California leads the way in connecting trees and forests to climate change strategies; California, USA

California forests hold one answer to climate change - Los Angeles Times
The state is a leader in setting up a program to offset heat-trapping emissions by investing in woodlands.
By Margot Roosevelt
4:55 PM PDT, May 31, 2009
Reporting from Arcata, Calif. -- Silvery light flickers through the Redwood canopy of the Van Eck forest down to a fragrant carpet of needles and thimbleberry brush. A brook splashes along polished stones, through thickets of ferns.
How lush. How lovely. How lucrative.
This 2,200-acre spread in Humboldt County does well by doing good. For the last four years, Van Eck's foresters restricted logging, allowing trees to do what trees do: absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The conservation foundation that oversees the forest then calculated that carbon bonus and sold it for $2 million to individuals and companies trying to offset some 185,000 metric tons of their greenhouse gas emissions.
'Forests can be managed like a long-term carbon bank,' said Laurie Wayburn, president of the Pacific Forest Trust, a San Francisco-based nonprofit that oversees Van Eck. Selling offsets, she said, is like 'writing checks on the account.'

Kenya can cultivate eucalyptus successfully, but only in certain locations; Kenya

DAILY NATION - Eucalyptus dilemma: Is the tree worth growing commercially?

By ISAIAH ESIPISU Posted Sunday, May 31 2009 at 16:20
THE CONTROVERSY SURRO-unding the eucalyptus and its penchant for consuming far too much water leading to environmental depletion has led to confusion among commercial growers. Environmentalists, supported by government officials through the Ministry of Environment, are persuading Kenyans to uproot all trees of this genus grown near riverbeds and water catchment areas, without explaining where, and how best they should be grown.
At the same time, some forestry scientists and researchers claim that the stricture has no legal and scientific backing. But if Kenya followed the example of Punjab province of Pakistan, which has ordered all eucalyptus trees uprooted without replacement, then it means it will need to import most of the products best made from eucalyptus.

Texas Tree Climbing Championship lets arborists compete in skill competition; Texas, USA

Thirty arborists, a few tall trees, one title
By Joshunda Sanders

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Sunday, May 31, 2009
The life of an arborist sounds quaint: You get to look at the pretty canopies of live oaks and dangle, safely, from the branches of a pecan tree 35 feet above the ground.
But there's nothing fanciful about being a skilled tree-climber, especially when it comes to outdoing your peers.
That's what 30 arborists, most from Texas but some from as far away as New Zealand, had in mind Saturday at the 26th annual Texas Tree Climbing Championship, hosted by the Texas chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture.
The two-day competition also offers an opportunity to compete in an international climbing competition this summer"

Paper chronicles the effects of war on Sarajevo's tree canopy; Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovena

A Tree Grows in Sarajevo : Journal Watch Online

A green recovery more than a decade after the siege
Desperate times called for desperate measures as the months wore on during the siege of Sarajevo from 1992 to 1996. The city’s residents treasured their trees, but cut off from energy and water supplies, they were reduced to chopping down nearly three quarters of them, mostly for firewood. A study in the journal Urban Forestry & Urban Greening documents both the remaining damage and the hopeful recovery of the urban forest. The experience serves as model for growing any city’s green canopy, the University of California, Berkeley researchers write."

Setting traps in hopes of (not) catching ash borer; Annapolis, MD

Battling the ash borer • Top Stories (www.HometownAnnapolis.com - The Capital)

Posted using ShareThis
Battling the ash borer
Purple traps in county trees are part of surveillance
By PAMELA WOOD, Staff Writer
Published 05/29/09
The war against the tree-killing emerald ash borer is rather slow going at times.
Pamela Wood — The Capital
Angelo Pate is behind the wheel of a large pickup with "Emerald Ash Borer Survey" decals on the sides. Next to him is Roger L. Barnes, checking a map and navigating through the streets of Annapolis.
In the back is Tim Cope, who peers out the window, trying to spot ash trees along the side of the road.
The three work in the plant-protection section of the Maryland Department of Agriculture, and they are the frontline soldiers battling a tiny green beetle that is quickly killing trees across the state and the country.
When Cope spots an ash tree in a good location, the three get to work placing a 2-foot-tall, three-sided purple trap high in the branches. The trap is outfitted with a sachet that smells wonderful to the ash borer, and its sides are coated with a sticky glue to trap any borers that might show up.
"We'll go back and check the traps every two weeks," Cope said, adding that if all goes well, they won't find any ash borers.

REI supports gives Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay $10,000 grant to support UTC efforts; Richmond, VA

REI to Outfit Richmond Through New Store at West Broad Village
May 29, 2009 11:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time
REI to Outfit Richmond Through New Store at West Broad Village
SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI), a national retail cooperative providing quality outdoor gear and clothing, today announced plans to open a new store in Richmond, Va. at West Broad Village in November of 2009.
“With easy access to the Blue Ridge Mountains and Atlantic coast, we’re excited to join the Richmond community and be a gateway for people and families exploring these areas,” said Gail Kirkland, REI retail director for the South. “Our new store will serve as a resource for both outdoor enthusiasts and our non-profit partners that are working to inspire people to get outside and conserve the natural spaces where we all enjoy recreating.”
The co-op also partners with non-profit organizations through education, volunteerism, gear donations and financial contributions. Although the store is not opening until later this year, REI has already begun partnering with the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay through a $10,000 grant to support its Urban Tree Canopy program and to assist in establishing an outdoor classroom program in Richmond. The co-op will also help recruit volunteers to enhance water quality and preserve wildlife habitat with the Alliance and other non-profit conservation and outdoor organizations in the area.

Street Trees for Winchester replenishing town's street tree population with the help of town funding; Winchester, MA

Street Trees for Winchester: A new green program begins to take root throughout town - Winchester, MA - The Winchester Star

Posted using ShareThis
Winchester, MA - One of the reasons many of us choose to live in Winchester is that it is such a green town. But we all know streets that are less green, on which buildings and signs, utility poles, mailboxes and fire hydrants stand out all too clearly, without the benefit of a visually softening canopy of green.
Well, a $20,000 appropriation by the 2008 Winchester Town Meeting and the volunteer Street Trees for Winchester (STW) is hoping to change all that. The long process that will result in new trees was begun in 2008 as an outgrowth of the Master Plan, with a joint funding request made to the Capital Planning Committee from the Planning Board, The Conservation Commission and the Design Review Committee.

"Make my day, punk - plant that tree!" NJ man arrested for threating to shoot crews for planting street tree in front of his house; Hamilton, NJ

Some in Hamilton don't want new trees - NJ.com
Thursday, May 28, 2009
BY RYAN TRACY
HAMILTON -- A tree-planting initiative in the Mercerville section of town is meeting stiff resistance from homeowners, one of whom brandished a shotgun and threatened state contractors digging in front of his home.
The 'community forestry' project, a partnership between Hamilton and the state, is designed to bolster tree canopies in cities and developed towns.
Many residents in the one Hamilton neighborhood targeted this year say they were not notified of the project until the trees were planted, though officials from Hamilton and the state Department of Environmental Protection claim otherwise.
The residents also say their complaints have been ignored or bounced between state and town officials without resolution. Those who oppose the trees fear the growing roots will damage sidewalks and underground pipes, while some say they do not want the burden of maintaining a tree they did not ask for.

North Linconshire officials cite Tree Protection Orders issued in 1971 in second denial of request to remove tree; Epworth, UK

Further reprieve for sycamore tree - Epworth Bells
Published Date: 28 May 2009
A SECOND request to fell a tree protected by a Tree Preservation Order was due to be rejected by members of North Lincolnshire Council's Planning Committee yesterday afternoon.
The request had come from a Mr A Stafford, who wanted to carry out the work on a Sycamore tree in his garden at 16 The Paddocks, Crowle. He was due to address the committee.
Mr Stafford had previously applied to fell this tree in 2006 and was refused permission and has now resubmitted the same tree report with this present application.
Among the reasons Mr Stafford gives for wanting to fell the tree is that a conservatory has been built to the rear of the property, closer to the tree and under its canopy and is he concerned about small branches being blown out of the tree and the potential for larger branches that may fail during winter storms. In his application he also makes comment regarding birds roosting in the tree and their subsequent bird droppings.

