Central Michigan Cities Lay the Foundation for a New Era in Urban Wood Recovery

LANSING and EAST LANSING, Mich., Oct. 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In the Capital Region of Michigan, Lansing and East Lansing are investigating the potential for a shared regional approach to high-level urban wood recovery. Guided by the decades of urban wood expertise of Urban Ashes, each city is identifying and putting in place the systems, policies, and partnerships needed to reshape how their communities manage fallen trees as renewable local resources.

Urban wood is defined as any wood that comes from any tree that came down for any reason other than its wood value. It can come from urban, suburban, or rural trees, including but not limited to storm damage, blight, infestation, safety, development, and even aged-out orchard trees. With more of these trees being lost each year, the need for coordinated recovery planning has become urgent, and these communities are leading the way.

Lansing has already completed its initial phases of work and is now preparing for the next stage in potential collaboration with East Lansing. Together they are aligning their planning and data to see if a shared framework for implementation can connect both cities into a unified regional system. Urban Ashes is helping each city define what a viable, self-sustaining local recovery system looks like, how to connect municipal goals with local industry capacity, and how to build and implement policies that ensure the environmental, social, and economic value of these resources remains in the local communities.

When asked why this is important, Lori Thomas Sustainability Manager for the City of Lansing responded, "The City is committed to maintaining a healthy urban tree canopy, as outlined in the Sustainability Action Plan, and is pursuing urban wood utilization strategies to ensure downed trees are put to their highest and best use." Cliff Walls, Environmental Sustainability and Resiliency Manager, City of East Lansing stated, "When a tree reaches the end of its life, we want to make sure that's not the end of its story. This work is helping us explore how to give those trees new purpose that continues to enrich the community they've long helped shape."

Across Michigan, increasing levels of severe weather are taking a growing toll on trees. High winds, flooding, and extreme heat have led to more trees being lost across urban, suburban, and rural landscapes. In Lansing alone, Urban Ashes' analysis found as much as 122,000 board feet of recoverable lumber each year, storing up to 89 metric tonnes of carbon and preventing more than 328 metric tonnes of CO₂ emissions. Statewide, Michigan's fallen trees hold an estimated 1.7 billion board feet of recoverable lumber annually. Redirecting even a portion of that material into long-lived uses could keep millions of tonnes of carbon stored while strengthening local economies.

The coordinated progress now taking place in Central Michigan builds on Ann Arbor's pilot model launched in 2024, which first demonstrated how city-led recovery systems can align with climate and sustainability goals. Lansing and East Lansing are extending that momentum into a regional model that prioritizes feasibility, collaboration, and measurable outcomes.

About Urban Ashes
With more than thirty years of experience in sustainable materials and urban wood utilization, Urban Ashes works with cities, schools, and businesses across the nation to design recovery systems that turn fallen trees into measurable returns for people, the economy, and the environment.

Media Contact
Paul Hickman
Urban Ashes
[email protected]
+1 734-546-9657
www.urbanashes.com

SOURCE Urban Ashes