Sunday, February 27, 2011

The 13-year-old tree ambassador takes planting message to UN

The 13-year-old tree ambassador - CNN.com

It's not every day that a 13-year-old boy gets a chance to address the United Nations General Assembly. But Felix Finkbeiner is no ordinary teenager.
Finkbeiner is already the head of his own organization, Plant for the Planet, dedicated to planting millions of trees all around the world.
At the U.N. earlier this month, Finkbeiner had one item on his agenda: taking adults to task for their lack of action on planting trees.
In the normally staid U.N., Finkbeiner had a field day telling off a group of adults. His message to the diplomats was simple: "stop talking and start planting."
Finkbeiner warned the countries that disappearing trees would create a climate crisis for children's future.
"We children understand that the adults know everything about these crises, but we children don't understand why there's so little action," he said.

Tree Planting Record Broken In Philippines - 64,000 in 15 minutes!

Tree Planting Record Broken In Philippines

Speedy tree planting may be the answer to the world's dwindling forest problem. This past Thursday, over 64,000 trees were planted in 15 minutes, breaking the world record for the most trees planted simultaneously.

The Independent reports that almost 7,000 people helped to plant saplings in the Philippines province of Camrines Sur. The planting was part of a government-backed program aiming to plant 12 million trees in the region's logged forests. Forests in the Philippines are considered to be one of the ten most threatened forests in the world.

Friday, February 25, 2011

Transformation projects eyed for downtown Baltimore; Downtown Partnership envisions more green spaces - Baltimore, MD

Transformation projects eyed for downtown Baltimore - baltimoresun.com

The Downtown Partnership plans to unveil an ambitious proposal Friday to create more than $100 million worth of new parks and public plazas throughout the central business district, including major projects for the Inner Harbor, Charles Center and west side.

The proposal would transform the downtown landscape, with a green oasis where the 1st Mariner Arena stands and possibly the demolition of the Lexington Market Arcade to reopen the street as a public thoroughfare. The proposed work could also involve the realignment of city streets to make way for plazas and streetscape improvements.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Transit district halts tree cutting in Leucadia after public outcry - Leucadia, CA

ENCINITAS: Transit district halts tree cutting in Leucadia

The North County Transit District stopped a tree crew that was felling eucalyptus trees Tuesday on the eastern edge of Highway 101 in Leucadia after community members said they had not been notified of the work as promised.

Alex Wiggins, a spokesman for the district, said in an e-mail Tuesday that "NCTD regrets the lack of notification to local residents. We have instructed our contractor to temporarily halt the work, and we will take appropriate corrective action."

Wiggins said that the district would pause its cutting work for the next few weeks and share its plans with the city of Encinitas and with the Leucadia Highway 101 Mainstreet Association.
Patricia Bell, a member of the association's board of directors, said Tuesday that she was surprised to see the work underway because she had heard nothing about it. She said Leucadians love the canopy of branches that the trees provide over the highway and have been dismayed to see it thin with recent tree-cutting operations by the district and the city in recent years.

‘Polarizing' zipline plan aired -Chase, CA

‘Polarizing' zipline plan aired in Chase | City & Region | Kamloops Daily News

Many in the business community spoke out in favour Tuesday. Many other residents said it will commercialize a special place that includes waterfalls.

But Betts said the proposal has passed an environmental study, will provide economic development, and trail access will be improved to the canyon for residents.

"Our goal is to operate a viable business, long-term. We want that business in no way to interrupt public enjoyment of the land."

But that's exactly what some residents fear.

"The tree canopy would have a 13 by 13 (metre) swath cut through it," said Mary Porter.

Another resident, Sandra Miller, complained ,"It will be for thrill seekers" rather than families.

"How much repeat business are we looking at? I'm worried about sustainability."

Shady parts of county could become shadier thanks to UVM analysis of tree cover - Montgomery County, MD

Shady parts of county could become shadier

Bethesda and Potomac are some of the shadiest places in Montgomery County, while downtown Silver Spring has the lowest percentage of shadiness.

Using new data on tree canopy coverage, Montgomery County planners are identifying urban areas that need to get shadier.

Montgomery County plans to begin planting trees to increase the tree canopy in urban areas, said Katherine Nelson, a planner coordinator in the Planning Department. Downtown Silver Spring has been identified as the pilot area for a new urban planting program because of its low percentage of existing canopy.