Volunteer city forester keeps city's trees in shape, chairs Shade Tree Commission; Scranton, PA

City forester chiefly responsible for trees lining Scranton's streets - The Times-Tribune
BY JEREMY G. BURTON (STAFF WRITER)
Published: May 27, 2009
Tony Santoli reaches into the rotting trunk of a pin oak tree at Nay Aug Park and digs his fingers into the loose wood.
Even though the tree offers a shady canopy of brilliant green, a fungus is eating away at its base.
Mr. Santoli said the oak could easily topple in a storm or high winds, but that's what people don't understand - just because a tree has leaves doesn't mean it is healthy, sturdy or safe.
For Mr. Santoli, another spring means another season of trimmings, cuttings and plantings. In seven years as city forester, as Scranton has pushed to revitalize its greenspace, Mr. Santoli has often been instrumental behind the scenes.

Local governments redoubling gypsy moth control efforts after bad 2008 infestation; McHenry County, IL

Daily Herald | Local governments redoubling gypsy moth efforts
By Charles Keeshan | Daily Herald StaffContact writerPublished: 5/26/2009 4:48
A year after tree-devouring gypsy moths blazed what one official called a 'historical' trail of destruction in McHenry County, the county and 15 other local governments are teaming up to double past efforts aimed at halting the pest in its tracks.
Under a plan outlined before a county board committee Tuesday, the governments will spend about $200,000 - four times as much as a year ago - to spray about 3,500 acres over the next two weeks with a species specific pesticide aimed at eradicating the insect while still in its caterpillar stage."

Supreme Court overturns lower court, gives New Jersey towns right to make residents and developers pay into fund when removing private property trees

Want to cut down your tree? - South Bergenite:
(by Michael Lamendola - May 27, 2009)
In the future, it could cost big bucks
Towns statewide now have free reign to charge residents and developers who take down trees on private property and do not replace them so new trees can be planted elsewhere within town borders on public land, preserving town canopies.
The decision came by way of a Supreme Court ruling last week, stemming from a lawsuit brought forth by the New Jersey Shore Builder's Association, which challenged an ordinance passed in 2003 by Jackson Township that enabled the town to create an escrow fund, charging between $200 and $800 per tree that was brought down. The fund was established to help the township maintain its tree stock, replacing those that went down with others in town parks or other township-owned properties. In 2004, the New Jersey Shore Builder's Association filed suit to deem the ordinance invalid and was successful in gaining a ruling deeming the ordinance invalid by a trial court in 2005. The association contested that the ordinance applied a false tax and was just implemented to raise extra revenue for the township. Soon after, an appellate court affirmed the trial court's decision. In last week's overturning of the lower courts' decisions however, the Supreme Court judges said the ordinance would "serve broad environmental goals."

The Dirty Dozen - ash borer now confirmed in 12th state; Kentucky

Insect endangers Ky. ash trees - State - Kentucky.com:
By Andy Mead - amead@herald-leader.com An insect called the emerald ash borer has been found in two Kentucky counties, which means trouble for the state's hundreds of millions of ash trees.
Officials estimate that the beetle has killed tens of millions of ash trees in Michigan, and tens of millions more in 10 other states and two Canadian provinces.
The most common ash tree in Kentucky is the white ash. The state Division of Forestry estimates that there are 131 million white ashes in Kentucky. There are an estimated 92 million green ash trees.
A 2005 survey in Lexington found that 11 percent of the city's street trees are ashes."

Poor pruning, not storm, blamed for green massacre; Kolkata, India

Pruning blamed for green massacre - Kolkata - Cities - The Times of India: "KOLKATA: A day after cyclonic storm Aila uprooted trees like ninepins and left a trail of destruction, green experts said the imprint of the tragedy
that felled over 500 trees pointed more to the sly hand of man than the mighty punch of nature. Scientists, foresters and green activists have blamed the high green casualty on unscientific plantation, pruning and beautification drives.
'Given the force of the storm, some trees would obviously have fallen as winds tunnelled through city streets. But casualty figures would have been a lot lower had we taken a little care. One of the biggest reasons for such largescale uprooting is lopsided pruning that had left trees unbalanced,' said former forester Pranabesh Sanyal."

TreeBaltimore gives residents free and cheap trees as part of effort to double UTC; Baltimore, MD

B'More Green: City residents get free and cheap trees - An environmental blog for everyday living - baltimoresun.com:
Free trees!
Baltimore is endeavoring to double its tree canopy from 20 percent to 40 percent during the next three decades and is encouraging homeowners to get planting by offering free and discounted trees.
The city effort is called TreeBaltimore, and officials say it aims to add to the urban forest that does a number of things: provides shade, beautifies neighborhoods, cleans air and water, offers and home to birds and other animals, increases property values and removes carbon from the atmosphere that contributes to global warming.
The push is a mayoral initiative that began in 2007. The city settled on the 40 percent goal, but discovered that about 85 percent of the available planting space, i.e. grass, was on private property, according to Anne Draddy, who runs the city program. So, they began hitting up residents to do some planting and caring for trees.

Figuring out where to plant a shade tree can save you money; Gastonia, NC

Figuring out where to plant a shade tree can save you money | shade, tree, butry - Local News - Gaston Gazette
May 22, 2009 - 11:17 AM
Michael Barrett
Plant west, young man. Or south. Or somewhere in between.
Using that approach when putting a shade tree beside your home can eventually reduce your summertime energy costs, according to a recent study.
The analysis by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and U.S. Department of Agriculture involved 460 homes in Sacramento, Calif. It found that trees positioned to shade the west and south sides of a house may decrease summer electric bills by 5 percent on average.
How applicable is that to homeowners in North Carolina? It's difficult to say, said David Butry, an NIST economist who co-authored the study.
"My hypothesis is the relative conclusions would hold across the U.S., but the magnitude would differ," he said. "It's going to really depend on the weather patterns of the region."

City looks to end practice of pre-development clearcutting just beyond urban growth boundary; Ottawa, Canada

'It's a bad practice developers should think twice about doing':
Councillors consider a bylaw to put an end to clearcutting just outside city's urban boundary
By Jake Rupert and Patrick Dare, The Ottawa CitizenMay 23, 2009
Landowners must be stopped from razing environmentally sensitive woodlots on the outskirts of Ottawa in the hope that bare land will stand a better chance of being approved for development, two influential city councillors say.
Councillor Rob Jellett represents Cumberland ward and chairs city council's rural-affairs committee, and Councillor Peter Hume represents Alta Vista and chairs the planning and environment committee. Both say in many cases recent and past, it's clear trees have been cut because landowners think without them the chances of land being approved for development by city council are better, or they are trying to avoid conservation rules and designations later in the municipal planning process.
'They do it because they think it betters the chance of getting to do what they want,' Hume said. 'It's a bad practice that developers should think twice about doing."

No country for old trees - study finds Yosemite's big, old trees being lost to climate change; Yosemite, CA

BBC - Earth News: Yosemite's giant trees disappear
Matt Walker
Editor, Earth News
No place for old trees (J. A. Lutz)
The oldest and largest trees within California's world famous Yosemite National Park are disappearing.
Climate change appears to be a major cause of the loss.
The revelation comes from an analysis of data collected over 60 years by forest ecologists.
They say one worrying aspect of the decline is that it is happening within one of most protected forests within the US, suggesting that even more large trees may be dying off elsewhere."

Brattleboro walk features 'treasured trees'; Brattleboro, VT

Brattleboro walk features 'treasured trees' - Brattleboro Reformer:
By BOB AUDETTE, Reformer Staff
Friday, May 22
BRATTLEBORO -- One would think that a road named Oak Street would be lined with oak trees. But in fact, there are only two oak trees left on Oak Street, one of them in the yard of Martha and Tim O'Connor.
At one time, Oak Street was lined with elm and oak trees, said Tim O'Connor.
But the elms succumbed to disease and most of the oaks were felled to make room for sidewalks, he said.
The Treasured Tree Project, which was undertaken by the Brattleboro Tree Advisory Committee, was developed to highlight trees around town such as the O'Connors' oak.
The committee designed a map for area residents and visitors that leads them on a 2.25-mile stroll to look at 22 trees, called the Treasured Tree Walk. The members of the Tree Advisory Committee spent two years on the project.
People in the community submitted nominations for trees they thought should be included in the map, said Lynn Levine, project manager.

