Institutional portal - Municipality of Milan

Milan, August 3 2023 - In order to re-establish normal conditions in the city as quickly as possible and ensure the full resumption of activities after the storm of 25 July, the Municipality is organizing the guidelines for the interventions to be implemented and starting a project fundraising campaign called 'Milan for trees', with the aim of attracting the attention of private donors for the restoration of the city's greenery. 

From the first hours after the storm, the Administration took priority action to ensure safety and clear the streets and public transport network of fallen branches and trees, and from this week it is intervening within the parks, green areas and for the restoration of the functionality of essential public services, transport, school services, environmental hygiene. 

In relation to the real estate assets of school buildings under municipal jurisdiction (nursery, nursery, primary and secondary schools), following requests for intervention in 288 structures, safety work is underway also with the support of MM Spa , followed by a detailed assessment of the state of the buildings. The objective is to allow the regular start of the next school year. 

Faced with an estimate of 5 thousand lost trees (approximately 40% represented by street trees and the remaining 60% by those in parks and green areas), the Administration aims to replant them all, and for this purpose the project is launched fundraising campaign 'Milan for trees'. 

THE BOTTOM

Through the current account IBAN IT15V0306901783100000300001 (BIC SWIFT: BCITITMMXXX) at the Treasurer of the Institution, Banca Intesa Sanpaolo, private donors can make donations for the restoration of the public green heritage (reason 'Milan for the trees'). 
In the perspective of the active involvement of citizens in the protection of the arboreal heritage, the Municipality of Milan has already attracted the attention of many private donors, and now indicates the lines of action for the use of the sums that will be collected: the purchase of new trees to replace those felled, the identification of the locations and tree species to be planted, the installation of new trees and the arrangement of sod, plateaus and surrounding areas. Any remaining sums may be allocated to the restoration of furnishing elements, such as fences in parks, dog areas and play areas, flooring, games and benches present in green areas.
 
Furthermore, in consideration of the need to urgently remove and remove the large quantities of woody material accumulated on the roads, in green areas and in parks (a first authorization has already been granted for chipping activities in the Lambrate Cemetery parking area), the Administration intends to proceed with its reuse according to a circular economy model in line with the action of the Air Climate Plan, excluding the material from the waste regime. 

A notice will then be published to receive expressions of interest in the free transfer - in favor of trade associations and companies in the wood sector, educational institutions of all levels and non-profit associations and organizations - of the wood material to be reused for the following purposes: in its natural state for the production of furniture and furnishings, even within public structures such as school buildings; wood chips for chipboard production; for biomass for energy purposes from renewable sources. 

The public green areas of the Municipality of Milan extend over an area of ​​over 25 million square metres, of which over 19 million are managed directly by the Administration and the remainder by other bodies or through specific agreements with private entities. The registered tree heritage, managed by the Municipality, includes 256.497 trees distributed in parks, road avenues and green areas belonging to public buildings. 
The first estimate of the damage suffered by the arboreal heritage is approximately 16 million euros: 5,3 million for the felling of damaged trees, the removal of woody material and the planting of new trees and 10,7 million for the damage suffered on an ornamental level.

"Milan has been hit hard as never before - declare the councilors Elena Grandi (Green), Marco Granelli (Security), Emmanuel Conte (Budget) - but we want to return the city to its inhabitants as soon as possible, restoring 100 for 100 roads and public transport routes, to make the parks safe and reopen. For this reason we took immediate action with the collaboration of all the bodies involved: they worked and continue to work with us, in addition to the Fire Brigade and the Army, Atm , MM, Amsa, AVR, the Consortium that manages greenery maintenance. We will continue this activity in the coming months, taking into account, when replanting, the methods and species that the urban structure and climate changes require.
Today we ask for help from the generosity of citizens who have already offered to lend a hand. Milan once again mobilizes all its resources, human and economic, to deal with an emergency that concerns the entire urban territory, not just the green heritage which is an essential component. A city green space at the center of environmental policies requires a system of real care and valorisation, socially participated, with the active involvement of citizens, and the newly established Fund aims to be an instrument of this".