Draft data from 2009 aerial photos taken by a contractor reveal that while the county averages 50 percent canopy coverage, the Silver Spring Central Business District has 14 percent canopy coverage, Nelson said.

A tree canopy is the layer of leaves, branches and stems of trees that cover the ground when viewed from above, Nelson said. Canopy can cover parking lots, roads and buildings.

The assessment of the county's tree canopy coverage was done by the Spatial Analysis Laboratory at the University of Vermont's Rubenstein School of the Environment and Natural Resources, Nelson said. The Montgomery County Planning Department partnered with the City of Takoma Park to participate in a larger analysis for the Baltimore corridor for $12,000.

Durbin Announces Federal Funding for Communities Infested by Emerald Ash Borer - Chicago, IL

Durbin Announces Federal Funding for Communities Infested by Emerald Ash Borer

CHICAGO, IL--(ENEWSPF)--February 22, 2011.  Municipalities across Chicagoland will receive much needed federal assistance to manage and recover from the emerald ash borer (EAB) infestation, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced today. More than $1 million in federal funding is being distributed to fifty-eight communities in Illinois through a competitive grant program spearheaded by the Morton Arboretum and Metropolitan Mayors Caucus (MMC). The funding was made available through the US Forest Service, State and Private Forestry, as part of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) and a Durbin-authored provision in the 2008 Farm Bill.

“Around 20 percent of the trees in Chicago are ash trees, and as the infestation rapidly spreads, communities across the region are struggling with the costs associated with combating this destructive beetle. Many communities have tens of thousands of ash trees at risk. At an average cost of $500 per tree removal and a couple of hundred dollars more to replant a tree, an EAB infestation can have a serious economic impact on our communities. The federal funding distributed today will help alleviate the financial burden of removing infested trees and planting new ones for fifty-eight communities in the Chicagoland area. This has been a collaborative effort, and I am grateful for the work of The Morton Arboretum and the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus,” Durbin said.

“This funding will not only address immediate local needs for coping with EAB, but will facilitate more comprehensive urban forest protection and growth to help maintain a robust canopy of trees for the long term. This is important to preserve the region's economic well being and help communities flourish,” Edith Makra, Arboretum Community Trees Advocate, said.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Florida Tree Sit Against Deforestation, Biotechnology & Vivisection - FL

Florida Tree Sit Against Deforestation, Biotechnology & Vivisection - Infoshop News

On Monday, February 14th, a tree sit and canopy occupation kicked off in a 650 acre pine and saw palmetto forest, known as the Briger tract, in South Florida. The goal of the occupation is to block the fast approaching destruction of the forest and the construction of what state officials and developers have called a biotech city.

The Scripps biotech corporation is connected to Novartis, Monsanto, Primate Products, Phillip Morris, Kraft Foods and the Scripps Media conglomeration. Another Scripps campus in La Jolla, California has been cited several times for abusive experiments on a variety of animals. Scripps Florida is currently engaged in research which involves horrendous experiments on living macaque monkeys.

Linking forest defense with direct action against vivisection, urban sprawl, and the corporate ownership of life, the Briger occupation is under way and in need of physical, financial, and spiritual support. We are requesting care packages and letters addressed to the tree sitters as well as phone calls to the mayor of the city of Palm Beach Gardens and solidarity actions at the California campus.

Eighty new trees to sprout again in Benicia - Benicia, CA

Eighty new trees to sprout again in Benicia - Vallejo Times Herald
BENICIA -- Five summers ago the removal of trees from Benicia High School caused a local controversy.
Now the school is welcoming the arrival of 80 new trees -- nearly three times the number chopped down around the ball fields in 2006 due to disease or roots deemed too near the junior varsity baseball diamond.

"Certainly, anyone who was around back then and felt bad about the trees being cut down should embrace this," Benicia Unified School District board member Rosie Switzer said.

The mix of cedars, redwoods and live oaks will be added near the base of the athletic fields. The trees are being funded by an urban forestry grant awarded to the district in partnership with the nonprofit Benicia Tree Foundation.

Volunteers are being sought to help with the planting, beginning with site preparation from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday.

