Municipal Guide | Page 20

The Village in the Forest Forestry and Landscaping As “The Village in the Forest” our tree population of approximately 9,000 trees is one of our most distinct features. The Department of Public Works has a Village Forester on staff who is a certified arborist with the State of Illinois. While some of the care of our trees is contracted out, all are supervised and managed by our Forester. Each year, the Forester spearheads our Cooperative Tree Planting Program designed to help reforest public parkways and keep Riverside green and growing. The Village offers a 50/50 price matching program that covers half the cost of trees planted on the parkway and public setback. Prices include free tree planting, mulch and delivery. Information on the program is available on the website under the Forestry Department and in the Village Office. Parkway trees are under the care of our Forester; please feel free to contact him through the Public Works Department at 708- 442-3590 x 502. The Village Forester also oversees a cyclic trimming program in which all public trees are trimmed on a five year rotational basis. Young trees are trained to improve structure while older trees are trimmed to preserve health. Public trees are also inspected to ensure safety and reduce risk. The Village of Riverside is a National Historic Landscape District because it was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the father of landscape architecture. As such, a permit is required for planting of trees and shrubs on the parkway. The application for the permit can be found on the website www.riverside.il.us in the Form Center (bottom of home page) or by using the Search option. 20