Lake County Gazette

The Lake County Planning, Building, Zoning and Environment Committee will discuss contracting with Davey Resource Group of Kent, Ohio, to prepare a Lake County Urban and Community Forestry Plan for up to $144,395. The committee will hear the presentation at its Sept. 25 meeting.

According to the committee's agenda for its Sept. 25 meeting, Davey Resource Group was one of 14 vendors who were extended a request for proposal (RFP), with three of the vendors submitting proposals. The evaluation committee picked Davey Resource Group based on the criteria set in the RFP.

The agenda also said that the 2023 Strategic Plan directed staff to implement the Lake County Regional Tree Initiative in FY 2024 to lead efforts to prevent further increases in global temperature, mitigate climate change effects, and protect and enhance the natural environment.

Furthermore, according to the agenda, the FY 2024 budget allocated funding to contract with a firm to prepare an adaptive Urban and Community Forestry Strategic Plan in alignment with the Chicago Regional Trees Initiative Master Plan 2050. That plan directs action to make trees more abundant, healthier, more diverse, and distributed equitably throughout Lake County.

The Lake County Planning, Building, Zoning and Environment Committee will meet on Oct. 2 at 10:30 a.m. in the Administrative Complex in Waukegan. The Lake County Board meets on Oct. 8 at 9 a.m. in the complex at 18 N. County St., Waukegan.