High School is Site of New Urban Forest - Benicia, CA

High School is Site of New Urban Forest - Benicia, CA Patch

The Benicia Tree Foundation has partnered with the Benicia Unified School District to plant 80 trees at Benicia High School. The project will be implemented in three phases, with the first volunteer based event taking place on Saturday, February 26, 2011, from 9am to noon.

The trees are planned for the corner of Military West and Denfield Avenue and are being paid for in part by a grant from California ReLeaf. The local Willis Linn Jepson Chapter of the California Native Plant Society is also supporting the project.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Greening of Detroit seeks volunteer foresters - Detroit, MI

9&10 News - Greening of Detroit seeks volunteer foresters

Nonprofit group The Greening of Detroit is seeking participants for its volunteer Citizen Forester program.

Members of the program help lead groups of other volunteers during tree plantings. Organizers say foresters can help restore Detroit's tree canopy and green space.

Applications are due by Wednesday. A link to additional information about the program, training sessions and an application is on the group's website.

North American Tree Climbing Championship features competitors, live oaks - Savannah, GA

Climbing in the park | savannahnow.com

Clutching a bright orange rope, Lucas Drews gracefully swung from a branch halfway up the massive Forsyth Park live oak toward the tree's trunk.

As the 29-year-old climber ascended higher and higher among limbs and Spanish moss, cheers of encouragement rang from the spectators gathered below to watch him at Sunday's Master's Challenge championship of the two-day North American Tree Climbing Championship at the Savannah park.

Drews, of Rockford, Mich., stood momentarily in the tree's canopy as he worked to prepare his final maneuver toward the last of the four checkpoints placed in the tree by the competition's judges.

The event - held in conjunction with the North American Tree Conference and Trade Show held at the Savannah International Trade and Convention Center - attracted 69 competitors from across the United States and Canada.

Brunswick starts contest to find its largest trees - Brunswick, GA

Brunswick starts contest to find its largest trees | jacksonville.com


BRUNSWICK - The city's four-member Park and Tree Board has developed what it hopes will be a fun way to urge residents to recognize native trees and the importance of protecting them for upcoming generations.

The panel has put together the "TREE-MENDOUS Tree Contest" that it hopes will draw interest from community residents who can enter trees on their property in a contest to find the biggest of each species inside the city.

"It's an idea we came up with to make folks aware of the trees they have and to bring awareness that these are also resources that need to be protected," board chairman Nick Chilton said.

The tree contest began Friday on Georgia Arbor Day and will run through National Arbor Day on April 29.

Only four species - the live oak, eastern red cedar, southern magnolia and American sycamore - will be measured for the contest.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Winds cut power, spread fires across D.C. area, topple National Christmas Tree -Washington, DC

Winds cut power, spread fires across D.C. area, topple National Christmas Tree

High winds also blew over the National Christmas Tree, the majestic Colorado blue spruce that stood near the White House on the Ellipse, according to Bill Line, a spokesman for the National Park Service.

"At about 10:55 a.m. - with sustained winds of 25 miles per hour and 50 miles per hour sustained gusts that were highly unusual for Washington, D.C. - the National Christmas Tree was toppled," Line reported. "No one was hurt."

Line said the tree was a Colorado blue spruce from York, Pa., that was planted on the Ellipse in 1978. It was 46 years old and almost 42 feet tall at the time it was felled. But there would be little time for mourning. The tree was scheduled to be mulched Saturday afternoon.

City to address tree codes at Tuesday forum - Gresham, OR

News briefs for Feb. 19, 2011

Gresham is hosting a community forum to get input on drafting an Urban Forestry Management Plan from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 22, in the Oregon Trail conference room at City Hall, 1333 N.W. Eastman Parkway.

The forum will focus on discussions about existing tree regulations, code compliance issues and how they should be addressed in the Urban Forestry Management Plan. The plan will evaluate urban forestry issues and develop a comprehensive, sustainable and integrated approach to tree management on public and private property.

Feedback will help city officials understand what issues property owners experience with the current tree code and what steps should be taken to address tree code complaints.

The forestry plan also will include an assessment of urban tree canopy size, location, diversity and number of trees, and will identify outreach strategies to protection and expand the city’s urban forest.

