eCanadaNow » Google Street View Catches illegal Tree Cutters:
Three people in Vancouver are charged with illegal tree-cutting, and the case against them has the option of using pictures taken by a Google Street View camera which happened to be operating in the neighborhood and recorded the scene. The Google Street View shows the truck and workmen on the site, which was littered with tree debris as well as the fresh cut stumps along the property’s fence line.
Charges filed against the land owner, Margaret Burnyeat, her daughter, Elizabeth Burnyeat and Michael Saffronick of Saffronick Tree Care Ltd. claim they exceeded the terms of their permit to remove two trees and violated the old tree bylaw by allegedly cutting down 23 cedar, cypress and evergreen trees on a residential lot. After the neighbors filed complaints, the city of Vancouver’s legal department investigation discovered the Google Earth pictures.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Columnist sees unwelcome parallels between local tree protection efforts and federal health care bill; Boulder, CO
Greenlee: Control freaks? - Boulder Daily Camera:
A number of local citizens qualify as devoted 'tree huggers.' There`s nothing wrong with a fondness for trees although the moniker implies something beyond simply enjoying our deciduous and non-deciduous companions.
Like so many other things in Boulder there`s a propensity to go far beyond enjoying something and instead wanting to control, possess, and legislate preferred behavior even when it comes to things like trees. According to a recent city staff memo, trees 'have environmental, social, and economic benefits' as defined in both the Comprehensive Plan and an over-ambitious Climate Action Plan. It appears a new health care plan for trees is in the works that will likely involve providing universal arbor care with a public option and a network of required caregivers who will likely impose a single-payer system passing all bills along to taxpayers. Sound familiar?
Some of our leafy companions may even qualify as being 'historic landmarks.' But first, according to a 40-page memo to Boulder`s Planning Board and City Council, a comprehensive inventory of city trees needs to be undertaken. This includes performing a comprehensive tree canopy survey, developing a new Geographical Information System Database along with a Database Management Program administered by a new Information Resources Working Group. Unfortunately the costs associated with implementing these new ventures were not provided in the memo.
A number of local citizens qualify as devoted 'tree huggers.' There`s nothing wrong with a fondness for trees although the moniker implies something beyond simply enjoying our deciduous and non-deciduous companions.
Like so many other things in Boulder there`s a propensity to go far beyond enjoying something and instead wanting to control, possess, and legislate preferred behavior even when it comes to things like trees. According to a recent city staff memo, trees 'have environmental, social, and economic benefits' as defined in both the Comprehensive Plan and an over-ambitious Climate Action Plan. It appears a new health care plan for trees is in the works that will likely involve providing universal arbor care with a public option and a network of required caregivers who will likely impose a single-payer system passing all bills along to taxpayers. Sound familiar?
Some of our leafy companions may even qualify as being 'historic landmarks.' But first, according to a 40-page memo to Boulder`s Planning Board and City Council, a comprehensive inventory of city trees needs to be undertaken. This includes performing a comprehensive tree canopy survey, developing a new Geographical Information System Database along with a Database Management Program administered by a new Information Resources Working Group. Unfortunately the costs associated with implementing these new ventures were not provided in the memo.
Guest columnist says Knoxville Utilities Board needs reasonable tree-trimming policies; Knoxville, TN
Guest column: KUB needs reasonable tree-trimming policies » Knoxville News Sentinel:
For the past four years, Knoxvillians have become increasingly concerned about the Knoxville Utilities Board's tree cutting policies.
Recent public discussion has renewed the debate as to what can be done to force KUB to adopt a reasonable policy that will stop excessive tree cutting and unnecessary removal of thousands of trees and other vegetation per week, destruction of private property, reduction of property values, and permanent disfiguring of Knoxville's most beautiful trees.
KUB Board Chair J. Thomas Jones, in a guest column in the Jan. 10, News Sentinel, asked, 'Should KUB trim trees away from electric lines?' He then proceeded to repeat KUB's latest rationale for its current policies.
He asked the wrong question and ignores many issues while defending KUB's position and its spending of at least $6 million per year.
For the past four years, Knoxvillians have become increasingly concerned about the Knoxville Utilities Board's tree cutting policies.
Recent public discussion has renewed the debate as to what can be done to force KUB to adopt a reasonable policy that will stop excessive tree cutting and unnecessary removal of thousands of trees and other vegetation per week, destruction of private property, reduction of property values, and permanent disfiguring of Knoxville's most beautiful trees.
KUB Board Chair J. Thomas Jones, in a guest column in the Jan. 10, News Sentinel, asked, 'Should KUB trim trees away from electric lines?' He then proceeded to repeat KUB's latest rationale for its current policies.
He asked the wrong question and ignores many issues while defending KUB's position and its spending of at least $6 million per year.
Streecars and urban tree canopy - friends or enemies? Washington, DC
Streetcars 4 DC » Blog Archive » Committe of 100: Misleading and Just Plain Wrong Part II: Streetcar Wires and the Urban Tree Canopy:
The Committee of 100 on the Federal City has issued a petition against streetcars in the District of Columbia and is asking neighborhood and citizen organizations to sign on. Before doing so, all organizations should be aware that the petition and its supporting document are full of falsehoods and misleading insinuations. In a previous post, I countered the biggest falsehood — the claim that cities around the world are installing streetcar systems that do not use overhead wires. To date, only one city has done so: Bordeaux, and that system proved so problematic that the vast majority of that city’s system, including all future extensions, uses overhead wire.
The Committee of 100 on the Federal City has issued a petition against streetcars in the District of Columbia and is asking neighborhood and citizen organizations to sign on. Before doing so, all organizations should be aware that the petition and its supporting document are full of falsehoods and misleading insinuations. In a previous post, I countered the biggest falsehood — the claim that cities around the world are installing streetcar systems that do not use overhead wires. To date, only one city has done so: Bordeaux, and that system proved so problematic that the vast majority of that city’s system, including all future extensions, uses overhead wire.
City drafts new rules for tree protection during construction, forms partership with UW-Madison to assess tree canopy; Madison, WI
Good news for Madison's urban forest - Isthmus The Daily Page:
Madison Ald. Marsha Rummel says it's about time. The city of Madison is now drafting new rules requiring the protection of trees during construction and levying fines for violations.
'It's better because it's going to be upfront, and the expectation is that everybody is there to protect trees,' says Rummel of the new policy, which will likely be presented to the city's Board of Public Works next month.
Meanwhile, an auspicious new partnership between the university and the city forestry department has the potential to increase the total amount of city tree cover and eventually help improve lake water quality by reducing runoff.
Madison Ald. Marsha Rummel says it's about time. The city of Madison is now drafting new rules requiring the protection of trees during construction and levying fines for violations.
'It's better because it's going to be upfront, and the expectation is that everybody is there to protect trees,' says Rummel of the new policy, which will likely be presented to the city's Board of Public Works next month.
Meanwhile, an auspicious new partnership between the university and the city forestry department has the potential to increase the total amount of city tree cover and eventually help improve lake water quality by reducing runoff.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Casey Trees updates FAQ document to reflect new regulations related to Urban Forest Preservation Act; Washington, DC
Urban Forest Preservation Act:
On January 22, 2003, the DC Council passed the Urban Forest Preservation Act (UFPA) of 2002. The Act establishes an urban forest preservation program, requires permits for Special Tree removals or replacements and establishes a Tree Fund to be used to plant trees and defray costs associated with the implementation of this act. Chapter 37 (Special Trees) of Title 24 District of Columbia Municipal Regulations (DCMR) was amended in June 2009 to include an income-contingent program to help District residents offset the cost of removing hazardous Special Trees. This program effective January 1, 2010.
On January 22, 2003, the DC Council passed the Urban Forest Preservation Act (UFPA) of 2002. The Act establishes an urban forest preservation program, requires permits for Special Tree removals or replacements and establishes a Tree Fund to be used to plant trees and defray costs associated with the implementation of this act. Chapter 37 (Special Trees) of Title 24 District of Columbia Municipal Regulations (DCMR) was amended in June 2009 to include an income-contingent program to help District residents offset the cost of removing hazardous Special Trees. This program effective January 1, 2010.
Columbus to enter into UTC assessment project with ODNR; Columbus, OH
Columbus Local News: > Archives > Region > News > Youth and Family board funding likely held to '09 level:
Other resolutions authorized Finance Director Michelle Kelly-Underwood to enter into an agreement with a company to provide property and casualty insurance for the city, and authorized Service Director Butch Seidle to cooperate with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to implement an urban tree canopy assessment program.
Other resolutions authorized Finance Director Michelle Kelly-Underwood to enter into an agreement with a company to provide property and casualty insurance for the city, and authorized Service Director Butch Seidle to cooperate with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to implement an urban tree canopy assessment program.
St. Paul City Council to consider city-wide UTC assessment and goal; St. Paul, MN
» Agenda of the St. Paul City Council - Wednesday, February 3, 2010:
Resolution - 10-109 - Authorizing the Department of Parks and Recreation to apply, negotiate, and execute a grant contract with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources for creation of a citywide urban tree canopy assessment and goals statement. (GS 3095576-Ward 7)
Resolution - 10-109 - Authorizing the Department of Parks and Recreation to apply, negotiate, and execute a grant contract with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources for creation of a citywide urban tree canopy assessment and goals statement. (GS 3095576-Ward 7)
Friday, January 29, 2010
Ash borer responsible for MA senate election, MN gov not seeking third term?; St. Paul, MN
On a pitch, a ride, free beauty and more ... - TwinCities.com: "You read it here first: The emerald ash borer, a nasty invasive insect that is wrecking our ash-tree canopy, was responsible for Gov. Tim Pawlenty's decision not to seek a third term as governor. The news that the borer was boring in on Minnesota was followed quickly by the gov's announcement. The fact that there is absolutely no evidence linking the two has not stopped us from advancing this absurd theory.
We now note that the borer has let loose the dogs of war on St. Paul's fine boulevards, leading to a city decision to bring out the chain saws, stump grinders and replanting crews. Further, it is our wholly unsupported contention that the borers, emboldened by their successes, sent chewing teams to Massachusetts. That triggered a statewide panic, which convinced normally Democratic Bay Staters that they needed to vote Republican, upsetting the bid for national health care, which the emerald ash borer-lobby feared would have led to increased funding for ash-tree removal.
Thus it is the dreaded ash borers that are responsible for the upheaval in Washington, just as they were in Minnesota. Again, you read it here first.
Beware the borer!"
We now note that the borer has let loose the dogs of war on St. Paul's fine boulevards, leading to a city decision to bring out the chain saws, stump grinders and replanting crews. Further, it is our wholly unsupported contention that the borers, emboldened by their successes, sent chewing teams to Massachusetts. That triggered a statewide panic, which convinced normally Democratic Bay Staters that they needed to vote Republican, upsetting the bid for national health care, which the emerald ash borer-lobby feared would have led to increased funding for ash-tree removal.
Thus it is the dreaded ash borers that are responsible for the upheaval in Washington, just as they were in Minnesota. Again, you read it here first.
Beware the borer!"
Non-profit recreates historic street scape designed by Kessler in 1920; Terra Haute,IN
Terre Haute News, Terre Haute, Indiana- TribStar.com - TREES meeting with Ohio Boulevard homeowners:
Ohio Boulevard homeowners will meet Thursday to learn about plans to rebuild the historic area’s tree canopy.