Many applaud Mayor's budget but concerns linger about cuts to technical assistance on city tree laws; Portland, OR

Groups applaud mayor's proposed budget – OregonLive.com: PORTLAND NEWS
by James Mayer, The Oregonian
Thursday May 21, 2009, 10:18 PM
A few bemoaned cuts, but most who testified at the Portland budget hearing tonight thanked Mayor Sam Adams and the city council for saving programs for seniors, the homeless and the arts.
Several dozen citizens showed up at Mt. Tabor Middle School to testify on Mayor Sam Adams' proposed budget. The council will vote on the budget next Wednesday.
Lisa Reed Guarnero criticized cuts to the Vision into Action program. When the planning and sustainability bureaus merged, she said, "It felt like everything came to a screeching halt."
Ken Forcier, complained about the loss of funding for the tree manual, a project to place all the tree regulations in one place.
"Our tree canopy is coming under attack daily," Forcier said.

Article lists biggest invasive threats to Illinois' trees and forests

The Chronicle | Illinois' Most Unwanted Invasive Pests:
Illinois' Most 'Unwanted' Invasive Pests List of 2009.

University of Vermont video walks viewers through UTC assessment process using Rockville, MD as case study

Letters from the SAL: Urban Tree Canopy Assessment - Rockville, MD:
The video below presents the results of the urban tree canopy (UTC) assessment we just completed for Rockville, MD. High resolution land cover is the basis for the UTC assessment. Rockville is covered by both leaf-on color infrared imagery and LiDAR data, but mapping land cover proved to considerably more challenging than we expected. Some filtering was performed on the LiDAR data, resulting in a very inconsistent first return dataset (we did not have access to the point cloud). By taking a data fusion approch, combining the LiDAR and imagery in Definiens we were able to get around this, but it was not easy. I discuss these issues a bit in the video, but hope to cover the process in more detail in a future post. Imagery was prepped using ERDAS IMAGINE. LiDAR data was prepped using QT Modeler. The UTC metrics are generated using a geoprocessing model within ArcGIS. Please click on the image below to view the video.

Seattle Times' editorial staff take opposing positons on city's proposed new UTC efforts: Seattle, WA

Civil Disagreement: Should Seattle manage the tree canopy?
Posted by Lynne Varner
Civil disagreements with Lynne Varner and Bruce Ramsey, members of the Seattle Times editorial board is a weekly feature of the Ed Cetera blog. Bruce and Lynne often disagree on major issues. Here they discuss a Seattle audit proposing stricter management of trees, including those on private land.

Utility arborists and commercial arborist at odds as to how to prune town's old trees; Summerville, GA

Old Trees in Summerville Need Special Care—Not Whack Job | WJBF:

It’s one of the most beautiful sections of Augusta, and Summerville residents want to keep it that way. Neighbors are worried about the old trees that are part of the Hill’s charm. WJBF News Channel 6’s Paige Tucker reports.
By Paige Tucker
WJBF News Channel 6 Weekend Anchor/Reporter
Published: May 20, 2009
Augusta, GA—A massive tree that just fell in Summerville is a personal loss to many who count the area’s trees as one of the neighbors. Part of Summerville’s charm is the tree-lined streets that provide curb appeal and a canopy of shade.
A certified arborist, Roy Simkins takes interest in the preservation of the trees and offense to the way they’re often treated. “There’s a right way and a wrong way to prune a tree. That’s one of the reasons you need an arborist. It’s easy to buy a chainsaw and send a guy up a tree to cut a limb, but it’s something else to know the proper way to do it,“ says Simkins.
A lot of that pruning is done by Asplundh, a sub-contractor of Georgia Power hired to keep its power lines clear. “It occurred to me some years ago that Asplundh loves to cut the max because the more they cut the faster the tree will resprout and the more work they have. It’s sort of a make-work business,“ Simkons says.

Washington Energy Services reports strategic tree planting on private property can reduce energy use and emissions; Seattle, WA

Washington Energy Services - Urban landscaping can save energy - Seattle's Energy Efficiency leader:
Further News: Sustainable/Renewable Energy, Trends
Published: 5/21/2009
Seattle may look more to its trees to help save energy and benefit the environment.
A report in the Seattle Times describes how the city has been weighing some issues regarding tree management in recent weeks, with suggestions that include more coordination among different city departments and better protections for trees on private property.
Homeowners have also found that strategically placed landscaping can save them on energy costs by taking advantage of things like natural sunlight and wind barriers. Others choose to install renewable energy systems like solar arrays and small windmills too generate their own clean power.

Does green future include urban tree canopy comprised in part of fake trees that harvest sun, wind, air pressure for energy?

Power Plants: Artificial Trees That Harvest Sun and Wind to Generate Electricity: Scientific American: "May 20, 2009 | 18 comments
Power Plants: Artificial Trees That Harvest Sun and Wind to Generate Electricity
A start-up proposes forests of fake trees with 'leaves' that soak up sunshine and flutter in the breeze to generate clean solar and wind power. Could it just be crazy enough to work?
By Adam Hadhazy
While on a train ride to visit his sister in the Netherlands in 2002, where monstrous wind turbines now mar scenic views, Alex van der Beek got an idea: Instead of ruining the natural landscape with conventional technology, why not generate electricity from something that blends in—a fake tree?
Van der Beek—whose previous professional experience was teaching alternative medicine—founded Solar Botanic, Ltd., in London last year on the concept. Solar Botanic's ambitious plan involves bringing together three different energy-generation technologies—photovoltaics (aka solar power, or electricity from visible sunlight), thermoelectrics (electricity from heat) and piezoelectrics (electricity from pressure)—all in the unassuming shape of a leaf on its stem.

City not staffed to provide indvidual citizens with ash borer assistance-those needing help should call private sector Certified Arborist; Savage, MN

Residents should call arborist with concerns about ash borers | Savage Pacer: Submitted by Nancy Huddleston on May 20, 2009 - 8:06am.
The recent discovery of Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) in Twin Cities metropolitan area has generated many inquiries to the city of Savage.
If residents suspect the presence of ash borers, city staff recommends that residents call a certified arborist to make a proper diagnosis and recommendation for treatment or abatement. A list of certified arborists can be found on the city’s Web site, www.cityofsavage.com.
Unfortunately, the city does not have adequate staffing levels to conduct site inspections on private property, according to Public Works Director John Powell. Trees on public land will continue to be monitored by staff as time allows.

Ash borer continues march across Ohio

Ash borer continues its decimation of Ohio trees:
By Doug Page
Staff Writer
Updated 9:21 AM Wednesday, May 20, 2009
The state is no longer monitoring the spread of the emerald ash borer in counties already under quarantine for the destructive insect.
“Once you are quarantined, no one is looking,” said Wendi Van Buren of the state division of urban forestry. “The state is focusing limited resources on counties not quarantined.”
Kaleigh Frazier of the state Department of Agriculture said the department has $1 million in federal funds to monitor the insect’s spread, down slightly from last year.
All of the Miami Valley, with the exception of Greene County, is under the quarantine, which means no ash wood products may be moved outside the area.
The ash is a major tree species in the urban landscape, often used as a boulevard tree for its hardiness and expansive green canopy. Ohio has an estimated 3.8 billion ash trees

TreeVitalize, Greenworks, and TreeTenders work to raise Philly's UTC from 11% to 30%; Philadelphia, PA

RoxReview.com: "Posted on Wed, May 20, 2009 Zoom + | Zoom -
It happens every spring"
Less than 24 hours later, Sue Harrison, chair of EFTT's Tree-Vitalize planting, was welcoming scores of Phila U students and other volunteers to East Falls Presbyterian Church. Working with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) Ms. Harrison orchestrated the largest tree planting project in East Falls: 80 trees in two days. The effort represented more than 900 volunteer hours of labor ranging from sorting, tagging, and loading trees to purchasing tools, mulch, and soil, to digging holes, pounding stakes, and watering trees. These trees, representing 22 species, traveled from hundreds of miles to Philadelphia, their bare roots protected by a gel solution. Once again the Philadelphia Water Department, ever eager to mitigate stormwater runoff by encouraging the planting of trees, collected the trees at Drexel University underground depot, stored them overnight, and then delivered them in time for planting. The 100 volunteers valiantly ignored the 90 degree plus temperatures as they toiled, block after block, to increase the local tree canopy. Since 1995 EFTT has coordinated the planting of 700 trees.
With TreeVitalize and the Mayor's new initiative, Greenworks, EFTT is looking forward to increasing its 11 percent tree canopy to 30 percent in the years ahead.