For more information, contact Tina Osterink, natural resources associate planner, at 503-618-2392 or Tina.Osterink@GreshamOregon.gov.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Fort Wayne adds $900,000 to emerald ash borer budget - Fort Wayne, IN

Fort Wayne adds $900,000 to emerald ash borer budget | The Journal Gazette | Fort Wayne, IN
Statement issued Thursday by the city:

Mayor Tom Henry and the Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation Department announced the need for a special appropriation today to address the accelerated rate of tree loss due to the emerald ash borer crisis.

“This is an issue that needs immediate attention,” said Mayor Henry. “A dead, or even a weakened tree, threatens the safety of our citizens.”

Over 1,900 ash trees have already been lost to the Emerald Ash Borer, a small Asian beetle that hit Michigan first, then arrived in Allen County in 2006. Fort Wayne’s current inventory of 12,000 street trees is expected to be eliminated in less than 10 years. It is projected that the City will lose 3,000 ash trees a year for the next three years, with another 2,000 lost in the final 4 years. Approximately 1000 ash trees are being treated each year.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Urban forest gets a trim - Vancouver, BC

North Island Midweek - Urban forest gets a trim

Closely cropped downtown street trees are a sure sign that spring’s on the way.

As part of its annual tree maintenance program, the City of Campbell River prunes street trees along the Shoppers Row sidewalk from 13th Avenue to the Pier Street.

Two pruning methods are used downtown, says the city’s parks foreman and certified arborist Tom Clarke.

The London plane trees will be pollarded, a pruning technique that might look unusual to some people. “The first time we pruned the downtown trees this way, some local gardeners were surprised and even concerned by the look,” Clarke says. “We’d like to assure everyone that pollarding is the proven pruning technique for this type of tree in this type of location.”

Sunday, February 13, 2011

NCPC issues map of existing tree canopy in proposed SW Ecodistrict featuring tree canopy data from Casey Trees - Washington, DC

Pass Christian Pirates put down roots -- of 120 trees - Pass Christian, MI

Pass Christian Pirates put down roots -- of 120 trees - Pass Christian - SunHerald.com

Unplanted trees, piles of dirt, shovels and wheelbarrows were scattered as the sun shined Saturday morning on the Pass Christian High School ballpark.
During this break from the frigid winter weather, members of the Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain, the Pass Christian Garden Club and the PCHS Pirates baseball and softball teams joined forces to plant 120 red maple, Southern magnolia and willow trees on the grounds surrounding the fields.
The tree planting is part of the Land Trust’s Replant South Mississippi program, which has supported the planting of trees in almost every town in the six coastal counties. At the request of PCHS horticulture teacher John Halliday and Pirates baseball coach Paul Wolverton, the Land Trust worked with the school district and Alderwoman Renee Brooks to have the trees planted.


Photo: Kaley Turfitt/Special to the Sun Herald Pass Christian

NASA - Satellites Pinpoint Drivers of Urban Heat Islands in the Northeast

NASA - Satellites Pinpoint Drivers of Urban Heat Islands in the Northeast

Cities such as New York, Philadelphia, and Boston are prominent centers of political power. Less known: Their size, background ecology, and development patterns also combine to make them unusually warm, according to NASA scientists who presented new research recently at an American Geophysical Union (AGU) meeting in San Francisco, Calif.

Summer land surface temperature of cities in the Northeast were an average of 7 °C to 9 °C (13°F to 16 °F) warmer than surrounding rural areas over a three year period, the new research shows. The complex phenomenon that drives up temperatures is called the urban heat island effect.

Building industry group expresses concern about tree canopy goal - Guilford County, NC

GSO Advisory Commission on Trees/ County-wide Tree Canopy Study- The ACT is developing Goals and Objectives based on the results of the 2010 Tree Canopy study. Even though this study revealed no problem with our canopy, it still makes recommendations, including the development of a canopy management plan on both local and regional levels. Unrealistically, the ACT has interpreted the American Forest recommendation for a 40% “regional canopy” as the “urban canopy”recommendation, and is developing ideas on how to preserve and increase the Greensboro “urban canopy.” In conversations with American Forest, staff indicates that the recommendation for the GSO MSA should be based on the distribution of land uses. Using this standard, the current tree cover should be approximately 34%, which is less than the existing 38% cover identified in the study. Under the same standard, at total build out of the study area the “urban” tree canopy is recommended to be 22%. Though it is commendable to preserve our city trees, it should not be done at the expense of urban development. Stifling development within an urban area leads to sprawl and ultimately to the reduction of tree cover for the region.