TREES Inc., in cooperation with the City of Terre Haute, will plant 100 shade trees along the boulevard March 27. The spring planting will be the first of several projects TREES Inc. will complete this year in celebration of its 20th anniversary.
City Forester Bill Kincius will have maps of the area showing potential planting sites and will discuss the types of trees that will be planted.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989, the Ohio Boulevard-Deming Park Historic District was designed in 1920 by one of America’s best-known landscape architects, George Kessler. Sites for the new trees will be based on Kessler’s landscape design for the boulevard.
Ohio Boulevard homeowners will meet Thursday to learn about plans to rebuild the historic area’s tree canopy.
TREES Inc., in cooperation with the City of Terre Haute, will plant 100 shade trees along the boulevard March 27. The spring planting will be the first of several projects TREES Inc. will complete this year in celebration of its 20th anniversary.
City Forester Bill Kincius will have maps of the area showing potential planting sites and will discuss the types of trees that will be planted.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989, the Ohio Boulevard-Deming Park Historic District was designed in 1920 by one of America’s best-known landscape architects, George Kessler. Sites for the new trees will be based on Kessler’s landscape design for the boulevard.
City looking for interested parties to fill two vacancies on Urban Tree Advisory Committee; Grants Pass, OR
City of Grants Pass : What's New:
Applications are now being accepted to serve on the Urban Tree Advisory Committee for the City of Grants Pass. There are two (2) positions open due to terms that expire February 18, 2010. Applications for this Committee must be received no later than February 9, 2010.
For further information, please call Janet at 474-6360 ext. 6412.
ALL INTERESTED PARTIES ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY
Applications are now being accepted to serve on the Urban Tree Advisory Committee for the City of Grants Pass. There are two (2) positions open due to terms that expire February 18, 2010. Applications for this Committee must be received no later than February 9, 2010.
For further information, please call Janet at 474-6360 ext. 6412.
ALL INTERESTED PARTIES ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY
USDA releases new geospatial data products; USA
Release No. 0036.10:
NASS produced the CDLs using satellite images observed at 56-meter (0.775 acres per pixel) resolution and collected from the Resourcesat-1 Advanced Wide Field Sensor (AWiFS), Landsat Thematic Mapper and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). The collection of images was then categorized using on-the-ground farm information including field location, crop type, land cover, elevation, tree canopy and urban infrastructure.
NASS produced the CDLs using satellite images observed at 56-meter (0.775 acres per pixel) resolution and collected from the Resourcesat-1 Advanced Wide Field Sensor (AWiFS), Landsat Thematic Mapper and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). The collection of images was then categorized using on-the-ground farm information including field location, crop type, land cover, elevation, tree canopy and urban infrastructure.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Task Force focuses on urban forest in development of climate action strategy; Redlands, CA
Task Force urges alternative transportation - Redlands Daily Facts:
The Climate Action Task Force may be able to help Redlands reduce its carbon emissions.
The group addresses how the city can do this in its Climate Action and Sustainability Plan. The Storing and Offsetting Carbon Emissions and the Efficient Transportation subcommittees made recommendations to help this goal along.
The first of the two subcommittees looked at easy ways the city could help minimize Redlands' carbon emissions.
'Our main focus revolved around the urban forest,' said Dan Rendler, chair of the Storing and Offsetting Carbon Emissions subcommittee. 'That's making the right selection of trees in the city so we aren't letting greenhouse gasses out.'
The Climate Action Task Force may be able to help Redlands reduce its carbon emissions.
The group addresses how the city can do this in its Climate Action and Sustainability Plan. The Storing and Offsetting Carbon Emissions and the Efficient Transportation subcommittees made recommendations to help this goal along.
The first of the two subcommittees looked at easy ways the city could help minimize Redlands' carbon emissions.
'Our main focus revolved around the urban forest,' said Dan Rendler, chair of the Storing and Offsetting Carbon Emissions subcommittee. 'That's making the right selection of trees in the city so we aren't letting greenhouse gasses out.'
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
US Forest Service issues job announcement for leader of national urban & community forestry program; USA
USAJOBS - Search Jobs:
The Assistant Director (AD), in conjunction with the Director of Cooperative Forestry, develops and implements broad policies and guidance for U&CF to increase program effectiveness at the national, regional, state and local level. This includes helping to establish policies, positions and agreements for the Forest Service on difficult and complex urban and community forestry issues. The AD provides leadership in cultivating partnerships with other federal agencies, state and local governments, tribes, community organizations, non-profit groups, universities, special interest groups and private industry to accomplish the strategic goals of the Forest Service and U&CF. The AD works with the staff to develop program priorities and is responsible for national level administration including financial planning, performance-based budget allocations, and program accountability. He/She also exercises the full range of supervisory duties including performing overall work planning, establishes work schedules and priorities, assigns and reviews work of staff, sets performance standards, provides performance reviews, and ensures that employees are provided developmental and training opportunities.
The Assistant Director (AD), in conjunction with the Director of Cooperative Forestry, develops and implements broad policies and guidance for U&CF to increase program effectiveness at the national, regional, state and local level. This includes helping to establish policies, positions and agreements for the Forest Service on difficult and complex urban and community forestry issues. The AD provides leadership in cultivating partnerships with other federal agencies, state and local governments, tribes, community organizations, non-profit groups, universities, special interest groups and private industry to accomplish the strategic goals of the Forest Service and U&CF. The AD works with the staff to develop program priorities and is responsible for national level administration including financial planning, performance-based budget allocations, and program accountability. He/She also exercises the full range of supervisory duties including performing overall work planning, establishes work schedules and priorities, assigns and reviews work of staff, sets performance standards, provides performance reviews, and ensures that employees are provided developmental and training opportunities.
Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board gets grant for proactive ash removal in anticipation of ash borer invasion; Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board - News & Events:
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board’s (MPRB) battle against Emerald Ash Borer got a financial boost from a Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) grant. The MPRB’s Forestry Division received $98,400 as part of the MDA’s Forest Protection Reserve Planning and Preparedness Grant Program.
The grant monies will be used to proactively remove ash trees on boulevards, parks, golf courses and other City property; grind the resulting stumps; and replant diverse trees in a controlled and orderly manner.
According to Ralph Sievert, MPRB director of park forestry, emphasis will be placed on removing 300-400 declining or defective ash trees and replacing them with 350-450 new trees of diverse species. “Our effort will also include partnering with neighborhood organizations to educate residents of the Emerald Ash Borer threat and how the program will be implemented.”
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board’s (MPRB) battle against Emerald Ash Borer got a financial boost from a Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) grant. The MPRB’s Forestry Division received $98,400 as part of the MDA’s Forest Protection Reserve Planning and Preparedness Grant Program.
The grant monies will be used to proactively remove ash trees on boulevards, parks, golf courses and other City property; grind the resulting stumps; and replant diverse trees in a controlled and orderly manner.
According to Ralph Sievert, MPRB director of park forestry, emphasis will be placed on removing 300-400 declining or defective ash trees and replacing them with 350-450 new trees of diverse species. “Our effort will also include partnering with neighborhood organizations to educate residents of the Emerald Ash Borer threat and how the program will be implemented.”
City has lost ~ 1,000 acres of UTC from 1985 - 2006 - effect on stormwater described; Bellevue, WA
Its the Rainy Season - Stormwater is Running Downhill:
While this January is turning out to be one of the warmest (if not the warmest) on record, with daily lows exceeding typical lows on most days, it is still the rainy season. While most of us recognize that winter rains and snowpack lead to summer drinking water and stream flows, in recent years, scientists and regulators have grown far more interested in the effects of that rain in cities, and in particular the stormwater runoff that storms generate. That runoff is regulated by the clean-water act, and while Bellevue and other Western Washington built most of their stormwater infrastructure with an emphasis on moving water from roads and neighborhoods into local streams to prevent flooding, that efficient movement of water has some unintended consequences, especially when compounded by some of the negative effects of urbanization.
While this January is turning out to be one of the warmest (if not the warmest) on record, with daily lows exceeding typical lows on most days, it is still the rainy season. While most of us recognize that winter rains and snowpack lead to summer drinking water and stream flows, in recent years, scientists and regulators have grown far more interested in the effects of that rain in cities, and in particular the stormwater runoff that storms generate. That runoff is regulated by the clean-water act, and while Bellevue and other Western Washington built most of their stormwater infrastructure with an emphasis on moving water from roads and neighborhoods into local streams to prevent flooding, that efficient movement of water has some unintended consequences, especially when compounded by some of the negative effects of urbanization.
Rate of loss has slowed from '92 - '05 when greater metro area lost UTC equal to the size of Houston, but area is still losing tree cover; Houston, TX
Canopy alert! Houston still losing trees - 2010-Jan-26 - CultureMap Houston:
What can offset pollution, help prevent flooding and keep temperatures down? It's not a miracle, it's trees.
And yet, though Houston has long been plagued by these issues, the city and surrounding region have lost a significant amount of tree cover in recent years. According to a new Center for Houston's Future report,
What can offset pollution, help prevent flooding and keep temperatures down? It's not a miracle, it's trees.
And yet, though Houston has long been plagued by these issues, the city and surrounding region have lost a significant amount of tree cover in recent years. According to a new Center for Houston's Future report,
High Point University recognized by National Arbor Day Foundation as Tree Campus USA; North Point, NC
High Point University © 2010:
High Point University has been honored as a 2009 Tree Campus USA University for its dedication to campus forestry management and environmental stewardship – the fifth university in the state to be given this designation.
'High Point University continues to be dedicated to the enhancement of the campus and seeks to maintain a learning environment complimented by a diverse landscape. Our faculty, staff, students, and donors along with landscape designers, local garden clubs, scientists, and others joined together to make our dream of a campus arboretum a reality,' says Dr. Nido Qubein, president of HPU. 'HPU wants to ensure that our campus will be protected, enhanced, and stand as a symbol of our commitment to nurture the gifts of nature. The Arboretum and Botanical Gardens are significant and highly visible residents of the High Point University campus while greatly impacting the quality of life of our campus and community.'
High Point University has been honored as a 2009 Tree Campus USA University for its dedication to campus forestry management and environmental stewardship – the fifth university in the state to be given this designation.
'High Point University continues to be dedicated to the enhancement of the campus and seeks to maintain a learning environment complimented by a diverse landscape. Our faculty, staff, students, and donors along with landscape designers, local garden clubs, scientists, and others joined together to make our dream of a campus arboretum a reality,' says Dr. Nido Qubein, president of HPU. 'HPU wants to ensure that our campus will be protected, enhanced, and stand as a symbol of our commitment to nurture the gifts of nature. The Arboretum and Botanical Gardens are significant and highly visible residents of the High Point University campus while greatly impacting the quality of life of our campus and community.'
Sorsogon vice gov recommends forest farming vs climate change; Sorsogon, Phillipines
Sorsogon vice gov recommends forest farming vs climate change « SORSOGON UNITED:
The vice governor of Sorsogon province where the vast forest areas are confronted with rapid deterioration due to natural and man-made destruction is pushing forest farming as an effective measure to avert the negative impacts of climate change in the locality.
“Through forest farming, we would be able to have economic gains from the forest we nourish while contributing to the global effort of solving the problem on global warming,” Vice Governor Renato Laurinaria told the Philippines News Agency at his mini-forest farm here over the weekend.