In scene reminiscent of Hitchcock's "The Birds", thousands of cormorants strip trees, devour fish; Toronto, Ontario, CA

TheStar.com | GTA | 30,000 cormorants destroying lakeside park:
May 20, 2009 04:30 AM
Leslie Scrivener
Staff Reporter
Dark and swift, flocks of cormorants soar above Lake Ontario before hundreds of them finally dip down to the diamond-flecked water. It's a stirring sight on a bright spring day.

But cormorants are less beautiful on land.

One arm of the Leslie Street Spit, home to Tommy Thompson Park and the Great Lakes' largest colony of cormorants, looks like a wintry apocalypse. There are no trees now, just a few guano-spattered snags. This is where cormorants first settled in the park in 1990. They now number about 30,000.

Invasive insect pest defoliating trees all over Boston's south shore; Plymouth, MA

Winter Moths Return With Vengeance - As Seen On NewsCenter 5 Story - WCVB Boston:
POSTED: 1:58 pm EDT May 19, 2009
UPDATED: 5:51 pm EDT May 19, 2009
BOSTON -- After a quiet existence for the past three years, the winter moth caterpillar is back.
NewsCenter 5’s David Brown reported that the hungry caterpillars can kill thousands of local trees.
“A lot of it is a numbers game. There are so many winter moths within the canopy of the tree, and all those holes coalesce,” said Todd Caswell, of Natural Tree.
It's a numbers game that's become a losing battle for thousands of trees in eastern Massachusetts. The number of winter moth caterpillars have been down for the past three years in eastern Massachusetts, but this year, the caterpillars are defoliating and damaging many prized New England trees."

Tree damaged in wake of NCAA championship could end up as art to honor sports achievements; Chapel Hill, NC

Tree Stump Could Become Tar Heel Trophy - Orange County - MyNC.com:
Credit: AP Online Caption
By Town of Chapel Hill, Press Release, 3 days, 3 hours ago
Updated: May. 19 2:36 pm CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -
The tree stump that could stands at the intersection of Columbia and Franklin. It could become 'The Championship Tree' if Dwight Bassett has his way.
The tree was damaged during the street celebration that ensued after the UNC-Chapel Hill Tar Heels Men's Basketball Team won the NCAA Championship. The tree canopy had to be cut off, leaving a remaining seven-foot stump. The tree was originally an 11-foot Green Ash that had been recommended for removal by Bartlett Tree Experts, arborists hired by the Town to inventory downtown trees in 2007.
During a site inspection of the street the following morning, Mayor Kevin Foy had an idea. Why not make art from the remaining stump?

Yew must be kidding: Tree with a canopy the width of Royal Albert Hall goes into the record books; Staffordshire, England, UK

Yew must be kidding: Tree with a canopy the width of Royal Albert Hall goes into the record books | Mail Online:
By David Derbyshire
Last updated at 6:08 PM on 19th May 2009
A giant yew with a canopy the size of London's Royal Albert Hall has entered the record books as the widest tree in the UK.The champion tree, which has engulfed a National Trust garden, has an amazing crown circumference of almost 200 yards.
Tree experts, who discovered the 350-year-old Yew as part of the Woodland Trust's ancient tree hunt, believe it may even be the widest in Europe.

City Auditor says UTC goal effort needs more interagency cooperation, more community outreach, and increased protection for private trees; Seattle, WA

Local News | Seattle's tree management needs revising, the city auditor says | Seattle Times Newspaper: "Seattle's tree management needs revising, the city auditor says
Seattle should do much more to save and increase its urban tree canopy, the city's auditor says in a report. It lists a number of issues with current tree management and suggests solutions, including better cooperation among city departments, more community outreach and increased protection of trees on private property.
By Michelle Ma
Seattle Times staff reporter

Seattle should do much more to save and increase its urban tree canopy, according to a report presented to the City Council on Monday.
The Office of City Auditor lists"

North Dakota begins to count the cost in anticipation of arrival of ash borer; North Dakota

Is N.D. next? - MinotDailyNews.com | News, sports, business, jobs - Minot Daily News: "Is N.D. next?
Tree-killing beetle found in Minn.

By WHITNEY PANDIL-EATON, Staff Writer wpandileaton@minotdailynews.com

The Forest Service has estimated that it would cost $600 for removal and replanting of each mature ash tree, a direct cost to a city. That translates into a cost of approximately $8 million in Fargo and $5.2 million in Bismarck, with little hope of federal or state assistance Kangas added.

Those (figures) don't take into account the loss of cost-savings either. Home heating costs in the winter will go up without the windbreaks and cooling costs in the summer will rise too without shade. Wildlife that depends on them for cover or food will suffer as well as the quality of life. What is it going to look like after they're all gone?" said Kangas.

With approximately 4,000 ash trees spread across Minot, the potential cost of an infestation is estimated at $2.4 million."

Council urges more private property incentives, better public tree management to reach UTC goal of 30% by 2040; Seattle, WA

Council urges mayor to approve stronger rules to protect urban forest | Ballard News-Tribune: "By Robinson Newspapers Staff
May 18, 2009 updated 5 hours ago
On May 18 the Seattle City Auditor presented a report to the city council on the management of city trees, which calls the urban forest, “a vital part of the city’s infrastructure” and recommends better management of urban trees as a valuable resource.
Seattle has specific goals to increase the urban tree canopy from 18 percent to 30 percent by 2040.
“We know that in addition to fighting climate change, a healthy and expanding tree canopy provides financial benefits to the city in managing drainage, filtering our air, and boosting property values by making neighborhoods greener,” said council president Richard Conlin, chair of the Environment, Emergency Management, and Utilities Committee, which will take up the report at its Friday meeting."

Park tree attacked, park wardens call for witnesses; Worthing, England, UK

Bark hacked away from tree in Lewes's Malling Recreation Ground - Worthing Today: "Bark hacked away from tree in Lewes's Malling Recreation Ground
Published Date: 18 May 2009
MINDLESS vandals have hacked the bark off a tree in Malling Recreation Ground, Lewes.
The tree suffered has substantial damage and is unlikely to survive.
Lewes District Council, which manages Mailling Rec, is appealing for witnesses to come forward to try to track down the culprits.
The damaged was discovered by Lewes District Council Parks' Wardens during routine inspections.
A spokesperson for the district council said: 'The tree is unlikely to survive the attack."

Hialeah's go green effort includes UTC assessment, tree plantings and giveaways; Hialeah, FL

Move to make Hialeah green is thriving - Miami-Dade - MiamiHerald.com: "ENVIRONMENT
Move to make Hialeah green is thriving
Hialeah still has a way to go, but it's more eco-friendly today than ever before.
ypineiro@MiamiHerald.com
South Florida's concrete jungle is headed for greener pastures.
As the fifth-largest city in the state with a bustling industrial center, Hialeah has long been dumped on for paving over every patch of grass -- a truth that gave birth to the phrase la ciudad de agua, fango y factoria or the city of water, mud and factories.
In November, the county's Department of Environmental Resources Management expects to release results of a study noting the percentage of tree canopy coverage by area. The county conducted a similar study in 1996, and found much of the county had severely inadequate tree canopies, leading to sky-high electric bills and sun-baked gardens and lawns."

Minnesota ready to kick some ash borer; Minneapolis, MN

Minnesota ready to kick some ash borer: "Plans to track down the Asian bug and impose quarantines are starting, but efforts might be futile.
By TOM MEERSMAN, Star Tribune
Last update: May 16, 2009 - 9:59 PM
The borer war is about to begin.
But set aside any hope that the invasive emerald ash borer can be eradicated from the Twin Cities.
The tiny bugs, discovered last week in part of St. Paul, have likely been in town for four or five years already, said Mark Abrahamson, plant protection specialist for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. That means they've probably spread among some of the about 300,000 ash trees in Minneapolis and St. Paul, making eradication impossible.
Still, there's "real value in trying to bottle this up in the Twin Cities," said Michael Schommer, a spokesman for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture."