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Neglect results in 400 year old Banyan remaining in the landscape - Bangalore, India

The Big B among trees, News - City - Bangalore Mirror,Bangalore Mirror

No one quite knows who planted the Big Banyan tree in Kethohalli village near Tavarekere, but it is widely believed that its gnarled vertical roots have silently witnessed the city’s growth from a one-horse sleepy town to the tech city that it is.



 At first utterly neglected, the tree is now a heritage. Hundreds of tourists flock to its presence and look on in wonder as they make their way through the maze of hanging roots. Researchers delight in this open air laboratory and botanists spend hours attempting to unlock the secrets of its longevity. A variety of birds roost in its branches and its fruit also attracts packs of monkeys.

The banyan tree is perhaps the oldest of tree species in the city. Botanically known as Ficus Benghalensis, the Big Banyan tree is believed to be over 400 years old. The Savanadurga monolithic hill and the backwaters of the Manchanabele reservoir form a serene backdrop to its spreading branches and make for a good picnic spot.

“The tree, located at survey number 57/2C1, has a crown circumference of more than 250 metres,” says the senior horticulture officer at Kethohalli. “What is surprising is the growth of the tree. It does not have a main trunk, but it keeps spreading all around. On an average, the tree canopy widens a few feet every year. It currently has more than 1000 aerial roots and by itself, it’s a virtual forest,” he said.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Conservation Authority investigating whether water controls are responsible for tree mortality - Nepean, Ontario, CA

YourOttawaRegion Article: Conservation Authority investigating rise in river levels:
“There are trees that are in great distress,” O’Malley said. “It’s now dead (the trees). It’s not dying. It’s gone. All we can have is a funeral.”

O’Malley is a pilot and he has flown over the area in his float plane many times, and he has noticed the deterioration of the forest canopy between 2006 and last summer. Back in 2006, “we had very, very healthy trees, right down to the shore.”

In the past four years, though, he has seen a change.

“There is no tree canopy any more…It looks like a forest fire,” said O’Malley. “This isn’t a minor event.”

Bur Oaks Face Terminal Fungus; Bigger Threat in Iowa Than Ash Borer or Gypsy Moth - IA

Iowa Bur Oaks Face Terminal Fungus « Oskaloosa News:
Iowa’s overall urban tree canopy has 12 percent tree cover, of which, 3 percent of the trees are bur oak. The estimated landscape value and removal cost for urban trees is more than $500 million. Homeowners can have leaves tested for the disease by sending samples to Iowa State University’s Plant and Insect Diagnostic Clinic to have the fungus confirmed. Information on the click and how to submit samples is online at http://www.plantpath.iastate.edu/pdc/.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Show some love to trees and shrubs, too

seMissourian.com: Column: Paul Schnare: Show some love to trees and shrubs, too

Because most trees and shrubs put on one flush of growth in the spring, it is important to have fertilizer available to them to support this flush of growth. (Some species/varieties put on more than one flush of growth per season, but their major flush is in the spring.) With that in mind, I would suggest that you apply fertilizer in March or early April.

There are many methods for fertilizer applications. You can purchase fertilizer spikes and pound them into the ground around the drip line. When you use this method, you will find a tuft of grass growing faster and greener than surrounding turf. These tufts suggest to me that fertilizer is applied in areas just around the spike. The roots growing between these spots are probably not absorbing much fertilizer.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Mount Vernon trees: Baltimore panel OKs Mount Vernon restoration plan - baltimoresun.com

Mount Vernon trees: Baltimore panel OKs Mount Vernon restoration plan - baltimoresun.com

After six months of deliberation, Baltimore's preservation commission gave conceptual approval Tuesday to an $18.5 million plan by the Mount Vernon Place Conservancy to replace trees and make other improvements to the city-owned parkland at the base of the Washington Monument, with the understanding that the group still must obtain final approval of its plan and provide proof of funding before any work can begin.

In granting conceptual approval for the parkland, which is in a historic district, the commissioners voted to approve the group's plans to remove most of the trees on the public squares north and south of the Washington Monument. However, they withheld approval of plans to replace most of the trees on the squares east and west of the monument.