“The signs of global warming that indicate we are now in the midst of it are already ominous as we feel the immediate effects of global warming through the climatic changes that make our summers hotter while the typhoons during the rainy season are increasingly getting to be fewer, but more furious,” he said.
The vice governor of Sorsogon province where the vast forest areas are confronted with rapid deterioration due to natural and man-made destruction is pushing forest farming as an effective measure to avert the negative impacts of climate change in the locality.
“Through forest farming, we would be able to have economic gains from the forest we nourish while contributing to the global effort of solving the problem on global warming,” Vice Governor Renato Laurinaria told the Philippines News Agency at his mini-forest farm here over the weekend.
“The signs of global warming that indicate we are now in the midst of it are already ominous as we feel the immediate effects of global warming through the climatic changes that make our summers hotter while the typhoons during the rainy season are increasingly getting to be fewer, but more furious,” he said.
Proposed budget cuts to impact tree maintenance, permit response times; Portland, OR
Proposed budget cuts to impact tree maintenance Growth Rings:
Last Thursday in the Lovejoy Room at city hall, the Urban Forestry Commission was briefed on almost $250,000 in proposed tree-related budget cuts facing the Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R).
As stated in a letter written by parks director Zari Santner that outlines all of the cuts, PP&R is prepared to cut four percent of its annual budget, or $1.7 million, as directed by the city council.
Last Thursday in the Lovejoy Room at city hall, the Urban Forestry Commission was briefed on almost $250,000 in proposed tree-related budget cuts facing the Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R).
As stated in a letter written by parks director Zari Santner that outlines all of the cuts, PP&R is prepared to cut four percent of its annual budget, or $1.7 million, as directed by the city council.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Town denies claim resulting from Bradford pear falling on citizen's car, but removes all Bradfords in downtown area; Mooresville, NC
Town removing trees - CharlotteObserver.com:
A motorist told the Observer that a Bradford pear toppled onto his van as he drove through downtown Mooresville Sept. 11.
'My van was going 30 mph, and it totaled my van, with me in it,' Stephen Horney of Mocksville said in an e-mail. He said the collision hurt his back. The tree fell on a 'clear, wind-free day,' Horney said.
Horney's claim for damages with the town was later denied by Michigan-based Midwest Claims Service, the claim administrator for the company that provides the town's insurance coverage. He said the 2007 Chevy Express sustained $16,000 in damages.
Midwest Claims found that the town had no prior notice of the defective condition of the tree and that a tree branch fell onto the van due to 'natural occurrences' the town had no control over, according to the company's denial letter to Horney.
A motorist told the Observer that a Bradford pear toppled onto his van as he drove through downtown Mooresville Sept. 11.
'My van was going 30 mph, and it totaled my van, with me in it,' Stephen Horney of Mocksville said in an e-mail. He said the collision hurt his back. The tree fell on a 'clear, wind-free day,' Horney said.
Horney's claim for damages with the town was later denied by Michigan-based Midwest Claims Service, the claim administrator for the company that provides the town's insurance coverage. He said the 2007 Chevy Express sustained $16,000 in damages.
Midwest Claims found that the town had no prior notice of the defective condition of the tree and that a tree branch fell onto the van due to 'natural occurrences' the town had no control over, according to the company's denial letter to Horney.
Picking up the pieces» from ice storm one year ago; Land Between the Lakes. KY
Picking up the pieces» Evansville Courier & Press:
At its peak a year ago — nearly 30 hours of freezing rain Jan. 26-28 — the storm left 700,000 Kentuckians without power and was blamed for 36 deaths.
The brunt of the storm cut a 50-mile-wide path from Murray, Ky., northeast toward Paducah and Madisonville.
At LBL, a vast peninsula with 170,000 acres of trees and play areas tucked between Kentucky and Barkley lakes, up to 2 inches of ice sent trees, limbs and power lines crashing down on roads, trails and facilities.
At its peak a year ago — nearly 30 hours of freezing rain Jan. 26-28 — the storm left 700,000 Kentuckians without power and was blamed for 36 deaths.
The brunt of the storm cut a 50-mile-wide path from Murray, Ky., northeast toward Paducah and Madisonville.
At LBL, a vast peninsula with 170,000 acres of trees and play areas tucked between Kentucky and Barkley lakes, up to 2 inches of ice sent trees, limbs and power lines crashing down on roads, trails and facilities.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Knoxville Utililities Board (KUB) appoints citizen panel to review utility tree trimming issues; Knoxville, TN
Moxley Carmichael - KUB COMMISSIONER SWORN IN AND BOARD APPOINTS TREE TRIM POLICY REVIEW PANEL:
KUB, a municipal utility serving Knox and parts of seven adjacent counties, provides reliable electric, gas, water, and wastewater services to more than 439,000 customers.
The Board appointed a fifteen-member citizen panel to review the policies that govern the utility's vegetation management program. Members of the panel were selected to reflect a diversity of viewpoints and experience with tree-related issues. The panel includes a number of citizens who have been critical of KUB and its tree trimming policies.
KUB, a municipal utility serving Knox and parts of seven adjacent counties, provides reliable electric, gas, water, and wastewater services to more than 439,000 customers.
The Board appointed a fifteen-member citizen panel to review the policies that govern the utility's vegetation management program. Members of the panel were selected to reflect a diversity of viewpoints and experience with tree-related issues. The panel includes a number of citizens who have been critical of KUB and its tree trimming policies.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
President of Tree Stewards group says take care of trees like they are pets; Arlington/Alexandria, VA
Tree Stewards:
Nora Palmatier is president of the Tree Stewards Arlington /Alexandria chapter. The organization works to preserve Arlington/Alexandria’s tree population and teaching local residents to do the same.
How long has Tree Stewards been in existence?
The Arlington / Alexandria group started in 2001. It’s a state-wide group and probably the earliest one of those started in ‘95.
How did you become involved with Tree Stewards?
My parents were involved in Tree Stewards in Indiana and I was always involved whenever something would come up. I heard they were doing one here, I immediate signed up back in 2001.
Nora Palmatier is president of the Tree Stewards Arlington /Alexandria chapter. The organization works to preserve Arlington/Alexandria’s tree population and teaching local residents to do the same.
How long has Tree Stewards been in existence?
The Arlington / Alexandria group started in 2001. It’s a state-wide group and probably the earliest one of those started in ‘95.
How did you become involved with Tree Stewards?
My parents were involved in Tree Stewards in Indiana and I was always involved whenever something would come up. I heard they were doing one here, I immediate signed up back in 2001.
Monday, January 18, 2010
City looks back on a century of planting and conservation and those that led the efforts; Minneapolis, MN
Tree-Huggers: An Arboreal Love Story Minneapolis Observer Quarterly:
When the city of Minneapolis was rising out of the prairie, it really was a prairie around here, not the forest of nearly a million trees that envelops us today. Charles Loring, first president of the Park Board and generally credited with being the first to plant trees in the city, described our terrain in the board’s 1885 annual report as “undulating prairie for the most part bare of trees. The only natural trees were clumps of black oak and scattered burr oak. These in the progress of improvement have largely disappeared.” As David C. Smith notes in his 2008 book, City of Parks, Loring expressed his hope for “the stimulus of a wider tree culture.”
It would seem that Loring got his wish. Over the years, the city -- from the power brokers to the common folk -- has consistently, though often clumsily, embraced its trees. Now, with the emerald ash borer gradually migrating toward our estimated 200,000 ash trees, the efforts of Loring and other visionaries who helped to create -- and conserve -- this remarkable urban forest will guide the city through the looming battle.
When the city of Minneapolis was rising out of the prairie, it really was a prairie around here, not the forest of nearly a million trees that envelops us today. Charles Loring, first president of the Park Board and generally credited with being the first to plant trees in the city, described our terrain in the board’s 1885 annual report as “undulating prairie for the most part bare of trees. The only natural trees were clumps of black oak and scattered burr oak. These in the progress of improvement have largely disappeared.” As David C. Smith notes in his 2008 book, City of Parks, Loring expressed his hope for “the stimulus of a wider tree culture.”
It would seem that Loring got his wish. Over the years, the city -- from the power brokers to the common folk -- has consistently, though often clumsily, embraced its trees. Now, with the emerald ash borer gradually migrating toward our estimated 200,000 ash trees, the efforts of Loring and other visionaries who helped to create -- and conserve -- this remarkable urban forest will guide the city through the looming battle.
Denver Digs Trees offering no or low cost street trees; Denver, CO
Living Urban in Denver » FREE Trees:
Applications are due for The Park People’s annual Denver Digs Trees Spring Street Tree Distribution on February 15!
Apply for a street tree that will beautify your neighborhood, improve your property value, filter air pollution, and cool your neighborhood in the summer.
Trees this size usually sell for more than $100, but Denver Digs brings them to Denver residents for only $25 each!
Trees are FREE for residents in target neighborhoods. These neighborhoods, chosen for their particularly low canopy cover.
Applications are due for The Park People’s annual Denver Digs Trees Spring Street Tree Distribution on February 15!
Apply for a street tree that will beautify your neighborhood, improve your property value, filter air pollution, and cool your neighborhood in the summer.
Trees this size usually sell for more than $100, but Denver Digs brings them to Denver residents for only $25 each!
Trees are FREE for residents in target neighborhoods. These neighborhoods, chosen for their particularly low canopy cover.
Plant trees all over Seattle, especially in the downtown urban core currently ranked 235th in list of ldeas to improve city; Seattle, WA
Plant trees all over Seattle, especially in the downtown urban core.:
A large and healthy tree canopy is an environmentally beautiful and economically beneficial urban asset. Let's promote expanding our urban tree canopy by actively promoting it's benefits, providing appropaiate no cost varieties to shovel-wielding Seattleites.
A large and healthy tree canopy is an environmentally beautiful and economically beneficial urban asset. Let's promote expanding our urban tree canopy by actively promoting it's benefits, providing appropaiate no cost varieties to shovel-wielding Seattleites.
‘Ugly’ trees have locals hacked off at utility pruning; Frenchs Forest, Australia
‘Ugly’ trees have locals hacked off - Local News - News Cumberland Courier:
TREES lining Kens Rd in Frenchs Forest have been cut back so severely by Energy Australia that they resemble telegraph poles, local residents say.
On Thursday contractors for the energy company hacked at trees up and down Kens Rd and surrounding streets to clear branches from the powerlines.
“They have made them look like telegraph poles,” resident Peter Tweedie said. “They’ve lopped off all the branches so they might as well have cut them down and planted new trees.”
Mr Tweedie said the work had left the street with ugly skeletons of trees.
“You would have to see it to believe it,” he said. “It is pretty unsightly and looks as though it was not done properly.”
A spokesman for Energy Australia said the work was carried out to prevent power outages caused by tree branches coming into contact with overhead power lines.
TREES lining Kens Rd in Frenchs Forest have been cut back so severely by Energy Australia that they resemble telegraph poles, local residents say.
On Thursday contractors for the energy company hacked at trees up and down Kens Rd and surrounding streets to clear branches from the powerlines.
“They have made them look like telegraph poles,” resident Peter Tweedie said. “They’ve lopped off all the branches so they might as well have cut them down and planted new trees.”
Mr Tweedie said the work had left the street with ugly skeletons of trees.
“You would have to see it to believe it,” he said. “It is pretty unsightly and looks as though it was not done properly.”
A spokesman for Energy Australia said the work was carried out to prevent power outages caused by tree branches coming into contact with overhead power lines.
