Sorensen Announces Funding to Improve Air Quality in Kewanee and Protect Residents from Extreme Heat

KEWANEE, IL – Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are announcing $220,685 for the City of Kewanee to support a project that will plant more trees in the community, improving air quality and lowering temperatures for residents. 

“Extreme weather has plagued our region, making it difficult for Illinoisans to live comfortably— especially during the summer months,” said Sorensen. “Trees are vital to our communities. They improve air quality, help lower energy costs, sequester carbon, and help prevent flooding by managing stormwater. I am proud to see Kewanee receive this investment to develop ways to mitigate the impact of extreme weather by growing more trees so we can build a more sustainable region for future generations.” 

“We’ll be removing trees that aren’t a good fit for our area, but we’ll be replacing them with trees that serve as an asset to our neighborhoods,” said Kewanee City Manager Gary Bradley. “With the funding provided through this grant, we’ll have trained staff and the proper equipment to manage our urban forest in the future.” 

The funding is being awarded from the USDA Forest Service as part of its 2023 Urban and Community Forestry Grants. This grant award for Kewanee is one of 385 grant proposals selected for funding across all 50 states. 

This award will increase Kewanee’s ability to manage its urban forest and will support a project to plant more trees in the community. Funds will be used to train and certify two public works employees to become arborists, hire and train a season employee, create a city tree board, develop a Community Forest Tree Management Plan, and plant new trees. 

Funding provided through the grant will help Kewanee address several concerns related to trees, including heaving and buckled sidewalks in residential areas. The city also has several dead or dying trees, particularly of the Ash variety, and other invasive varieties of trees that need to be removed and replaced. 

Congressman Eric Sorensen serves on the House Committee on Agriculture and the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Prior to serving in Congress, Sorensen was a local meteorologist in Rockford and the Quad Cities for nearly 20 years. His district includes Illinois’ Quad Cities, Rockford, Peoria, and Bloomington-Normal. 

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