Executive director Jennifer Smith leaves TN Urban Forestry Council after 12 years of service

News from Tennessee Urban Forestry Council:
Being the helm of the Tennessee Urban Forestry Council for the last twelve years has been a 'wonderful experience with many opportunities for personal growth and professional development,' says TUFC executive director Jennifer Smith, who moved on to other interests February 1.

Council president Zack French said, 'Jennifer's ability to network introduced urban forestry to a wide range of constituents.' Zack adds that 'we appreciate her strategic organizational skills which have lead the Council to be one of the most regarded Councils in the country. Fortunately she will continue her association with the Council and the Division of Forestry as an Urban Forestry Ambassador.'

State urban forester Bruce Webster says, 'It was a great pleasure working with Jennifer these past 12 years. She was able to accomplish several tasks that took a burden off the State staff, among them our urban forestry conference, doing this newsletter, and the significant outreach to other groups and organizations that help raise the level of interest and awareness of urban forestry.' Among her many accomplishments was improving the Council's financial health significantly, he says. 'The Council barely had enough in its treasury to pay her first month payment, and she grew the net income from the conference 3.75 times and the overall treasury by approximately 16 times what the balance was in 1999.'

State of Vermont adds web content on urban tree canopy and stormwater

Urban Tree Canopy

Photo: VT DEC Water Quality Division
Trees protect water and soil resources by reducing the amount of runoff and pollutant loading through evapotranspiration, interception and infiltration.  A healthy urban tree canopy also provides the added benefit of shade and lower urban heat indices.  New planter box design technologies are allowing for increased soil volumes under pavement allowing for larger, healthy trees and the treatment of stormwater.

Can you commit? Free trees available to good homes -Edmond, OK

Edmond residents can adopt a tree | NewsOK.com

EDMOND — Urban forestry officials have planted 50 trees throughout Edmond since last spring as part of the Foster-A-Tree program.
They are looking for places to plant an additional 25 trees this spring. Residents who sign up for the program by Feb. 23 get a free tree planted in the public right of way on their property.
The program teams urban forestry officials and residents to replace dying and diseased trees with new, healthy ones.
City officials buy the trees, but the property owner makes a two-year commitment to water the tree and protect the tree from unnecessary harm, said Leigh Martin, urban forestry assistant.

Monday, February 7, 2011

New Decatur strategic plan focuses on revitalizing retail but includes tree canopy planning -Decatur, GA

New Decatur strategic plan focuses on revitalizing retail | ajc.com

The draft, which covers 2011-2020, proposes the promotion of  Decatur as "a naturally occurring retirement community where people can stay in their homes and communities as they age.”

Related to this is a strategy for adopting universal design guidelines, the draft says, “to allow new buildings and homes to be visitable by those with mobility impairments.”

Other major points of the draft include creation of an urban forest management plan to assess Decatur’s existing tree canopy, and the expansion of the existing single-family residential recycling program to multifamily buildings and local businesses.

Friday, February 4, 2011

Urban Development Department Neighborhood Mini-Grant ($1500) Program announced - Lincoln, NE

Eligible projects include but are not limited to:
Public art, e.g. intersection paintings, community murals, etc.
Graffiti removal
Recycling implementation
Street/Lake/Park cleanups
Urban Tree Canopy (strategic placements, e.g. parking lot cover)
Rain Gardens (strategic placements to soak up polluted runoff water and beautification)
Bicycle Sharing (pilot membership program)

Feds: Watergate trees can go - Washington, DC

Feds: Watergate trees can go | Liz Farmer | DC | Washington Examiner:
A federal panel ruled that the National Park Service should remove trees it planted between the Watergate complex and the Potomac River, provided that the residents protesting the trees pay for the work. At its monthly meeting Thursday, the commission said residents should give the park service funds to transplant the existing sycamore trees, and purchase and plant shorter sycamores near the Watergate. Residents fought the trees after they were planted in 2009, contending the trees would eventually grow so tall they would obstruct their view of the river and lower property values.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Maryland Citizens Surpass Tree Planting Goal

Maryland Department of Natural Resources - Communications Office

50,000 New Trees Planted in 2009-2010 through Marylanders Plant Trees Program

Governor Martin O’Malley today announced that Maryland has surpassed its citizens’ goal of planting and registering 50,000 trees through the Marylanders Plant Trees program.