Solicitor slugged $18k for jacaranda removal; Ku-ring-gai, Australia
Solicitor slugged $18k for jacaranda removal - Council - News Cumberland Courier:
A PYMBLE solicitor is out of pocket more than $18,000 for illegally removing a large jacaranda tree from his Telegraph Rd property.
Steven Stefanic was fined $10,000 for the offence and ordered to pay $8075 in legal and court costs.
The prosecution followed an investigation by Ku-ring-gai Council after a report by a neighbour.
Mr Stefanic had claimed the tree was a dead stump and pleaded not guilty to the offence.
However the council had obtained photographic evidence of the tree being removed by contractors.
Mayor Ian Cross welcomed the conviction and said it showed courts were willing to impose significant.
A PYMBLE solicitor is out of pocket more than $18,000 for illegally removing a large jacaranda tree from his Telegraph Rd property.
Steven Stefanic was fined $10,000 for the offence and ordered to pay $8075 in legal and court costs.
The prosecution followed an investigation by Ku-ring-gai Council after a report by a neighbour.
Mr Stefanic had claimed the tree was a dead stump and pleaded not guilty to the offence.
However the council had obtained photographic evidence of the tree being removed by contractors.
Mayor Ian Cross welcomed the conviction and said it showed courts were willing to impose significant.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Tree Planting to Save Energy; Phoenix, AZ
Tree Planting to Save Energy - Western Resource Advocates:
Designing Community Tree Planting Programs for Energy Conservation
Energy savings can grow in your yard! A report by Western Resource Advocates explores the substantial energy savings that can be reaped, and the increased quality of life obtained, by planting shade trees to shelter houses from summer heat. Through coordinated urban treeplanting programs, electrical utilities can benefit from substantial reductions in electricity demand, especially from mid-day peak loads. This report demonstrates that tree planting can be a very viable tool for reducing electricity demand.
The report, 'Phoenix Green: Designing a Community Tree Planting Program for Phoenix, Arizona' lays out how southwestern cities can design a tree planting program that can effectively cut domestic and industrial cooling costs. The benefits are extensive and the costs reasonable to implement such a plan.
As unshaded and paved surfaces proliferate in fast growing southwestern cities, a phenomenon called the 'urban heat island effect' is creating climates in cities that are even hotter than the surrounding deserts. Trees are an efficient method of mitigating the urban heating effect. At present, Phoenix has less than an estimated 13% vegetative coverage of any type, when 25% coverage of trees is deemed healthy for a southwestern city. Among the benefits of tree planting are:
- Estimated electricty savings per year per mature tree shading sun-struck side of house = 214 kWh
- 3 mature tress would reduce a house’s electricity consumption by about 4.6% per year
- For each 10,000 shade trees planted, CO2 emissions from power plants would decline by 15,000 metric tons over a 30 year period
- Shade trees are cost effective energy efficiency measures (costs of shade tree program are less than utility costs for generating electricity).
Designing Community Tree Planting Programs for Energy Conservation
Energy savings can grow in your yard! A report by Western Resource Advocates explores the substantial energy savings that can be reaped, and the increased quality of life obtained, by planting shade trees to shelter houses from summer heat. Through coordinated urban treeplanting programs, electrical utilities can benefit from substantial reductions in electricity demand, especially from mid-day peak loads. This report demonstrates that tree planting can be a very viable tool for reducing electricity demand.
The report, 'Phoenix Green: Designing a Community Tree Planting Program for Phoenix, Arizona' lays out how southwestern cities can design a tree planting program that can effectively cut domestic and industrial cooling costs. The benefits are extensive and the costs reasonable to implement such a plan.
As unshaded and paved surfaces proliferate in fast growing southwestern cities, a phenomenon called the 'urban heat island effect' is creating climates in cities that are even hotter than the surrounding deserts. Trees are an efficient method of mitigating the urban heating effect. At present, Phoenix has less than an estimated 13% vegetative coverage of any type, when 25% coverage of trees is deemed healthy for a southwestern city. Among the benefits of tree planting are:
- Estimated electricty savings per year per mature tree shading sun-struck side of house = 214 kWh
- 3 mature tress would reduce a house’s electricity consumption by about 4.6% per year
- For each 10,000 shade trees planted, CO2 emissions from power plants would decline by 15,000 metric tons over a 30 year period
- Shade trees are cost effective energy efficiency measures (costs of shade tree program are less than utility costs for generating electricity).
The case for keeping Bolin Creek natural; Carrboro, NC
chapelhillnews.com The case for keeping Bolin Creek natural:
What an upside down world we live in: Through the middle of one of the most beautiful creek valleys and stretches of North Carolina deep woods, a paved transportation corridor is being considered.
Personally, I oppose any paving along the environmentally vulnerable Bolin Creek and its tributary, Dry Gulch Creek, which runs along the Town of Carrboro's Adam Tract and into Bolin Creek. Both these areas are under consideration as future transportation corridors.
Threatened is our last contiguous, large tract of land in our rapidly growing urban area, representing a creek valley of stunning natural beauty, important ecological value, much-needed serenity and great historical significance. A paved transportation corridor along Bolin Creek will change this area radically forever.
What an upside down world we live in: Through the middle of one of the most beautiful creek valleys and stretches of North Carolina deep woods, a paved transportation corridor is being considered.
Personally, I oppose any paving along the environmentally vulnerable Bolin Creek and its tributary, Dry Gulch Creek, which runs along the Town of Carrboro's Adam Tract and into Bolin Creek. Both these areas are under consideration as future transportation corridors.
Threatened is our last contiguous, large tract of land in our rapidly growing urban area, representing a creek valley of stunning natural beauty, important ecological value, much-needed serenity and great historical significance. A paved transportation corridor along Bolin Creek will change this area radically forever.
Shreveport mayor, volunteers plant trees along parkway' Shreveport, LA
Shreveport mayor, volunteers plant trees along parkway shreveporttimes.com Shreveport Times:
Starting to fix damage caused by storms last year, Shreveport Mayor Cedric Glover and more than 100 volunteers planted donated shade trees Friday along Clyde Fant Memorial Parkway.
It wasn't just a photo opportunity. By the time he was done for the day, the mayor's peach-hued tie and powder blue shirt were a little sweat-tinged after he and Councilman Monty Walford, along with key city parks personnel, put their shoulders to shovels and hands to earth to replace, in part, 60 trees lost last year in a tornado.Glover and company planted 27 trees on the parkway's popular lighted disc golf course in recognition of Louisiana Arbor Day and as a prelude to the Martin Luther King. Jr. holiday and its theme of 'A Day On, not a Day Off.' Friday was King's birthday.
Starting to fix damage caused by storms last year, Shreveport Mayor Cedric Glover and more than 100 volunteers planted donated shade trees Friday along Clyde Fant Memorial Parkway.
It wasn't just a photo opportunity. By the time he was done for the day, the mayor's peach-hued tie and powder blue shirt were a little sweat-tinged after he and Councilman Monty Walford, along with key city parks personnel, put their shoulders to shovels and hands to earth to replace, in part, 60 trees lost last year in a tornado.Glover and company planted 27 trees on the parkway's popular lighted disc golf course in recognition of Louisiana Arbor Day and as a prelude to the Martin Luther King. Jr. holiday and its theme of 'A Day On, not a Day Off.' Friday was King's birthday.
Knoxville continues 18 year traditon of tree care by planting 382 new trees via state grant; Knoxville, TN
Home Town Sevier » Blog Archive » Knoxville to Plant 382 New Trees:
January 14, 2010 – It’s the heart of winter but the City of Knoxville’s Public Service Department is in the middle of an annual effort designed to make the city greener, not only this spring but for years to come.
The department is in the process of planting 382 new trees on city-owned property mostly along boulevards and major streets in addition to the entrances to several neighborhoods and in some city parks. The plantings begin in December and continue through this month.
January 14, 2010 – It’s the heart of winter but the City of Knoxville’s Public Service Department is in the middle of an annual effort designed to make the city greener, not only this spring but for years to come.
The department is in the process of planting 382 new trees on city-owned property mostly along boulevards and major streets in addition to the entrances to several neighborhoods and in some city parks. The plantings begin in December and continue through this month.
Tree study puts city's UTC at over 55%; Jefferson, GA
Tree study puts most of Jefferson in the shade OnlineAthens.com:
Jefferson has enough trees for now, but it's going to take work to maintain enough tree cover to keep the town cool and green through the next decade.
The results of a painstaking count of the trees, parking lots and rooftops in Jefferson released this week show that trees cover 55.8 percent of the city surface.
That will take work to maintain, said Connie Head, an arborist overseeing the city's Sustainable Community Forest Project.
'They've got a really good baseline,' Head said. 'But I consider (the 55.8 percent tree coverage) to be fragile. It could deteriorate if they're not careful.'
Jefferson has enough trees for now, but it's going to take work to maintain enough tree cover to keep the town cool and green through the next decade.
The results of a painstaking count of the trees, parking lots and rooftops in Jefferson released this week show that trees cover 55.8 percent of the city surface.
That will take work to maintain, said Connie Head, an arborist overseeing the city's Sustainable Community Forest Project.
'They've got a really good baseline,' Head said. 'But I consider (the 55.8 percent tree coverage) to be fragile. It could deteriorate if they're not careful.'
State gives $1.8 million in grants to help cities fight ash borer; St. Paul, MN
State gives money to help cities fight ash borer Minnesota Public Radio NewsQ:
St. Paul, Minn. — The Minnesota Department of Agriculture awarded $1.8 million in grants this week to fight the spread of the dreaded emerald ash borer.
The department targeted $1 million of the Forest Protection Reserve Grants to areas where the destructive beetle has already been discovered --- St. Paul, Falcon Heights, and the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities campus.
The emerald ash borer has destroyed millions of trees in the United States. The beetle's larvae feed on the inner bark of ash trees, and destroy the tree's ability to transport water and nutrients.
Minnesota has about 900 million ash trees, and department officials have cautioned that the infestation could quickly spread throughout the state.
St. Paul, Minn. — The Minnesota Department of Agriculture awarded $1.8 million in grants this week to fight the spread of the dreaded emerald ash borer.
The department targeted $1 million of the Forest Protection Reserve Grants to areas where the destructive beetle has already been discovered --- St. Paul, Falcon Heights, and the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities campus.
The emerald ash borer has destroyed millions of trees in the United States. The beetle's larvae feed on the inner bark of ash trees, and destroy the tree's ability to transport water and nutrients.
Minnesota has about 900 million ash trees, and department officials have cautioned that the infestation could quickly spread throughout the state.
Cathedral to fell more than 100 trees along riverbanks; Durham, UK
Cathedral to fell more than 100 trees along riverbanks (From Durham Times):
MORE than 100 trees on Durham’s riverbanks could be felled in a cathedral scheme aimed at securing the woodland’s future.
Durham Cathedral officials say the felling would allow new, healthier trees to grow and more native species to be planted.
The Very Rev Michael Sadgrove, the Dean of Durham, said: “I think the woodland is a real gift to Durham – one of its most special assets.
“This is a world-famous environment of incomparable beauty and we want to do all we can to keep it that way.”
MORE than 100 trees on Durham’s riverbanks could be felled in a cathedral scheme aimed at securing the woodland’s future.
Durham Cathedral officials say the felling would allow new, healthier trees to grow and more native species to be planted.