Emerald ash borer evokes bad memories of Dutch elm disease and massive urban clear cuts; St. Paul, MN

Joe Soucheray: Emerald ash borer punches hole in the canopy - TwinCities.com: "Updated: 05/16/2009 09:20:40 PM CDT
They came for one of my elm trees in 1977 or 1978. I can't remember. It might have been 1976. It was devastating. I claim to have never had a relationship with a tree, but I was particularly appreciative of that stately old elm, which could shade most of the front yard and two cars parked on the street, Scheffer.
First, they came with a can of the dreaded spray paint. It was bad news if your tree got a squirt of paint. Sometimes they came with a can of paint but didn't use it and it was like a reprieve, like the governor called at one minute to midnight. They came again. I lobbied, but to no avail. I might even have said the knee-jerk words we find ourselves uttering in Minnesota in times of animal and plant crisis: 'Isn't there somebody at the U ... ?'
Then they came with the tape, the caution tape that identifies crime scenes and keeps people at their distance."

Calvert County Master Plan regulations require 60% tree cover in watersheds, 40% in towns; Calvert County, MD

Give trees a chance: "Give trees a chance
The right greenery can mean more greenbacks
Friday, May 15, 2009
By JAY FRIESS
Staff writer"
Rice said Charles County requires that 90 percent of the landscaping plants used by developers have to be native species. Calvert County has gone even further. "We adopted an ordinance last year that said ‘natives only,'" Bowen said. Citing their better record of longevity, Bowen said, "On the whole, natives are the better way to go."
Calvert County recently passed minimum tree canopy regulations as part of an update of the Solomons Town Center master plan. The regulations are designed to comply with the water resources element of the county's master plan, which calls for 60 percent tree cover in the county's watersheds and 40 percent cover in towns to achieve better water quality.
"If we work at the sub-watershed level … I think we can maintain or improve watershed quality," Bowen said. "If we all do our share, we can make it better."

Diedrichs recognized by Mayor, Indiana Arborists' Association for career caring for city trees; Kendalville, IN

Mayor Honors Tree Division of Parks and Recreation: "Mayor Honors Tree Division of Parks and Recreation
Staff reports
Friday, 15 May 2009 09:00
Mayor Tom Henry honored retiring Arborist Bill Diedrichs at Lawton Park for his 20 years of outstanding service to the city. Diedrichs recently won the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Indiana Arborist Association and helped the city through countless tree emergencies including wind storms, tornadoes and ice storms.

“We’ll deeply appreciate Bill’s dedication over the years. He worked hard to put a great structure in place to maintain our trees and paved the way for our new Tree Commission to take tree management to the next level,” said Mayor Henry. “I encourage all citizens to follow Bill’s efforts by working to protect the City’s parks and public trees.”"

Woman temporarily stops city crews from chopping down tree, gives up under threat of arrest; Santa Ana, CA

Woman temporarily stops city crews from chopping down tree | tree, city, trees, amato, fichus - News - OCRegister.com: "Thursday, May 14, 2009
Woman temporarily stops city crews from chopping down tree
Huntington Beach police tell woman to leave or she would be arrested
By JAIMEE LYNN FLETCHER
The Orange County Register
HUNTINGTON BEACH– A woman today was threatened with arrest after she stood in front of a nearly 50-year-old tree to stop city crews from chopping it down.
Carmela Amato, 45, leaned up against a fichus tree in the 5600 block of Heil Avenue hoping the city would think twice before ripping out the massive tree that canopies the sidewalks and homes."

Private money needed to maintain public trees, but post-storm assessment demonstrates value of the investment; Fort Wayne, IN

City needs help with tree care | The Journal Gazette, Fort Wayne, Ind.: "Last updated: May 15, 2009 8:34 a.m. City needs help with tree care
Benjamin LankaThe Journal Gazette
Clint Keller | The Journal Gazette
Despite city crews’ cleanup work after December’s ice storm, piles of limbs remain along Lafayette Street.

Private money is needed to keep the city’s public-tree canopy properly maintained, Park Director Al Moll said Thursday.
In providing a summary of last winter’s ice storm damages, Moll said city trees that had been trimmed recently suffered far less damage than those that had gone years without pruning.
Because of budget cuts, the city has cut how frequently it trims 80,000 street and park trees. Moll said trees are ideally trimmed every five to seven years, but recently the city has been able to trim them only every nine years. When heavy ice and wind hit Fort Wayne in December, trees without a recent trim lost more limbs and created more damage, he said.
But getting more tax dollars to help with the maintenance is unlikely because of dwindling resources, Moll said. That is why the city will likely begin talking with foundations and other private donors to seek money for tree maintenance."

Missouri Urban Forest Conference experts tell how trees on private property increase home values and reduce energy bills; Jackson, MI

Treasure trunks: Proper landscaping, trees boost sales price, studies show | clarionledger.com | The Clarion-Ledger: "Treasure trunks: Proper landscaping, trees boost sales price, studies show
Billy Watkins • bwatkins@clarionledger.com • May 15, 2009

Trees provide more than beauty, shade and a great place to hang a swing. They can put money in homeowners' pockets.
'Multiple studies done over multiple years involving homes that are constant - meaning they are the same size, have the same number of bedrooms, etc. - show that proper landscaping and trees in the yard can actually boost the sales price from 7 to 9 percent,' says Kathleen Wolf, research social scientist with the college of forest resources at the University of Washington.
Wolf will be the featured speaker at the annual Mississippi Urban Forest Conference beginning Wednesday at Ridgeland High School. Tickets are $40 each day or $100 for the three-day event."

Conflicts with gray infrastructure spell doom for green infrastructure's oaks; Midgeville, GA

Baldwin Bulletin: "Big Oak trees around downtown on the chopping block
05/14/09
Chris McKearney
Ten downtown oak trees soon will be cut down and removed by the City of Milledgeville.
Each of the 20-something-year-old water oak trees is located in downtown’s commercial district on Hancock or Wayne streets. Milledgeville Mayor Richard Bentley said that the oaks are “the wrong kind of trees” and “not urban friendly.”
“They tend to cause damage to the infrastructure and the aesthetic value of the sidewalks,” Bentley said. “Those leaves also are notorious for causing clogging and draining.”
The City will replace the older oak trees with younger elm trees, which are described as “more urban friendly.”
Justin Jones is the chairman of the Millledgeville MainStreet board and also a merchant at J.C. Grant Co.
“From a merchant’s standpoint, those trees are pretty. But, those big oaks tear up the infrastructure,” he said. “I’m still a firm believer that if you cut down a tree, you re-plant one in its place. The elm trees they’re planting will grow to be a pretty good size. It will just take a few years.”"

The destructive emerald ash borer: It's here; Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN

The destructive emerald ash borer: It's here: "It's bad news, but the confirmed arrival of the tree-killing pest may not be as devastating to Minnesota as it has been to other states, official says.
By BILL McAULIFFE
Last update: May 15, 2009 - 1:22
Feared and expected, the emerald ash borer has been found in Minnesota, posing a critical threat to the state's 900 million ash trees, including roughly one-third of all trees in Minneapolis and St. Paul.
The infestation was discovered in a tree on Long Avenue in St. Paul's Hampden Park neighborhood. State officials got a preliminary confirmation from a federal entomologist who viewed a digital picture Thursday. They are expecting final confirmation today from a sample sent to Washington.
'It's pretty clear this is the emerald ash borer, and it's the first discovered in the state,' said Minnesota Department of Agriculture spokesman Mike Schommer. 'It's obviously bad news.'"