“I share this victory with each and every citizen who made the important contribution of planting a tree,” said Governor Martin O’Malley. “By planting trees, Marylanders are taking steps toward ensuring a sustainable future for our natural resources for our children and theirs and setting an important example for future stewards of our State.”

Governor O’Malley launched the Marylanders Plant Trees program, part of his Smart, Green & Growing initiative two years ago with a goal of planting 50,000 new trees by 2010. Marylanders heeded the challenge: 50,089 new trees were planted and registered as of December 2010. 

Fredericksburg Tree Cover Withers Due to Population Growth, Development, Utility Line Clearance - Fredericksburg, VA

Fredericksburg Tree Cover Withers

The GWRC reports that the George Washington Region, including Fredericksburg, Stafford, Caroline and King George counties, is the “region with the fastest growing population in Virginia for more than the last 20 years.”
In its study, the GWRC compared the 1996 population and tree cover data with comparable 2009 data to determine land cover changes throughout the region.
The 13-year period shows that population continued to increase while tree cover continued to decline throughout the region.
Fredericksburg alone lost an estimated 807.5 acres of trees, a 27.64 percent decline, while the population increased by 9.06 percent.
However, this concept is not unique to Fredericksburg. Because of the increase in population, new forces like sprawling development and an increase in the amount of impervious surfaces, including parking lots, sidewalks and roads, are altering forest ecosystems throughout the state every day.
The United States Department of Agriculture forest service reports that while “forests now cover 58 percent, or 24 million acres, of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, the watershed loses 100 acres of forestland each day.”

Boston Architectural College to host panel discussion on Asian Longhorned Beetle and Urban Tree Canopy at New England Grows - Boston, MA

Boston Architectural College

JOIN US! The BAC at New England Grows
February 02, 2011  -  February 04, 2011
Boston Convention and Exhibition Center
Booth: #568 Exposition Hall, Feb 2nd - 4th.*
Panel Discussion and Reception:
“The Worcester ALB Experience” and the Future of the Urban Tree Canopy
Room 258B, 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM

JOIN US!  We hope to see many of our friends and colleagues at the Landscape Institute panel discussion at New England Grows Thursday Feb 3, 5:30-7:00 pm at the Boston Convention Center, room 258B.  Visit us at booth 568 during the Exposition Hall hours or join us for a panel discussion on “The Worcester ALB Experience” and the future of the urban tree canopy.  The presentation is open to the public and co-sponsored by NELDHA and will be followed by a reception, food and beverages will be available. 

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Citywide Tree Project: Proposed Portland tree regulations attract support - Portland, OR

Citywide Tree Project: Proposed Portland tree regulations attract support | OregonLive.com:

Portland may have a green reputation, but officials say that when it comes to protecting and preserving trees, the city could use an overhaul of its red tape.

And so far, newly proposed standards seem to be OK with just about everyone involved -- from homebuilders to environmentalists and residents.

The Portland City Council on Wednesday will review a new and dense plan aimed at protecting and increasing Portland's tree inventory. The proposal would consolidate regulations into one city code, and increase tree preservation and planting requirements -- and also set exemptions -- for new developments.

For many homeowners, the biggest and most notable change is this: removing a tree greater than 20 inches in diameter from private property would require a permit, followed by a tree replanting or payment to the city toward replanting efforts.

Research: Prioritizing preferable locations for increasing urban tree canopy in New York City

Prioritizing preferable locations for increasing urban tree canopy in New York City

This paper presents a set of Geographic Information System (GIS) methods for identifying and prioritizing tree planting sites in urban environments. It uses an analytical approach created by a University of Vermont service-learning class called "GIS Analysis of New York City's Ecology" that was designed to provide research support to the MillionTreesNYC tree planting campaign. These methods prioritize tree planting sites based on need (whether or not trees can help address specific issues in the community) and suitability (biophysical constraints and planting partners? existing programmatic goals). Criteria for suitability and need were based on input from three New York City tree-planting organizations. Customized spatial analysis tools and maps were created to show where each organization may contribute to increasing urban tree canopy (UTC) while also achieving their own programmatic goals.