The Very Rev Michael Sadgrove, the Dean of Durham, said: “I think the woodland is a real gift to Durham – one of its most special assets.
“This is a world-famous environment of incomparable beauty and we want to do all we can to keep it that way.”
Town to replace Bradford pears planted in the 1990;s due to breakage, damage; Mooresville, FL
Broad Street tree canopy to be replaced:
The Town of Mooresville and its beautification committee will begin a tree replacement project next week to replace Bradford Pear trees along Broad Street downtown.
First planted in the early 1990s, the trees have become a safety hazard and must be removed.
In 1989, the Mooresville Beautification Committee began a tree planting project to create a decorative border along the railroad and Broad Street. Over a period of two years, the citizens of Mooresville donated funds to purchase 59 Bradford Pear trees. The majority of the trees were purchased in memory or honor of a loved one.
Although one of the most popular landscape trees in the Southeast, Bradford Pears have a weak limb structure and vigorous growth. After approximately 20 years the trees become hazardous during storms and break easily.
The Town of Mooresville and its beautification committee will begin a tree replacement project next week to replace Bradford Pear trees along Broad Street downtown.
First planted in the early 1990s, the trees have become a safety hazard and must be removed.
In 1989, the Mooresville Beautification Committee began a tree planting project to create a decorative border along the railroad and Broad Street. Over a period of two years, the citizens of Mooresville donated funds to purchase 59 Bradford Pear trees. The majority of the trees were purchased in memory or honor of a loved one.
Although one of the most popular landscape trees in the Southeast, Bradford Pears have a weak limb structure and vigorous growth. After approximately 20 years the trees become hazardous during storms and break easily.
City of Orlando celebrates completion of 10,000 tree hurricane mitigation program; Orlando, FL
City of Orlando :: Families, Parks and Recreation:
The 10,000 Trees Initiative was created by the City of Orlando’s Parks Division, Green-Up Orlando, and Keep Orlando Beautiful to bring together individuals and resources to restore our precious tree canopy. It was developed in 2004 in response to the devastation to Orlando's urban tree canopy due to Hurricanes Charley, Frances and Jeanne.
The goal of 10,000 Trees Initiative was to replace 10,000 trees by 2010. That goal was met on December 17, 2009 when Mayor Dyer planted the 10,000th tree at Wadeview Park. Mayor Dyer and City Commissioners raised awareness about Orlando’s urban tree canopy by planting the seven final trees during a week long celebration of the 10,000 Trees Initiative. The commemoration began with the 9,994th tree planting on Friday, December 11 and culminated in the 10,000th tree planting by Mayor Dyer on Thursday, December 17 at 3:30 p.m. at Wadeview park.
The 10,000 Trees Initiative was created by the City of Orlando’s Parks Division, Green-Up Orlando, and Keep Orlando Beautiful to bring together individuals and resources to restore our precious tree canopy. It was developed in 2004 in response to the devastation to Orlando's urban tree canopy due to Hurricanes Charley, Frances and Jeanne.
The goal of 10,000 Trees Initiative was to replace 10,000 trees by 2010. That goal was met on December 17, 2009 when Mayor Dyer planted the 10,000th tree at Wadeview Park. Mayor Dyer and City Commissioners raised awareness about Orlando’s urban tree canopy by planting the seven final trees during a week long celebration of the 10,000 Trees Initiative. The commemoration began with the 9,994th tree planting on Friday, December 11 and culminated in the 10,000th tree planting by Mayor Dyer on Thursday, December 17 at 3:30 p.m. at Wadeview park.
Friday, January 15, 2010
City creates non-profit to link community, business and government in efforts to turn brownfields into green; Richmond, VA
City hails progress of local nonprofit urban renewal program – Richmond Confidential -- Richmond, California News, Information, Art and Events.:
Owing in part to its industrial legacy, Richmond is a city with urban environmental challenges.
Which is why Mayor Gayle McLaughlin hails the establishment of a local nonprofit dedicated to cleaning, restoring and reusing urban parcels of land that lay dormant.
The new nonprofit, named Groundwork Richmond, will “operate in areas adversely affected by industrialization and within poor urban communities with significant numbers of brownfields,” McLaughlin said during a ceremony Monday at City Hall celebrating the completion of a feasibility study and strategic plan. The completion of the documents is a key step toward securing funding, she said.
Groundwork Richmond is part of a network of independent community ventures aimed at improving urban environments through local action by linking local people, business, government and other organizations, according to a program summary.
Owing in part to its industrial legacy, Richmond is a city with urban environmental challenges.
Which is why Mayor Gayle McLaughlin hails the establishment of a local nonprofit dedicated to cleaning, restoring and reusing urban parcels of land that lay dormant.
The new nonprofit, named Groundwork Richmond, will “operate in areas adversely affected by industrialization and within poor urban communities with significant numbers of brownfields,” McLaughlin said during a ceremony Monday at City Hall celebrating the completion of a feasibility study and strategic plan. The completion of the documents is a key step toward securing funding, she said.
Groundwork Richmond is part of a network of independent community ventures aimed at improving urban environments through local action by linking local people, business, government and other organizations, according to a program summary.
Study: Street trees and tree canopy increase home prices; Portland, OR
Study: Street trees increase home prices in Portland Oregon Environmental News - – OregonLive.com:
A Portland researcher has verified what many people already assumed to be true: trees add value to a home.
A new study says such trees increase home prices in Portland. In a paper published in Landscape and Urban Planning, Geoffrey Donovan of the U.S. Forest Service's Pacific Northwest Research Station found that, on average, street trees add $8,870 to a home's sales price and reduce its time on the market by 1.7 days.
Donovan and his co-author, David Butry of the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Maryland, reviewed data meticulously collected from 2,608 homes for sale in east Portland in the summer of 2007.
What they found was that if a house had street trees and tree canopy close by, that increased the sales price of a house and it sold faster.
A Portland researcher has verified what many people already assumed to be true: trees add value to a home.
A new study says such trees increase home prices in Portland. In a paper published in Landscape and Urban Planning, Geoffrey Donovan of the U.S. Forest Service's Pacific Northwest Research Station found that, on average, street trees add $8,870 to a home's sales price and reduce its time on the market by 1.7 days.
Donovan and his co-author, David Butry of the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Maryland, reviewed data meticulously collected from 2,608 homes for sale in east Portland in the summer of 2007.
What they found was that if a house had street trees and tree canopy close by, that increased the sales price of a house and it sold faster.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Conservancy concerned that measurables like percentage of tree canopy were shed from natural resources ordinance; Highland, MI
Planners reviewing comments on ordinance update:
The final public hearing on Highland Township's revamped zoning ordinance was held on Thursday, Jan. 7.
The Planning Commission will now review public input and decide how to move forward.
The zoning ordinance overhaul is the result of a two-year review that culminated in a slimmed downed, simplified document with up-to-date information.
There were three main concerns, Corwin said.
'The Highland Conservancy felt the natural resource preservation ordinance no longer includes any measurables, like percentage of tree canopy etc., or any regulations that builders must abide by,' she said. 'They want to see a more defined protection of our environment and natural resources. Another group was concerned about eliminating the 10 acre lots size minimum zone. We explained that the Master Plan defines the zone at 5 or 10 acre lot size zones and that the 10 acre zone was not defensible in court — that's why we changed to 5. The third group was a group of business owners concerned about the sign ordinance. They want more signage allowed and they were concerned about how long the process takes to get signs approved in the Highland Station District.'
The final public hearing on Highland Township's revamped zoning ordinance was held on Thursday, Jan. 7.
The Planning Commission will now review public input and decide how to move forward.
The zoning ordinance overhaul is the result of a two-year review that culminated in a slimmed downed, simplified document with up-to-date information.
There were three main concerns, Corwin said.
'The Highland Conservancy felt the natural resource preservation ordinance no longer includes any measurables, like percentage of tree canopy etc., or any regulations that builders must abide by,' she said. 'They want to see a more defined protection of our environment and natural resources. Another group was concerned about eliminating the 10 acre lots size minimum zone. We explained that the Master Plan defines the zone at 5 or 10 acre lot size zones and that the 10 acre zone was not defensible in court — that's why we changed to 5. The third group was a group of business owners concerned about the sign ordinance. They want more signage allowed and they were concerned about how long the process takes to get signs approved in the Highland Station District.'
Lake Worth to host its annual Festival of Trees; Lake Worth, FL
Lake Worth to host its annual Festival of Trees:
LAKE WORTH — Got shade?
South Florida residents might not think of the need to boost the tree canopy around their houses on a cold day in January, but by April the need for sun-blocking foliage becomes apparent.
Too, flowering trees and shrubs help make a home beautiful and can enhance its value.
On Saturday, Lake Worth residents and visitors can browse a variety of trees and shrubs — including palms, oaks, mahogany, fruit trees and flowering hibiscus — during the Fifth Annual Festival of Trees.
'We're going to have roaming experts all day,' said Gael Silverblatt, chairwoman of the city's Tree Board.
LAKE WORTH — Got shade?
South Florida residents might not think of the need to boost the tree canopy around their houses on a cold day in January, but by April the need for sun-blocking foliage becomes apparent.
Too, flowering trees and shrubs help make a home beautiful and can enhance its value.
On Saturday, Lake Worth residents and visitors can browse a variety of trees and shrubs — including palms, oaks, mahogany, fruit trees and flowering hibiscus — during the Fifth Annual Festival of Trees.
'We're going to have roaming experts all day,' said Gael Silverblatt, chairwoman of the city's Tree Board.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Gainesville earns Tree City USA status from National Arbor Day Foundation for 26th consecutive year; Gainesville, FL
Gainesville.com The Gainesville Sun Gainesville, FL:
The Department of Parks, Recreation and Social Affairs will plant the 52nd and final tree for its 2010 Arbor Day observance outside the Kirby Smith Center on Thursday.
The tradition in Gainesville since 2002 has been to plant two trees for every year the city has been an official Tree City. According to a second tradition, everyone present at the planting must throw dirt on the tree – this year a 13-foot live oak -- with a golden shovel.
According to Meg Niedherhofer, this year's celebration will focus on the financial benefits of trees.
Gainesville's tree canopy, which the University of Florida's School of Forest Resources and Conservation estimates at 3 million trees, provides $75 million per year in financial benefits such as flood prevention and pollution mitigation, she said. The U.S. Forest Service estimates that each tree provides $25 in real estate and aesthetic value, which provides an additional $78 million to Gainesville.
The Department of Parks, Recreation and Social Affairs will plant the 52nd and final tree for its 2010 Arbor Day observance outside the Kirby Smith Center on Thursday.
The tradition in Gainesville since 2002 has been to plant two trees for every year the city has been an official Tree City. According to a second tradition, everyone present at the planting must throw dirt on the tree – this year a 13-foot live oak -- with a golden shovel.
According to Meg Niedherhofer, this year's celebration will focus on the financial benefits of trees.
Gainesville's tree canopy, which the University of Florida's School of Forest Resources and Conservation estimates at 3 million trees, provides $75 million per year in financial benefits such as flood prevention and pollution mitigation, she said. The U.S. Forest Service estimates that each tree provides $25 in real estate and aesthetic value, which provides an additional $78 million to Gainesville.
Logger accused of breaching licence 50 times, damaging endagered species habitats, removing five times the permissable amount of canopy; Sydney, Australia
Forests NSW accused of breaching licence 50 times:
THE State Government is investigating a logging operation overseen by its own authority, Forests NSW, that allegedly involved the destruction of native animal habitat and more than 50 breaches of its licence conditions.