Tree Warden role has progressed from protecting the King's timber to managing community tree resources; Belmont, MA

Plant a tree for your tomorrow - Belmont, MA - Belmont Citizen-Herald: "Plant a tree for your tomorrow
By Ruth Foster/Special to the Citizen-Herald
Thu May 14, 2009, 01:59 PM EDT
Belmont, Mass. - Suddenly the town is green again.
This yearly 'turning of the leaves' is celebrated at the beginning of May on Arbor Day when school children help plant a tree.
The town's tree planting is supervised by Tree Warden Tom Walsh, also cherished by everyone who cares about the town and its trees. He became tree warden 18 years ago, but actually began working on Belmont's trees at the age of 15 in his father's tree business. He knows every tree in town!
In colonial times the tree warden guarded the 'King's Trees' which were used for the masts of sailing ships, and under today's laws, the Tree Warden still controls every public tree."

Kailua tree removals protested; Honolulu, HI

Kailua tree removal protested | HonoluluAdvertiser.com | The Honolulu Advertiser: "Posted on: Thursday, May 14, 2009
Kailua tree removal protested
By Eloise Aguiar
Advertiser Staff Writer
KAILUA — The city has temporarily suspended the replacement of 17 poinciana trees near Kailua District Park after a flurry of protests from residents this week.
Residents are calling for proof of the problems and say that if the trees need to be replaced, royal poinciana should be used. The city says the trees are damaged and need to be replaced, and will continue the project once residents have been fully informed."

250 plots to be surveyed across Nebraska to gather information on state's urban and rural tree resources; Nebraska

Media-Newswire.com - Press Release Distribution - PR Agency: "(Media-Newswire.com) - LINCOLN, Neb. — As part of the Great Plains Tree and Forest Invasives Initiative, approximately 250 randomly selected plots across Nebraska will be visited to evaluate the state's tree resources.

Beginning the end of May, three, two-person crews will be surveying 173 rural windbreak plots in 60 counties across the state and 80 urban plots in Lincoln and Omaha.

This year's inventory is a continuation of the work conducted last summer.

The Great Plains Tree and Forest Invasives Initiative is an effort of state forestry agencies in Nebraska, Kansas, North Dakota and South Dakota working together to prepare for the arrival of invasive species in the Great Plains. The agencies are assessing the region's tree resources, determining and addressing the potential impacts of invasives to those resources, creating public awareness of invasive species and promoting species diversity. The initiative is funded by a U.S. Forest Service grant and matching state funds."

MillionTreesNYC plants public trees in Red Hook, offers assistance with private property plantings; Brooklyn, NY

Real Estate Brooklyn coverage Bay Ridge Eagle Brooklyn, 2007 NY information :: daily paper in Brooklyn: "Hundreds of Trees To Be Planted In Red Hook This Weekend
by Sarah Tobol (Sarah.Tobol@brooklyneagle.net), published online 05-12-2009

Program Part of City’s MillionTrees Planting Program
By Sarah Tobol
Brooklyn Daily Eagle
RED HOOK — At this point, there’s a lot of talk about what everyone should be cutting back on or eliminating from their lives to reduce their impact on the environment. But there’s at least one thing we always need more of: trees.
It’s estimated that one mature tree can absorb carbon dioxide at a rate of 48 pounds per year and release enough oxygen back into the atmosphere to support two human beings (coloradotrees.org).
Trees are not only good for reducing carbon emissions, they also provide shade to buildings. This reduces the need for air conditioning in the summer, curbing energy consumption.
Sounds good, right? But how do you plant trees if you don’t have a yard? Or, if you have a yard, where should you go to get trees? MillionTreesNYC has the answers for you.
An initiative started by Mayor Bloomberg as part of his PlaNYC program, with the New York Parks Department and the New York Restoration Project, MillionTreesNYC has an ambitious (if not obvious) goal: to plant one million trees in New York City in the next decade."

Durango City crews spray to fight bark beetles; Durango, CO

Durango Herald News, City crews spray to fight beetles: "City crews spray to fight beetles
by Dale Rodebaugh
Herald Staff Writer
Article Last Updated; Tuesday, May 12, 2009
If bark beetles feasting on conifers in Greenmount Cemetery didn't duck Monday, they got a face full of pesticide as the city of Durango began its annual tree spraying.
'Our trees are highly valuable, so we have to initiate preventive measures,' city arborist Ron Stoner said at the cemetery office. 'We want to keep as many of them living and as healthy as possible.'"

thewest.com.au reports on what may be largest tree transplant ever; Kings Park, Australia

Relocation to save 80yo tree : thewest.com.au: "Relocation to save 80yo tree
12th May 2009, 10:00 WST
The West Australian
Kings Park arboricultural experts and specialist tree contractors have transplanted what is believed to be one of the original Centennial plantings of Red Flowering Gum trees along Fraser Avenue.
Arborist Jeremy Thomas said he believed the transplanting was a world first.
An 80 tonne crane lifted the tree and passed it to a 25 tonne Franna crane that “walked” the tree along Fraser Avenue to its new location. Earth anchors will be attached to the tree for stability while the tree develops new roots.
“I believe this is the first time such a tree of this species, size and age has ever been transplanted. We are quietly confident that this effort to conserve the Corymbia ficifolia which is around 80 years old will be a success,” Mr Thomas said."

Severe pruning of red oak inspires resident to form tree preservation group; Grimsby, Ontario, Canada

NiagaraThisWeek.com: News: Communities: Grimsby: Story: Grimsby woman aims to start tree preservation group: "Grimsby woman aims to start tree preservation group
By Amanda Street/Staff, Niagra This Week
Grimsby
May 11, 2009
It was the loss of a historic tree from a Grimsby neighbourhood that set June Vansickle on the path of environmental protection.
On March 19, a red oak tree was trimmed of its branches and limbs as Vansickle watched, horrified. The town decided the tree, which had already lost a number of large limbs, was too much of a liability with a schoolyard nearby. After a number of studies by a contracted arborist, the top half of the tree was taken down, it’s pedestal left as a habitat for squirrels, raccoons and birds.
Vansickle wasn’t impressed with the tree cutting and contacted The News about getting the word out on a petition she had started calling for more measures to be taken for tree preservation. Since that story appeared, Vansickle has spoken with many residents over concerns of development, greenspace preservation and most of all, trees. After discovering a number of residents share her concerns, Vansickle is ready to take the next step – forming a citizens group."

"Treehouse seven" hope University of Maryland plans to clear woods does not destroy their canopy hideaway; College Park, MD

Seven students sitting in a tree - News: "Seven students sitting in a tree
Diamondback Online - College Park,MD,USA - Sara Newman
On Friday, seven seniors unveiled their hidden hideout: a three-level treehouse buried deep in the woods behind the Comcast Center parking garage.
The 'treehouse seven,' as they like to call themselves - seniors Cooper Linde, Andrew Zhao, Taylor Jones, Matt Ritterpusch, Chris Ahn, Fred De Grano and one who declined to be named - opened their canopy campout to about 40 students who came out to celebrate the treehouse's completion. The group said they wanted to make the structure public so others could enjoy an alcohol-free escape, as they have for the past academic year. But with the impending threat of developing the Wooded Hillock area, the seniors say they hope the treehouse will remain undisturbed.
'It's all about a bunch of friends who like to get together and have a good time,' Linde said. 'There's nothing like this anywhere on campus.'
The seven began constructing the treehouse in September and worked on it mostly at night, lighting the area with flashlights and headlamps and using material they either purchased or found while dumpster diving."

Huntley ash borer inspection survey slated; Huntley, IL

Northwest Herald | Huntley ash borer inspection survey slated: "Huntley ash borer inspection survey slated
By AMBER KROSEL - akrosel@nwherald.com
HUNTLEY – Spring and early summer usually are spent by many outdoors enjoying the pleasant weather.
But as temperatures warm, residents might be faced with another season of possible emerald ash borer infestations. Adult insects begin emerging in mid- to late May, while new larvae feed under the bark of ash trees for several weeks in late July through fall.
The younger metallic-green bugs burrow deep into ash tree trunks to feed off the plant until it eventually dies.
Last summer, McHenry County reported several cases of ash borer infestations, with two found in Huntley. That’s one reason that the village is working to finalize a policy on the potential removal and replacement of parkway ash trees.
A villagewide survey is set to begin June 1, village officials said, when workers will go door-to-door inspecting public ash trees. The town’s ash population is about one-third of all trees."

