beginning of the
project that the property owner should have their own money in the cost of the
tree to provide an incentive to proper care and maintenance of the tree. In the
case of the TR-PRI project, $16,000 was raised. The participating nurseries
valued their wholesale price at approximately $35.00 per tree. By
dividing the number of applicants into sixteen thousand, we arrive at a voucher
worth $35.00. The value of the voucher, added to the discount of $35.00, meant
that trees were available for purchase at $70 off the retail price.
Vouchers were sent to all who applied for assistance on April 1,
1992. Household members were asked to tie a red bow on their tree as they
planted it. We wanted the public to identify with the trees planted under this
program.
The vouchers were valid until October 15, 1992. Any funds
left after that date were used for a lottery. Every applicant was eligible for
a drawing to close out the program. Those lottery vouchers will be used for
tree planting in the spring of 1993. A follow-up survey of those who
applied will be conducted at the conclusion of the program. The TR-PRI believes
it is important to measure the public reaction to the program. Questions to
consider include:
- Was the timing correct?
- Was the procedure too difficult?
- Were potential applicants discouraged from taking part because
of the criteria TR-PRI set into place?
7.9 For More
Information
Miller, R.W. 1988. Urban forestry: planning and management
urban greenspaces. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall.
TreePeople. 1990. The simple act of planting a tree. Los
Angeles: Jeremy P. Tarcher, Inc.
Trees, please! Pekin Illinois/Illinois Department of
Conservation. Video, 15 minutes.
National Arbor Day Foundation
100 Arbor Avenue
Nebraska
City, NE 68410
(420) 474-5655
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