Timber harvesting in Yabbra Forest near Casino late last year damaged areas used by the highly endangered black-striped wallaby, koalas and yellow-bellied gliders, among several other protected native species, according to an independent report.
The logging operation was supposed to leave half the tree canopy intact but in some places less than one-tenth remained, according to observations from a consulting ecologist, David Milledge.
THE State Government is investigating a logging operation overseen by its own authority, Forests NSW, that allegedly involved the destruction of native animal habitat and more than 50 breaches of its licence conditions.
Timber harvesting in Yabbra Forest near Casino late last year damaged areas used by the highly endangered black-striped wallaby, koalas and yellow-bellied gliders, among several other protected native species, according to an independent report.
The logging operation was supposed to leave half the tree canopy intact but in some places less than one-tenth remained, according to observations from a consulting ecologist, David Milledge.
Mayor Reichert lays out plan for Second Street, including more tree canopy; Macon, GA
Mayor Reichert lays out plan for Second Street - Politics - Macon.com:
Between pitches for a new sales tax and a vote on consolidation, Mayor Robert Reichert unveiled Monday a new presentation that details his hope to establish Second Street as the downtown area’s main thoroughfare.
The idea, which The Telegraph first reported in August, recently was supplemented with graphics, facts and figures by Interface Studios, the Philadelphia-based company that prepared the College Hill Alliance master plan. Andrew Blascovich, director of external affairs in the mayor’s office, said the presentation cost $27,824, which was paid for with a grant provided by the Peyton Anderson Foundation.
In the span of about five minutes during a joint Rotary Club luncheon Monday, Reichert ran through what he said was usually a 30-minute presentation, highlighting the need to revitalize the area to generate new opportunities for retail, housing and entertainment. The presentation used illustrations of a Second Street that would be notably more pedestrian-friendly, increase the tree canopy and reduce the number of car lanes in favor of sidewalks and bicycle lanes.
Between pitches for a new sales tax and a vote on consolidation, Mayor Robert Reichert unveiled Monday a new presentation that details his hope to establish Second Street as the downtown area’s main thoroughfare.
The idea, which The Telegraph first reported in August, recently was supplemented with graphics, facts and figures by Interface Studios, the Philadelphia-based company that prepared the College Hill Alliance master plan. Andrew Blascovich, director of external affairs in the mayor’s office, said the presentation cost $27,824, which was paid for with a grant provided by the Peyton Anderson Foundation.
In the span of about five minutes during a joint Rotary Club luncheon Monday, Reichert ran through what he said was usually a 30-minute presentation, highlighting the need to revitalize the area to generate new opportunities for retail, housing and entertainment. The presentation used illustrations of a Second Street that would be notably more pedestrian-friendly, increase the tree canopy and reduce the number of car lanes in favor of sidewalks and bicycle lanes.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Blogger warns that resurfaced rezoning application would threaten tree cover, ravine; Toronto, Canada
Rezoning app up on the 12th again195 & 203 Oakmount Road, 200 Keele Street – junctioneer: ………………….nice tree cover for how long?
THE REZONING application for 200 Keele st St in another modified form is up at the city council tomorrow. One of the important community related issues is Ravine Control and Tree Protection.
THE REZONING application for 200 Keele st St in another modified form is up at the city council tomorrow. One of the important community related issues is Ravine Control and Tree Protection.
New report outlines energy savings of shade trees, calls for 100,000 new trees on residential properties in the next decade; Phoenix, AZ
Lawn & Landscape Magazine : News New report outlines energy savings of shade trees:
Planting shade trees around homes and buildings is more than just an aesthetic consideration, it is an effective way to reduce energy bills, too, according to a new report by Western Resource Advocates.
The conservation group’s report, “Phoenix Green: Designing a Community Tree Planting Program for Phoenix, Arizona,” provides a blueprint for how communities can establish, fund and manage tree planting programs to reduce electricity consumption. The report draws on the experience of two dozen community tree planting organizations around the country.
“A large-scale tree-planting program in Phoenix would provide enormous benefits, including reducing electricity demand for air conditioning by providing shade to homes and businesses,” said David Berry, the report author and chief of policy analysis for Western Resource Advocates. “To shade Phoenix effectively and in an expeditious manner, we need to plant at least 10,000 residential shade trees per year over the next 10 years.”
Planting shade trees around homes and buildings is more than just an aesthetic consideration, it is an effective way to reduce energy bills, too, according to a new report by Western Resource Advocates.
The conservation group’s report, “Phoenix Green: Designing a Community Tree Planting Program for Phoenix, Arizona,” provides a blueprint for how communities can establish, fund and manage tree planting programs to reduce electricity consumption. The report draws on the experience of two dozen community tree planting organizations around the country.
“A large-scale tree-planting program in Phoenix would provide enormous benefits, including reducing electricity demand for air conditioning by providing shade to homes and businesses,” said David Berry, the report author and chief of policy analysis for Western Resource Advocates. “To shade Phoenix effectively and in an expeditious manner, we need to plant at least 10,000 residential shade trees per year over the next 10 years.”
City to recognize Greenest Citizen on Arbor Day; North Point, FL
Seeking North Port's greenest citizen HeraldTribune.com Sarasota Florida Southwest Florida's Information Leader:
The city plans to recognize an individual or couple who made an environmental contribution to North Port, through home improvements, lifestyle changes, public outreach or other means. Citizens can decide who receives the 2010 Greenest Citizen Award by voting on the city's Web site (www.cityofnorthport.com, click on 'Arbor Day 2010' under the Living menu) through Wednesday.
This is the first year for the award, which city arborist Ryan Pieper says is to honor those working to improve their community, as well as draw attention to how everyone can help. Rather than make the selection himself, Pieper sought the input from citizens.
'It's an opportunity to showcase that we have people who are making strides every day,' Pieper said. 'I didn't just want people who plant trees. I wanted those who educate others and who live the lifestyle every day, too.'
The city plans to recognize an individual or couple who made an environmental contribution to North Port, through home improvements, lifestyle changes, public outreach or other means. Citizens can decide who receives the 2010 Greenest Citizen Award by voting on the city's Web site (www.cityofnorthport.com, click on 'Arbor Day 2010' under the Living menu) through Wednesday.
This is the first year for the award, which city arborist Ryan Pieper says is to honor those working to improve their community, as well as draw attention to how everyone can help. Rather than make the selection himself, Pieper sought the input from citizens.
'It's an opportunity to showcase that we have people who are making strides every day,' Pieper said. 'I didn't just want people who plant trees. I wanted those who educate others and who live the lifestyle every day, too.'
Public invited to shape council tree strategy; Reading, UK
Public invited to shape council tree strategy - Home and garden - Lifestyle - getwokingham - The Wokingham Times:
The public are being asked to come forward with their views on a Tree Strategy for Reading which aims to protect and enhance Reading's tree cover, now and for future generations.
Trees are one of Reading's most visible and important natural assets with an estimated 18 per cent of the borough's land area covered by tree canopies.
Reading Borough Council has drafted the Tree Strategy to give new guidance in relation to the protection and management of the existing stock and the planting of new and replacement trees.
The public are being asked to come forward with their views on a Tree Strategy for Reading which aims to protect and enhance Reading's tree cover, now and for future generations.
Trees are one of Reading's most visible and important natural assets with an estimated 18 per cent of the borough's land area covered by tree canopies.
Reading Borough Council has drafted the Tree Strategy to give new guidance in relation to the protection and management of the existing stock and the planting of new and replacement trees.
Words of advice for new mayor include continuing tree canopy, green jobs efforts; Baltimore, MD
A few words of advice - baltimoresun.com:
Mary Sloan Roby hopes the incoming mayor will keep the city's new recycling campaign rolling - along with the rest of Sheila Dixon's Cleaner Greener Baltimore initiative.
'Baltimore is considered a 'green' city, which 20 years ago would have seemed impossible,' Roby says.
Roby would ask Stephanie C. Rawlings-Blake to make the city greener still, and to understand why Baltimore must embrace the color and the concept.
The new mayor, Roby says, must make sure the city's tree canopy continues to spread, must create more green jobs, must repair city pipes that wastefully leak water, must require LEED standards for all city buildings, must pay attention to neglected city parks and must figure out how to pay for an improved storm water system.
Mary Sloan Roby hopes the incoming mayor will keep the city's new recycling campaign rolling - along with the rest of Sheila Dixon's Cleaner Greener Baltimore initiative.
'Baltimore is considered a 'green' city, which 20 years ago would have seemed impossible,' Roby says.
Roby would ask Stephanie C. Rawlings-Blake to make the city greener still, and to understand why Baltimore must embrace the color and the concept.
The new mayor, Roby says, must make sure the city's tree canopy continues to spread, must create more green jobs, must repair city pipes that wastefully leak water, must require LEED standards for all city buildings, must pay attention to neglected city parks and must figure out how to pay for an improved storm water system.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Victoria Vision: Draft Saanich Urban Forest Strategy; Saanich, Victoria, BC
Victoria Vision: Draft Saanich Urban Forest Strategy:
Today is the final day for comments on the Draft Urban Forest Strategy for Saanich. This is my quick review and comments
The goals of the Saanich Urban Forest Strategy are:
Goal 1 Protect trees and expand the forest canopy
Goal 2 Respond to the changing environment
Goal 3 Engage the community
Goal 4 Promote effective management
Goal 5 Regulate arboricultural practices
Coming out of this are six priorities
Priority 1 Inventory the urban forest
Priority 2 Amend the Tree Preservation Bylaw, 1997, No. 7632
Priority 3 Coordinate urban forest management between District departments
Priority 4 Develop Urban Forest Design Guidelines
Priority 5 Protect and enhance Garry oak and their associated ecosystems
Priority 6 Increase community awareness, education and stewardship opportunities
Today is the final day for comments on the Draft Urban Forest Strategy for Saanich. This is my quick review and comments
The goals of the Saanich Urban Forest Strategy are:
Goal 1 Protect trees and expand the forest canopy
Goal 2 Respond to the changing environment
Goal 3 Engage the community
Goal 4 Promote effective management
Goal 5 Regulate arboricultural practices
Coming out of this are six priorities
Priority 1 Inventory the urban forest
Priority 2 Amend the Tree Preservation Bylaw, 1997, No. 7632
Priority 3 Coordinate urban forest management between District departments
Priority 4 Develop Urban Forest Design Guidelines
Priority 5 Protect and enhance Garry oak and their associated ecosystems
Priority 6 Increase community awareness, education and stewardship opportunities
Global warming hits Madison! Madison, WI
Global warming hits Madison! - Isthmus The Daily Page:
Madison has been an officially designated Tree City, USA, for more than 20 years. How will climate change affect our urban forest?
Laura Whitmore, a spokeswoman for the Madison Parks Division, says the city is not sure what to expect. It is just completing an inventory of all city trees in coordination with Philip Townsend, a UW-Madison associate professor of forest and wildlife ecology.
Townsend surveyed Madison's tree canopy using imagery generated by NASA last July. In August he went out with the city bucket trucks to collect leaf samples from the top branches, which are now being analyzed and linked to the NASA images.
When the project is complete, Townsend says, 'we will see which parts of the city forest are already under stress and therefore most susceptible to climate change. In general, urban trees tend to live hard and die young because of the urban heat island effect.'