Carnegie Mellon professor outlines vision of Green Pittsburgh for next mayor; Pittsburgh, PA

The Next Page: Designs on Pittsburgh -- memos to the next mayor: "The Next Page: Designs on Pittsburgh -- memos to the next mayor
Ahead of the May 19 mayoral primary, three voices from Pittsburgh's architecture and design community focus on ideas central to the city
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The clean-water imperative -- and a better, greener solution
VIVIAN LOFTNESS: Let's lead the nation in landscaping our way out of the storm-sewer crisis -- to become a truly green city.
Between $2 billion and $4 billion in scarce resources will be needed to address the storm-sewer crisis in Pittsburgh. While Pittsburgh's population is half of 100 years ago, our storm runoff is at historic highs due to increased paving for parking lots and roads, and of course climate change.
The uncontrolled runoff during each storm has resulted in sewage overflows right into our rivers, and those of many older cities -- causing EPA to mandate money be spent (in budget-busting amounts). Yet the only solution on the table is a conventional big-pipe solution (actually two big pipes) that will tear up our streets, our sidewalks and street trees -- and leave a city poor and scarred.
We have a strategic opportunity to landscape our way out of the storm-sewer crisis, to create a world-class city and create a new green "export" industry.
Imagine every drop of rain is captured by new gardens and landscaped surfaces. Imagine tree-lined streets, rebuilt porous sidewalks edged by colorful plantings and parking lots defined by green swales and tree canopies. Imagine green roofs and connected parks, watersheds that are micro "waterfalls in the rain" and riverfronts that are ribbons of indigenous plants. Combined with investment in water-conserving fixtures, these investments in greening our city will eliminate storm water runoff, and ensure that our relined sewers can continue to meet the cities demand for generations..."

Maryland State Forester outlines UTC role in public-private/urban-rural state-wide tree cover strategy; Maryland

Carroll County Times: Westminster, Maryland: "Maryland wants a future filled with forests
By Carrie Ann Knauer, Times Staff Writer Sunday, May 10, 2009
Kyle Nosal/Staff Photo
Dozens of volunteers help Carroll County Boy Scout troops plant trees at Freedom Park in Sykesville April 25.
Trees aren’t just nice to look at. They store carbon and release oxygen. They provide shade, keeping areas cooler. And their roots hold soil and nutrients in place so that they don’t pollute local waterways.
Maryland has 2.6 million acres of trees, and that’s where state officials want to keep it.
“We’d like to keep everything that we’ve got, but that means we need to work with others because obviously, as new properties are being bought and sold and new houses are going in, you will have trees being impacted by new construction,” said Steve Koehn, state forester."
A large portion of the No Net Loss of Forest Act, passed in the 2009 Maryland General Assembly, deals specifically with urban tree canopy, which applies not only to true urban areas but municipalities and suburbs as well.
Having those municipalities get on board is great, Koehn said, but it is still important to have individuals, no matter where they live, plant and care for trees on their land.

Arborists turn to surgery to save American elms; Tenafly, NJ

Arborists turn to surgery to save American elms Philadelphia Inquirer 05/08/2009: "Arborists turn to surgery to save American elms
By James M. O'Neill
BERGEN RECORD
TENAFLY, N.J. - A chain saw's drone drowned out the trill of migrating warblers in the Greenbrook Sanctuary woods as arborists conducted major surgery to save an extremely aged patient - a 163-year-old American elm tree.
Dutch elm disease has wiped out some of the few remaining stands of native elms in the region.
Greenbrook Sanctuary recently lost four of its 12 remaining elms. That spurred Nancy Slowik, the sanctuary's director and naturalist, to lobby the organization's board to start an aggressive campaign to save the elms that were left."

Gaston County town spending $2,400 to count trees; Belmont, NC

Gaston County town spending $2,400 to count trees trees, city, miller - Local News - Gaston Gazette: "Gaston County town spending $2,400 to count trees
May 7, 2009 - 8:41 AM
The inventory is being funded by a grant through the N.C. Division of Forest Resources. The city will pay $2,400, half the $4,800 cost of the process.
The goal for city trees is to grow, provide canopies and filter water and air pollutants, said Miller. Ideally, a large tree canopy would shade the street and provide more energy efficiency for homes, he said, possibly taking on the appearance of the Queens Road West area in Charlotte."

Lanham sector plan on its way to being finalized - includes UTC enhancements; Lanham, MD

Sector plan on its way to being finalized: "Sector plan on its way to being finalized
Recommendations would make streets safer, improve bus service
by Liz Skalski Staff Writer"
Preliminary recommendations for a revised sector plan, which has been in the works since last July, include adding speed humps to some neighborhood streets to slow down drivers, creating shopping centers and improving bus service and MARC ridership, according to M-NCPPC planners.
Short-term plans include continuing the historic surveying of and documenting of work throughout the planning area, building a public library at the Glenn Dale Community Center site, evaluating stream corridors for blockages and ensuring that the needs of pedestrians and bicyclists are considered in the design of new roads and road improvements.
Long-term plans include increasing the urban tree canopy through vegetation along roads, in median strips and within neighborhoods; renovating or replacing facilities rated "poor" by a 2008 physical conditions assessment, like the Howard B. Owens Science Center in Lanham; and widening Lanham-Severn Road to a four-lane road to decrease traffic congestion.

Critics question University of Maryland plan to bulldoze woods; College Park, MD

Critics question UM plan to bulldoze woods -- baltimoresun.com: "Critics question UM plan to bulldoze woods
Green credentials challenged in light of campus building plan
By a Baltimore Sun staff writer
May 7, 2009
The University of Maryland, College Park aspires to be one of the 'greenest' institutions of higher education in the country and plans to celebrate Friday its designation as an arboretum and 'tree campus.'
But some students and professors say the administration is missing the forest for the trees by planning to bulldoze nearly 9 acres of woods on the sprawling 1,400-acre campus to make way for maintenance sheds, a mail-handling depot and a parking lot for the university's buses and trucks.
'The university says they're going to become carbon neutral by 2050, but they make a decision to cut down 9 acres of forest on the campus,' said Davey Rogner, a senior from Silver Spring who's majoring in environmental restoration."

Groups to pitch in to help Columbus plant trees; Columbus, OH

Groups to pitch in to help Columbus plant trees - News - Ledger-Enquirer.com: "Groups to pitch in to help Columbus plant trees
Crews to plant 20 trees today to restore area damaged by tornado
By Ben Wright - benw@ledger-enquirer.com E-Mail
City crews will be planting large trees today along 13th Street in an effort to restore the area damaged in the April 19 tornado.
“We are planting some to fill in,” said Scott Jones, chief of Urban Forestry and Beautification for the city of Columbus.
Jones said crews will plant about 20 large trees between 16th and 18th avenues, using a variety of red maples, elms, hornbeam, cedar and others.
Storm damage in Columbus Click here to learn more about preserving trees in Columbus
At least 200 trees were lost when the tornado roared along the 13th Street corridor, causing damage in Lakebottom, MidTown and Wynnton. Another 50 trees were damaged in Phenix City."

Percieved flip-flop on Norway maple removal approvals gets officials in hot water; Toronto, Canada; 5/6/09

Miller defends deputy mayor Toronto Sun - Ontario, Canada
At issue for city politicians are two Norway Maples, located on different residential properties. Owners of the properties want them removed because they're damaging their homes.
Despite city staff offering the same advice in both situations -- that because both trees were healthy they should not be removed -- council granted one of the homeowners, on Trehorne Dr., in Councillor Gloria Lindsay-Luby's Etobicoke ward, the right to chop their maple down.
But last year, council denied a request to take down a Norway Maple on Grandville Ave., in Councillor Frances Nunziata's North York ward.
Pantalone fought to save the tree last year, but voted to chop down the other last week.

Planning commision approves measures to increase UTC from 12% to 40% and create tree commission; Frederick, MD; 4/14/09

Panel Says Frederick Needs More Trees WBAL Radio - Baltimore,MD,USA
Frederick's tree canopy was recently measured at 12 percent.
But officials recommend increasing the tree canopy to 40 percent over the next 20 years or more.
The planning commission on Monday approved recommending the urban forest management plan to the Board of Aldermen. The proposal would also establish a tree commission.

