Dane County  
Minutes - Final Unless Amended by  
Committee  
Tree Board  
Consider:  
Who benefits? Who is burdened?  
Who does not have a voice at the table?  
How can policymakers mitigate unintended consequences?  
Tuesday, October 19, 2021  
3:45 PM  
Virtual Meeting  
A. Call To Order  
5 -  
Present  
MARLA EDDY, ADAM HELMINIAK, Supervisor MICHELE RITT, JAY WEISS, and  
LAURA WYATT  
3 - ED BARTELL, ERNIE PEARSON, and KEVIN SHORT  
Excused  
B. Consideration of Minutes  
Minutes.AUGUST.17.2021  
2021  
MIN-372  
Attachments: August Minutes  
A motion was made by RITT, seconded by WYATT, that the Minutes be approved.  
The motion carried by a voice vote 5-0.  
C. Action Items  
1. Discuss OA 2021-0A-020 regarding new leadership structure options  
RITT updated Tree Board that the amendment passed the County Board meeting  
unanimously. The amendment is specific to Tree Board, with a leadership structure  
choice of a Chair and Vice-Chair OR two Co-Chairs and a Vice-Chair. Discussion ensued  
of new structure, current roles, members who might be interested.  
A motion was made by WYATT, seconded by WEISS, that the current  
Chair/Vice-Chair structure temporarily and revisit the leadership structure after  
new board members fill the existing vacancies be approved. The motion carried  
unanimously.  
2. Discuss election of new chair  
A motion was made by WYATT, seconded by WEISS, nominated RITT for Chair  
and HELMINIAK for Vice-Chair be approved. The motion carried 5-0.  
3. Tree Board vacancy recommendations to Dane County Executive  
A motion was made by WYATT, seconded by EDDY, that HELMINIAK, RITT, and  
Johnson to send a letter to the County Executives’ office recommending  
applicants Matt Noone, McKinzie Myszka and Alex Moderhock for the current  
Tree Board vacant seats be approved. The motion carried 5-0  
4. Prioritize initiatives and assign roles/responsibilities  
a. Plan for Facilitating Educator Opportunities for Schools in Lieu of Arbor Day  
b. Website  
c. Potential Grant Projects  
d. Friends of the Forest Recognition Program  
e. Other  
A motion was made by HELMINIAK, seconded by EDDY, that Action Item 4 be  
moved to November agenda and table discussion for right now. Friendly  
amendment to MOTION to move Action Item 4 to November agenda WITH THE  
EXCEPTION OF THE WEBSITE ITEM. MOTION to be approved as amended. The  
motion carried 5-0.  
5. Discuss PSA’s  
Johnson will present a budget for PSAs for fall and available previous topics next  
meeting. EDDY will review previous scripts with Johnson. EDDY will contact Johnson re  
setting up a meeting to discuss which PSA messages to move forward with this fall.  
A motion was made by EDDY, seconded by WYATT, to proceed with one of the  
previous PSAs for this fall with the same budget as previously (usually $1000 per  
PSA). The motion carried 5-0.  
D. Presentations  
E. Reports to Committee  
1. Budget update  
Johnson reported that the Tree Board has $2,826 left in the budget and detailed other  
expenses in the current budget report. RITT updated the Board on several budget-related  
amendments having to do with trees that she sponsored from the EANR Committee Oct.  
14 meeting. These have all passed EANR and they will come before Personnel and  
Finance Committee on October 26 for a vote, then will be voted on by the full County  
Board. They are are: EANR-O-3 $25,000 for Forestry LTEs for Dane County LWRD with  
priority to the current apprenticeship program, EANR-O-2 $35,000 for Dane County Parks  
to increase invasive species management, and an amendment for $10,000 for trees with  
advocacy of her youth governance intern to be planted on County lands and ultimately to  
diversify canopy in areas that are underserved. RITT hopes to expand that program not  
through the county budget through other work to add to the current program offering free  
native plants to communities and schools. Moderhock mentioned a program idea to  
reach out to UW Madison to have students plant trees and do some kind of tree  
purchasing program. The link to the EANR Oct. 14 meeting on Legistar is  
https://dane.legistar.com/View.ashx?  
M=M&ID=894620&GUID=C70DDF7B-27FB-43F4-BE7D-2B98B7843DCF . Johnson will  
send this link to Board members. WAHL asked if Dane County Housing Authority would  
be included in Dane County lands; RITT confirmed if it is Dane County lands, it qualifies.  
WAHL suggested these initiatives be included in the November discussion under Action  
Item 4 Prioritize initiatives and assign roles/responsibilities in the ‘Other’ category. RITT  
will present more in the ‘Other’ category in November focusing on tree equity/social  
justice.  
2. Dane County Tree Canopy Working Group  
Johnson sent the minutes of this county-based group that is focused on getting greater  
canopy cover in Dane County in areas of greatest need, keeping an equity lens in mind to  
Board members. She reported on the latest meeting summarizing a discussed a need for  
zoning language that more effectively supports trees in new developments, diversity in  
tree species, and tree preservation. Johnson mentioned Matt Noone’s LiDAR maps  
showing significant canopy loss in the period 2010-2017. Johnson is emailing the link to  
the LIDAR map pdf. Minutes also included a discussion of targeting reforestation efforts  
for equity and climate health. ALVES had said the County plants 4000 trees a year and  
we are losing them faster than we can replant. Johnson will continue to attend meetings  
as well as Matt Noone and ALVES. A summary of draft outcomes/focus areas are 1.  
Measure tree canopy 2. Preserve tree canopy 3. Zoning updates that protect and  
preserve trees 4. Reforestation, including the co-benefits of those efforts. EDDY has  
been invited to participate by the committee as well. RITT and Johnson will meet to  
share further information between the DCTC Working Group and EANR projects to see if  
there are ways the Tree Board could support or engage with the other groups. RITT  
asked that this be an agenda item for November.  
F. Future Meeting Items and Dates  
1. Upcoming meeting dates: November 16, 2021, December 21,2021.  
Johnson will work out next dates for 2022 and will have that ready for the November  
meeting. Meeting Items: DC Canopy Cover Working Group update, EANR amendments,  
trees and social justice efforts  
G. Public Comment on Items not on the Agenda  
H. Such Other Business as Allowed by Law  
I. Adjourn  
At 5:16 PM HELMINIAK MOTIONED to adjourn. EDDY seconded. MOTION passes by  
unanimous voice vote.