Townsend fears the longer growing season will do our urban trees more harm than good, by giving a boost to insect pests and tree diseases. Some trees, including bur oaks and maples, will do fine, while firs and spruces, which are native farther north, will not adapt well to our new climatic conditions.
The city's inventory, he says, is a good first step toward preparing the urban treescape for climate change.
'In a progressive city like Madison, urban foresters now know what they didn't know 50 years ago,' he says. 'You need diversity in your tree canopy.'
Madison has been an officially designated Tree City, USA, for more than 20 years. How will climate change affect our urban forest?
Laura Whitmore, a spokeswoman for the Madison Parks Division, says the city is not sure what to expect. It is just completing an inventory of all city trees in coordination with Philip Townsend, a UW-Madison associate professor of forest and wildlife ecology.
Townsend surveyed Madison's tree canopy using imagery generated by NASA last July. In August he went out with the city bucket trucks to collect leaf samples from the top branches, which are now being analyzed and linked to the NASA images.
When the project is complete, Townsend says, 'we will see which parts of the city forest are already under stress and therefore most susceptible to climate change. In general, urban trees tend to live hard and die young because of the urban heat island effect.'
Townsend fears the longer growing season will do our urban trees more harm than good, by giving a boost to insect pests and tree diseases. Some trees, including bur oaks and maples, will do fine, while firs and spruces, which are native farther north, will not adapt well to our new climatic conditions.
The city's inventory, he says, is a good first step toward preparing the urban treescape for climate change.
'In a progressive city like Madison, urban foresters now know what they didn't know 50 years ago,' he says. 'You need diversity in your tree canopy.'
Virginia Tech to undertake investigations to improve knowledge and management of forest resources in urbanized areas; Blacksburg, VA
Investigations to Improve Knowledge and Management of Forest Resources in Urbanized Areas - VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE:
The goal of this project is to improve knowledge and management of forest resources in urbanized areas. In pursuit of this goal, investigations will be conducted to achieve the following objectives: (1) examine ecophysiological function of urban forests and biophysical constraints to urban forest productivity; (2) investigate arboricultural practices that influence urban tree establishment, growth, health, and safety; (3) analyze urban forest structure, function, and value with emerging inventory and geospatial technologies. This project will be conducted during a five-year period commencing in December 2009. Expected benefits of the proposed project include: (1) increased knowledge about urban forest soils and their influence on landscape tree performance; (2) improved arboricultural techniques for tree maintenance; and (3) better understanding of urban forest extent and composition at the municipal scale. The research and technical outcomes of the proposed project will have broad impacts on urban forest science and management, and ultimately urban society. Numerous researchers are investigating the subjects described above in specific contexts across the country. As the results of the proposed research are synthesized with the work of others, new concepts and practices will emerge that advance urban forestry and improve urban environments.
The goal of this project is to improve knowledge and management of forest resources in urbanized areas. In pursuit of this goal, investigations will be conducted to achieve the following objectives: (1) examine ecophysiological function of urban forests and biophysical constraints to urban forest productivity; (2) investigate arboricultural practices that influence urban tree establishment, growth, health, and safety; (3) analyze urban forest structure, function, and value with emerging inventory and geospatial technologies. This project will be conducted during a five-year period commencing in December 2009. Expected benefits of the proposed project include: (1) increased knowledge about urban forest soils and their influence on landscape tree performance; (2) improved arboricultural techniques for tree maintenance; and (3) better understanding of urban forest extent and composition at the municipal scale. The research and technical outcomes of the proposed project will have broad impacts on urban forest science and management, and ultimately urban society. Numerous researchers are investigating the subjects described above in specific contexts across the country. As the results of the proposed research are synthesized with the work of others, new concepts and practices will emerge that advance urban forestry and improve urban environments.
Loggers' clear-cutting causes floods, droughts for ranchers downstream; Vancouver, BC
Struggling rancher at loggerheads over clear-cutting:
Randy Saugstad is waiting for the flood. Then he'll be waiting for the drought. The Williams Lake-area cattle rancher says the Liberals' controversial makeover of the province's logging regulations is going to spell disaster at his off-the-grid beef operation.
So he's been fighting Tolko Industries, the Vernon-based logging company that last month started cutting trees in the watershed above his ranch.
On Dec. 23, Saugstad used his pickup truck to block Tolko's crew from putting in a bridge. On Wednesday, he received a letter from high-powered Vancouver law firm Bull Housser Tupper promising to sue him for damages if he does it again.
'All I can do is wait until they finish logging, and then in the spring when the flooding starts, I can go to court,' says Saugstad, 59.
Randy Saugstad is waiting for the flood. Then he'll be waiting for the drought. The Williams Lake-area cattle rancher says the Liberals' controversial makeover of the province's logging regulations is going to spell disaster at his off-the-grid beef operation.
So he's been fighting Tolko Industries, the Vernon-based logging company that last month started cutting trees in the watershed above his ranch.
On Dec. 23, Saugstad used his pickup truck to block Tolko's crew from putting in a bridge. On Wednesday, he received a letter from high-powered Vancouver law firm Bull Housser Tupper promising to sue him for damages if he does it again.
'All I can do is wait until they finish logging, and then in the spring when the flooding starts, I can go to court,' says Saugstad, 59.
The Giving Tree part 2 - this man stayed with the tree till the end; Yarmouth, ME
240-Year-Old Elm Tree Gets The Axe Deconstructing The News:
YARMOUTH, Maine — The massive elm tree that shaded the corner of East Main Street and Yankee Drive was sick. Like so many others in so many of America’s towns in the 1950s, it was stricken with Dutch elm disease.
Tree warden Frank Knight was so smitten with the tree that he couldn’t bear to cut it down. After all, it had been standing sentinel in this New England village since before the American Revolution.
Over the next half-century, Knight carefully nursed the tree, spraying for pests and pruning away the dreaded fungus, even as the town’s other elms died by the dozens. As he succeeded, the stately tree’s branches reached 110 feet skyward, its leaves rustling in summer breezes off the Royal River and its heavy limbs shouldering winter snowfalls.
The tree, nicknamed Herbie and acclaimed as the tallest and oldest elm in New England, survived 14 bouts of Dutch elm disease in all, thanks to Knight’s devotion.
Now the disease ravages again and Herbie is too weak to fight back. Knight, now 101, said there’s nothing else he can do to save the tree he’s watched over for five decades.
YARMOUTH, Maine — The massive elm tree that shaded the corner of East Main Street and Yankee Drive was sick. Like so many others in so many of America’s towns in the 1950s, it was stricken with Dutch elm disease.
Tree warden Frank Knight was so smitten with the tree that he couldn’t bear to cut it down. After all, it had been standing sentinel in this New England village since before the American Revolution.
Over the next half-century, Knight carefully nursed the tree, spraying for pests and pruning away the dreaded fungus, even as the town’s other elms died by the dozens. As he succeeded, the stately tree’s branches reached 110 feet skyward, its leaves rustling in summer breezes off the Royal River and its heavy limbs shouldering winter snowfalls.
The tree, nicknamed Herbie and acclaimed as the tallest and oldest elm in New England, survived 14 bouts of Dutch elm disease in all, thanks to Knight’s devotion.
Now the disease ravages again and Herbie is too weak to fight back. Knight, now 101, said there’s nothing else he can do to save the tree he’s watched over for five decades.
Friday, January 8, 2010
UVM Spatial Analysis expert completes UTC analysis of mid-Atlantic cities, gets awards from Virginia and Germany for UTC analysis work
The SAL, in conjunction with the Virginia Dept. of Forestry received a bronze medal from the Association of Natural Resource Educational Professionals (ANREP) for our urban tree canopy work in Virginia.
The SAL recently completed tree canopy assessments for the City of Virginia Beach, Virginia and Howard County, Maryland.
The City of Bowie, Maryland is establishing an urban tree canopy goal based on an assessment conducted by the SAL and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
Jarlath O'Neil-Dunne, RSENR Geospatial Analyst, gave a presentation on "Mapping the Green Infrastructure" at the 2009 eCognition User Meeting in Munich, Germany.
Jarlath O'Neil-Dunne, RSENR Geospatial Analyst, received an award from 1986 Nobel Prize winner Dr. Gerd Binnig in recognition of his expertise employing the object-based image analysis techniques developed by Dr. Binnig to advance the understanding of urban ecosystems.
Jarlath O'Neil-Dunne, RSENR Geospatial Analyst, gave a workshop on object-based image analysis techniques for extracting information from high-resolution remotely sensed data at the 2009 AmericaView fall technical meeting at the USGS EROS Data Center in Sioux Falls, SD.
The SAL recently completed tree canopy assessments for the City of Virginia Beach, Virginia and Howard County, Maryland.
The City of Bowie, Maryland is establishing an urban tree canopy goal based on an assessment conducted by the SAL and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
Jarlath O'Neil-Dunne, RSENR Geospatial Analyst, gave a presentation on "Mapping the Green Infrastructure" at the 2009 eCognition User Meeting in Munich, Germany.
Jarlath O'Neil-Dunne, RSENR Geospatial Analyst, received an award from 1986 Nobel Prize winner Dr. Gerd Binnig in recognition of his expertise employing the object-based image analysis techniques developed by Dr. Binnig to advance the understanding of urban ecosystems.
Jarlath O'Neil-Dunne, RSENR Geospatial Analyst, gave a workshop on object-based image analysis techniques for extracting information from high-resolution remotely sensed data at the 2009 AmericaView fall technical meeting at the USGS EROS Data Center in Sioux Falls, SD.
The Delaware Center For Horticulture seeks to fill Urban Forest Administrator post; Wilmington, DE
The Delaware Center For Horticulture - About - Job Openings:
Delaware Center for Horticulture, Trees for Wilmington
Urban Forest Administrator
Job Announcement
DATE: January 5, 2010
POSITION: Urban Forest Administrator
START DATE: TBD
SALARY: $45,000 per year with full benefits, negotiable
CONTACT: Jen Bruhler, Assistant Director of Urban Forestry
Organizational Description: The Delaware Center for Horticulture (DCH) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization working with neighborhoods, community groups, and businesses to grow a greener Wilmington through planting and educational programs, environmental leadership, advocacy and by building community capacity.
Position Summary: The Urban Forest Administrator (UFA) will implement the street tree planning, regulation, and urban tree canopy expansion for the City of Wilmington. The UFA will work closely with diverse groups of people throughout the city of Wilmington to manage, maintain and plant trees along streets and in public spaces and parks. The UFA will report to the Commissioner of Public Works. The UFA will have workspace at the headquarters of Wilmington Department of Public Works offices.
Delaware Center for Horticulture, Trees for Wilmington
Urban Forest Administrator
Job Announcement
DATE: January 5, 2010
POSITION: Urban Forest Administrator
START DATE: TBD
SALARY: $45,000 per year with full benefits, negotiable
CONTACT: Jen Bruhler, Assistant Director of Urban Forestry
Organizational Description: The Delaware Center for Horticulture (DCH) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization working with neighborhoods, community groups, and businesses to grow a greener Wilmington through planting and educational programs, environmental leadership, advocacy and by building community capacity.