Chesapeake Bay UTC goals responsible for the planting of 8,000 trees in 2009; Chesapeake Bay, USA; 5/5/09

Message from the Executive Director The Chesapeake Bay Journal - Seven Valleys,PA,USA
Programmatically, the individual state offices have been going great guns. Our Urban Tree Canopy initiative has planted more than 5,000 trees across the region since the fall, with an additional 3,000 to be planted in the remainder of 2009. Our goal with this initiative, as with all of our H2O Center programs, is to not only see that trees get in the ground, thus reducing runoff in our urban areas, but to use the planting events as a means to help local groups attract volunteers and raise money to support their work.

Scientists monitor spring leaf out, relate to climate change; Boston, MA; 05/04/09

Scientist Tracks Trees Coming Back To Life WBZ - Boston,MA,USA
The network is called "PhenoCam," because the project is focused on "phenology"-- how the timing of the seasons affects plants and animals. "Images are sent out automatically to our image archive every half hour," said Richardson, "We have literally hundreds of thousands of archive images from the past several years." Since trees are so temperature sensitive, they are a good indicator of the arrival of spring and that timing can have implications for climate science.

Memorial protects remnants of heritage tree, recreates historic canopy; Barcaldine, Australia; 5/5/09

Coast connection to Tree of Knowledge Sunshine Coast Daily - Queensland,Australia
“There was the practical component to protect the tree, as one of Australia’s 74 national heritage-listed sites, from sun and rain,” he said. “But there was also an architectural approach as to how to provide cover over the top of the dead tree. The whole process was about creating the original canopy from the time of the shearers’ strike in 1890s through photographic evidence.
“It’s quite an impressive cathedral space, with dappled light reflecting off the metal and you get this lovely movement with the wind through the building as well. The timber members actually sway so you get an effect symbolic of a tree.”
The poisoning of the tree remains a mystery. Suspects include disgruntled political opponents of the Labor Party, drunken pranksters or incompetent gardeners.

Street trees planted 40 years ago by resident are public property, subject to "hack job" by city; Oak Lawn, IL; 5/3/09

Oak Lawn wants federal cash for school cameras Southtown Star - Chicago,IL,USA
Ray Kommenich Jr. was devastated to learn that village crews had trimmed two of the four Horse Chestnut trees his family planted outside his home 40-some years ago.
Kommenich, 45, said the trees - two in his yard, two in the parkway - formed a "beautiful canopy" over the sidewalk.
A few careful snips would have been fine, but he said the village did a "hack job" that killed the branches, which he thinks could one day kill the trees.
Heather Green, the village's forester, said Oak Lawn's contracted tree-trimmers may have been a little aggressive, but "we didn't hurt the tree."
Green said the trimming was part of a scheduled maintenance designed for safety on the sidewalks and roads.

Monument to heritage tree which gave birth to Labor movement opens with $5 million price tag; Barcaldine, Australia; 5/4/09

Tree of Knowledge divides Qld town ABC Online - Australia
Public opinion remains divided in the western Queensland town of Barcaldine over a new $5 million memorial to the historic Tree of Knowledge.
The heritage-listed ghost gum is widely known as the birth place of the Labor movement and was officially opened yesterday.
Striking shearers are said to have gathered underneath it in 1891, but the tree was poisoned in 2006 - the memorial has been built around its remains.
The 18-metre high structure includes 5,000 pieces of hanging timber to replicate the tree's original canopy.
It dwarfs everything else in the town and some locals say it is an eyesore.

Abandoned Maya cities may leave clues about sustainability; El Pilar, Guatemala; 5/2/09

El Pilar Archaeological Reserve for Maya Flora and Fauna The Guatemala Times - Guatemala,Guatemala,Guatemala
El Pilar flourished as a Maya garden city for nearly 2,000 years. It was the largest urban area in what is now the edge of greater Petén. At its peak it housed more than 20,000 people in a mosaic landscape of city houses and gardens, surrounded by forest and agricultural fields. The city had what is rare in the Maya area, an abundance of water: the name "El Pilar" is derived from the Spanish word for watering basin. The venerable Tikal, 30 miles (50 km) to the west, had no naturally occurring water sources.

Miami landscape architect assails utility's "tree assassins" and their pruning methods; Miami, FL; 5/2/09

fpl's Tree Assassins: It's All About Profits Biscayne Times - Miami,FL,USA
The notion that any public utility has the inherent right to visually pollute our communities with unbridled overhead power lines, ugly concrete or tar-stained wood poles, and disastrous pruning techniques are anathema to sound residential planning and the highest standards of community design.
And the idea that the pruning of trees by FPL’s “tree assassins” is “now an accepted practice” could not be further from the truth. Such action may be accepted by FPL, by Asplundh Tree Company (the “pruners”), and by the uninformed, but it is highly unlikely that even the most novice gardener would support the argument that FPL cares about trees, or about how they are pruned.

National Arbor Day Foundation offers tree help via updated Conservation Trees booklet; Nebraska City, NE; 5/1/09

Need some tree help? Leader Times - Kittanning,PA,USA
The Arbor Day Foundation has updated its Conservation Trees booklet, and is selling it for a $3 donation.
Conservation Trees is designed to help people plant and care for trees, using illustrations, colorl photos and text.
"The Arbor Day Foundation believes it is vital for people of all walks of life to plant new trees and to take care of our existing tree canopy," said John Rosenow, chief executive of the Foundation. "This booklet serves as a great resource for tree planters in every area of the country..."

"True believer" adds to Tree of Knowledge legend; Barcaldine, Australia; 5/2/09

True believer adds to Tree of Knowledge legend Australia.TO - Sydney,NSW,Australia
"In 1891 Barcaldine was the centre of the "Great Shearers Strike" where in May of that year, about 3000 striking shearers marched under the Tree of Knowledge to protest against poor working conditions and low wages," she said."These events led to the Tree of Knowledge earning its claim to fame as the founding site of the political movement we now know as the Australian Labor Party."Ms Bligh said the almost $2.5 million contribution by the Queensland Government Q150 Legacy Infrastructure Program has built a permanent memorial which will protect the original tree."Sadly the Tree of Knowledge was poisoned in 2006, but this structure will help protect and preserve the remains of the tree to permanently recognise the trees historical importance," she said.

Trees loss due to ADA compliance leads to public concern, city development of tree planting goal; Somerville, MA; 5/1/09

Arbor Day in Somerville Somerville News - Somerville,MA,USA
Many trees have been removed on Somerville Ave to make the sidewalks comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. State projects are required by law to take down trees in order to make sidewalks sufficiently wide.It is because of concerned citizens like Narsesian that the Massachusetts Youthbuild Coalition (Youthbuild) and Eagle Eye Institute (EEI) were founded. EEI is based in Somerville and dedicated to its primary goal of combating global warming. Arbor Day, of course, is their biggest day of the year.
Not to be outdone, however, the city has got involved in fighting global warming by planting trees. In response to complaints of those such as Narsesian, Somerville's Executive Director of Communication, Tom Champion, underscores the city's unflagging commitment to the environment. "The Mayor has committed to increasing the total number of trees in the city by 20% in the next few years. In order to do that we must start with an inventory."

Exemptions from tree removal prohibition steeped in politics; Toronto, Canada; 4/30/09

The politics of trees in Toronto National Post - Toronto,Ontario,Canada
Today a tree in Parkdale spawned angry accusations of a double standard about when old-growth trees are allowed to be cut down – depending on whose ward they are located in.
Toronto has a policy that trees greater than 30-centimetres in diameter be preserved at all cost – even on private property.
Hence council decisions permitting exceptions are steeped in politics – sometimes principled, sometimes personal and sometimes petty.

Half of city's 21,000 street trees scheduled for removal in wake of Ike; Galveston, TX; 4/30/09

More than 10000 Galveston trees could come down due to Hurricane ...Family Badge - USA
Preliminary results from a Texas Forest Service assessment of storm-damaged trees in Galveston show that roughly half of the island's trees may need to be removed.
An estimated 10,840 of the 21,874 trees in the city's public right of way were determined to have less than 50 percent of their leaves, meaning they are dead or likely to die. The cost to remove eligible trees that are larger than six inches in diameter is expected to be upwards of $706,180.
Another 3,254 smaller trees also may have to be removed, as well as more than 31,000 private trees. Removal costs for those trees are not included in the cost estimate.