Town of Cicero Public Works Department Quietly Removes 448 Trees Since 2020
Illustration by Robin Carnilius
By Richie Requena
Throughout Cicero more and more trees have been removed by the Public Works department leaving behind mulch, wood chips, dirt and in some cases leaving behind stumps for weeks. Cicero Independiente reporters have received questions about this via social media since early this year.
Patches of dirt, mulch and wood chips where records show the locations used to have trees that were removed by the Cicero Public Works Department months prior. (August 9 2022/Richard Requena)
Through an open records request, Cicero Independiente has learned that 448 trees have been removed by the Cicero Public Works Department, many through work orders not solicited by anyone.
“It's standard Cicero stuff… [they’ll] just come through and shut down something and be like, ‘oh yeah, we’re doing this’ and we’re like, oh what?” said Cicero resident Alma Velasquez, 46, of the 5000 block of West 23rd Place. Velasquez said she was not aware that trees were set to be removed from her block in the spring.
Left: Image from Google Maps. Right: Image by Richard Requena.
“There was nothing said about why those trees were being brought down,” said Velasquez. “Or what was the plan to replace them because it's hot. It's hot… a lot of our neighborhoods don't have that green shade that we need.”
“No Parking Tow Zone” sign set up along West 23rd Place. Residents take note of these signs that don’t have a reason explaining the no parking police order where trees are later removed. (August 9 2022/Richard Requena)
Velasquez said that the only notice her block received was in the form of “No Parking Signs” set up by the police. These, however, didn’t offer a reason why residents couldn’t park their cars in front of their own homes.
The patches of dirt and mulch left behind for months by the Public Works department “just looked dirty.” Velasquez was also concerned about children falling into the holes.
“I would have liked Cicero to let us know what was going on and what they're going to do to repair that,” said Velasquez
The Numbers
Through an open records request, Cicero Independente was able to find out just where and when trees were being removed by the Public Works Department. Records show that the first half of 2022 had some of the highest tree removals in the past years, with the busy season for tree removal being in the fall.
A total of 448 trees have been removed by the Cicero Public Works Department since January of 2020 to July 14 of 2022. The outbreak of the pandemic could have slowed down removals in early 2020. Up until July 14 of 2022, 124 trees have been removed this year alone. (Data Visualization by Richard Requena)
Why it matters
Work orders for 64 tree removals from December 2021 through May of this year from the Public Works department show that some of the trees removed were seven dead ash trees, or 10 dead trees. The work order also says two trees caused sewer and drain problems, but the majority of work orders, 36 tree removals, do not state a reason and simply say “Take down.” Ash trees have been dying by the millions for over a decade because of an invasive species killing them off.
Still, dead trees can be useful as habitats for wildlife, said Trinity Pierce, the Stewardship Manager of the Chicago Region Trees Initiative (CRTI).
“There are a lot of factors that go into whether a tree needs to come down or not. But the key would be to connect with a certified arborist to get that expert opinion,” said Pierce.
Cicero town spokesperson Ray Hanania says the town will remove a tree if it is “severely damaged or is a threat to residents or the public… usually as a result of lightning strikes or recent heavy tornado like winds.” Hanania added that the town does not have a certified arborist, and “one is not necessary to identify badly damaged trees that need to be removed.”
CRTI is not planting ash trees because they are not resistant to the Emerald ash borer, which has killed millions of ash trees, but Pierce said that the key thing to do is to diversify the types of trees planted.
“Some [trees] love floodplain wetter soil areas. Some prefer to be upland in drier sites, some are gonna stay small, so you could plant them under power lines and not have any conflicts, some are gonna just soar in the open sky,” said Pierce. “So not only do we need to plant a diversity of trees, we need to understand each planting location and get the right tree in the right place. So it doesn't just survive, but thrives.”
Trees in Cicero can make a difference. Aside from giving oxygen in a place that needs it, particularly Cicero’s industrial zones, they provide shade, mitigate flooding and can cool off hot summer blocks.
Cities and towns tend to be hotter than rural areas because buildings and pavement absorb the sun’s energy and release it as heat, known as the urban heat island effect. Trees, green spaces and bodies of water can reduce hot temperatures by absorbing less of the sun’s energy and heat.
Data from the Morton Arboretum’s Chicago Region Trees Initiative (CRTI) show that Cicero is covered 12 percent in canopy. CRTI’s Stewardship Manager Trinity Pierce suggests a higher goal of 40 percent for the town. (Data Visualization by Richard Requena)
The Money Involved
The town of Cicero received a $25,000 grant to plant trees from American in Bloom and the Canadian National Railway in June. Through an open records request, Cicero Independiente has been able to learn from the grant application that the town plans to use those funds, and an additional $50,000 from the town and in-kind contributions to plant 250 red maple trees for the annual Keep Cicero CLEAN and Green volunteer day. Volunteer teams made up of residents, schools, churches, the library and the neighboring park district will select 15 public walkways to plant the trees on.
The cost of removing this year’s 124 trees is still unknown, with Cicero Independiente being told the Town of Cicero does not have records that show that cost. Records obtained by the Cicero Independiente through the Freedom of Information Act show the Town of Cicero planted 92 trees in the same time period the Town removed 448 trees.
Unfortunately, there is no cut and clear way to get a tree planted in front of your house or block in Cicero. Residents are encouraged to call 708-652-2490 to the Public Works department if their town tree, or trees planted on the town’s parkways, need trimming or cutting if they are dangerous or dead.
Richie Requena is a grad student studying journalism at DePaul University. His work covers race, class, communities and the environment. His work has been published in the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, WBEZ, South Side Weekly, WTTW, Univision and the Paseo Podcast. You can find him @RichieRequena on Twitter.
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