Position Summary: The Urban Forest Administrator (UFA) will implement the street tree planning, regulation, and urban tree canopy expansion for the City of Wilmington. The UFA will work closely with diverse groups of people throughout the city of Wilmington to manage, maintain and plant trees along streets and in public spaces and parks. The UFA will report to the Commissioner of Public Works. The UFA will have workspace at the headquarters of Wilmington Department of Public Works offices.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Casey Trees is hiring Arborist/Auditor to fulfill residential urban stormwater program goals; Washington, DC
Alliance for Community Trees : Jobs:
Casey Trees is working in partnership with the District's Department of Environment on the implementation of a new environmental initiative, RiverSmart Homes. District residents who enroll in the RiverSmart Homes program are eligible for a stormwater audit, where various river-friendly landscaping techniques are prescribed to reduce erosion and stormwater flows. DC DOE refers homeowners interested in tree planting to the Casey Trees arborist-auditor who evaluates those homeowners' properties for tree planting opportunities. Eligible homeowners pay a nominal co-pay for any tree to be planted by Casey Trees. The Casey Trees arborist-auditor will coordinate all aspects of this tree planting effort.
Casey Trees is working in partnership with the District's Department of Environment on the implementation of a new environmental initiative, RiverSmart Homes. District residents who enroll in the RiverSmart Homes program are eligible for a stormwater audit, where various river-friendly landscaping techniques are prescribed to reduce erosion and stormwater flows. DC DOE refers homeowners interested in tree planting to the Casey Trees arborist-auditor who evaluates those homeowners' properties for tree planting opportunities. Eligible homeowners pay a nominal co-pay for any tree to be planted by Casey Trees. The Casey Trees arborist-auditor will coordinate all aspects of this tree planting effort.
Sidewalk replacement practices questioned by tree group; Rutherford, NJ
NorthJersey.com: Sidewalk replacement questioned by tree group:
In the Boro of Trees, when a tree falls, people take notice.
On Dec. 29, a large tree on Wheaton Place in Rutherford fell due to high winds and a damaged root system. The tree took power lines and a telephone pole with it when it went down; the fallen pole landed on a car, blasting out the back window and damaging the rear of the vehicle.
The fallen tree has caused some residents to question the process of replacing sidewalks adjacent to large trees, and believe trimming or cutting the roots of those trees causes them to topple down much easier.
The Botti and Briscione families, who both live on Wheaton Place, were affected by the fallen tree. The Botti family lives across the street from the now-uprooted tree, and the tree crashed down inches from their doorstep.
When the tree hit a power line, it caused the pole in front of the Brisciones' to crash down on Emma Briscione's car. Emma had just been out and had exited her car minutes before the tree and the power line went down.
'We feel really lucky,' said Ed Briscione.
In the Boro of Trees, when a tree falls, people take notice.
On Dec. 29, a large tree on Wheaton Place in Rutherford fell due to high winds and a damaged root system. The tree took power lines and a telephone pole with it when it went down; the fallen pole landed on a car, blasting out the back window and damaging the rear of the vehicle.
The fallen tree has caused some residents to question the process of replacing sidewalks adjacent to large trees, and believe trimming or cutting the roots of those trees causes them to topple down much easier.
The Botti and Briscione families, who both live on Wheaton Place, were affected by the fallen tree. The Botti family lives across the street from the now-uprooted tree, and the tree crashed down inches from their doorstep.
When the tree hit a power line, it caused the pole in front of the Brisciones' to crash down on Emma Briscione's car. Emma had just been out and had exited her car minutes before the tree and the power line went down.
'We feel really lucky,' said Ed Briscione.
Denver to help neighboring Windsor replace tree canopy lost in tornado; Denver, CO
Denver to Help Windsor Replace Tree Canopy:
Greenprint Denver Engages TreeBank to Support Mile High Million
The City and County of Denver, through its Greenprint Denver sustainability action initiative, has enlisted TreeBank to support local efforts to plant a million trees in the eight-county metro area by the year 2025. TreeBank is a web-based tool that enables communities to develop a specific fund for tree planting, care and education. Citizens can visit http://www.greenprintdenver.org/trees/support.php to donate to the program.
To celebrate the local launch of TreeBank, Tree by Tree – The Mile High Million will give the first month of bank donations to the Town of Windsor, Colo., to help that community recover from last month’s tornado. Donations received between now and July 10, 2008, will be given to the Parks staff in Windsor.
Greenprint Denver Engages TreeBank to Support Mile High Million
The City and County of Denver, through its Greenprint Denver sustainability action initiative, has enlisted TreeBank to support local efforts to plant a million trees in the eight-county metro area by the year 2025. TreeBank is a web-based tool that enables communities to develop a specific fund for tree planting, care and education. Citizens can visit http://www.greenprintdenver.org/trees/support.php to donate to the program.
To celebrate the local launch of TreeBank, Tree by Tree – The Mile High Million will give the first month of bank donations to the Town of Windsor, Colo., to help that community recover from last month’s tornado. Donations received between now and July 10, 2008, will be given to the Parks staff in Windsor.
Coming Soon: Guidelines for compliance with new ordinance requiring 20% of front yard to be landscaped; San Francisco, CA
Coming Soon: Guidelines For Tending Concrete Gardens Out Front at SocketSite™:
From San Francisco's Planning Department:
Code Enforcement Staff is currently working to develop public outreach and downloadable guidelines with information on how to comply with the city ordinance (Planning Code Section 132(g)) requiring at least 20 percent of the front yard to be devoted to landscaping or plant material.
From San Francisco's Planning Department:
Code Enforcement Staff is currently working to develop public outreach and downloadable guidelines with information on how to comply with the city ordinance (Planning Code Section 132(g)) requiring at least 20 percent of the front yard to be devoted to landscaping or plant material.
Arbor Day in mid January? If you live in Windermere, FL, yes; Windermere, FL
wotimes.com:
Did you know Florida Arbor Day is in January because it’s the most opportune time for planting trees in Florida for optimum survival and health?
National Arbor Day is in April, but by that time, Florida is already into its spring cycle with heat stress and humidity. The town of Windermere Tree Board will be featuring tree climbing and unusual Florida native trees for planting and sale at its 6th Annual Treebute Arbor Day Festival on Saturday, Jan. 16, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Windermere Town Square. Attendees can climb Windermere’s champion trees with certified arborists using state-of-the-art safety and climbing gear and experience the beauty of trees up high.
Did you know Florida Arbor Day is in January because it’s the most opportune time for planting trees in Florida for optimum survival and health?
National Arbor Day is in April, but by that time, Florida is already into its spring cycle with heat stress and humidity. The town of Windermere Tree Board will be featuring tree climbing and unusual Florida native trees for planting and sale at its 6th Annual Treebute Arbor Day Festival on Saturday, Jan. 16, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Windermere Town Square. Attendees can climb Windermere’s champion trees with certified arborists using state-of-the-art safety and climbing gear and experience the beauty of trees up high.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Mayor's Tree Commission delivers ten proposals from comprehensive review of existing program; Fort Wayne, IN
Mayor's Tree Commission recommends building on current forestry successes:
Mayor Tom Henry's tree commission has recommended the City of Fort Wayne's Parks and Recreation Department continue to build on the well-managed urban forestry program by creating a comprehensive approach to caring for the city's tree canopy.
“For a number of decades, the City of Fort Wayne has had strong, proactive care of our city's park and street trees. Our urban tree canopy is one of our community's greatest natural assets and this report's recommendations can help us preserve what we have while fostering an environment for new growth, so to speak,” Mayor Tom Henry said. “I would like to thank the ad-hoc commission members for their time and dedication to this report. They recognized the strengths of the Parks' forestry program and identified ways to advance it.”
The tree commission's report recommends transitioning from a focus on maintenance to a broader responsibility that becomes a comprehensive urban forestry program with continued public engagement and support.
Mayor Tom Henry's tree commission has recommended the City of Fort Wayne's Parks and Recreation Department continue to build on the well-managed urban forestry program by creating a comprehensive approach to caring for the city's tree canopy.
“For a number of decades, the City of Fort Wayne has had strong, proactive care of our city's park and street trees. Our urban tree canopy is one of our community's greatest natural assets and this report's recommendations can help us preserve what we have while fostering an environment for new growth, so to speak,” Mayor Tom Henry said. “I would like to thank the ad-hoc commission members for their time and dedication to this report. They recognized the strengths of the Parks' forestry program and identified ways to advance it.”
The tree commission's report recommends transitioning from a focus on maintenance to a broader responsibility that becomes a comprehensive urban forestry program with continued public engagement and support.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Ash tree removal to continue - 420 scheduled for removal and replacement; Cincinnati, OH
Ash tree removal to continue cincinnati.com Cincinnati.Com:
Cincinnati, like communities everywhere, continues its attack on the emerald ash borer, with plans to remove more than 400 ash trees every year through 2016.
Of the 80,000 trees along Cincinnati streets, about 7.5 percent are ash trees, according to the Cincinnati Park Board, which developed a plan to fight the little green exotic beetle whose larvae feed on the inner bark of ash trees, killing the trees' ability to get nutrients.
That percentage is higher - 10 percent - among the 5,000 trees in city parks. The potential loss of the city's tree canopy and the impact on the city's budget of removal costs prompted the park board to call the ash borer the "biggest threat to Cincinnati forests since Dutch elm disease," which started destroying trees in the U.S. in 1930.
Cincinnati, like communities everywhere, continues its attack on the emerald ash borer, with plans to remove more than 400 ash trees every year through 2016.
Of the 80,000 trees along Cincinnati streets, about 7.5 percent are ash trees, according to the Cincinnati Park Board, which developed a plan to fight the little green exotic beetle whose larvae feed on the inner bark of ash trees, killing the trees' ability to get nutrients.
That percentage is higher - 10 percent - among the 5,000 trees in city parks. The potential loss of the city's tree canopy and the impact on the city's budget of removal costs prompted the park board to call the ash borer the "biggest threat to Cincinnati forests since Dutch elm disease," which started destroying trees in the U.S. in 1930.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Edible food forests – gourmet eateries of the future?
Edible food forests – gourmet eateries of the future Earth-Based Living For The Future:
Picture yourself in a forest where almost everything around you is food….Mature and maturing fruit and nut trees form an open canopy. If you look carefully, you can see fruits swelling on many branches—pears, apples, persimmons, pecans, and chestnuts. Shrubs fill the gaps in the canopy. They bear raspberries, blueberries, currants, hazelnuts, and other lesser-known fruits, flowers, and nuts at different times of the year.
Assorted native wildflowers, wild edibles, herbs, and perennial vegetables thickly cover the ground. You use many of these plants for food or medicine. Some attract beneficial insects, birds, and butterflies. Others act as soil builders, or simply help keep out weeds. Here and there vines climb on trees, shrubs, or arbors with fruit hanging through the foliage—hardy kiwis, grapes, and passionflower fruits.
Picture yourself in a forest where almost everything around you is food….Mature and maturing fruit and nut trees form an open canopy. If you look carefully, you can see fruits swelling on many branches—pears, apples, persimmons, pecans, and chestnuts. Shrubs fill the gaps in the canopy. They bear raspberries, blueberries, currants, hazelnuts, and other lesser-known fruits, flowers, and nuts at different times of the year.
Assorted native wildflowers, wild edibles, herbs, and perennial vegetables thickly cover the ground. You use many of these plants for food or medicine. Some attract beneficial insects, birds, and butterflies. Others act as soil builders, or simply help keep out weeds. Here and there vines climb on trees, shrubs, or arbors with fruit hanging through the foliage—hardy kiwis, grapes, and passionflower fruits.
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