Friday, April 29, 2011

They may have lost Michael Scott, but they still have a great tree canopy according to recent study - Scranton, PA

Urban forest study shows value of Scranton's trees - News - The Times-Tribune


Report to show benefit of city's trees
Pity the flowering pear. Scranton's best trees are burly.
A report on Scranton's urban forest to be released on Arbor Day shows that the city's large, leafy trees store as much carbon as is produced by 56,000 vehicles each year and save the city's residents nearly $630,000 annually in energy costs.
The study, published by the U.S. Forest Service, provides a picture of the type, size and benefits of Scranton's 1.2 million urban trees. It also evaluates their worth in terms of what it would cost to replace them: $322 million.
"I think a lot of people do understand the environmental benefits of trees and the aesthetic benefits, but a lot of people don't understand that they do have an economic value," said Lynn Conrad, program administrator of the NEPA Urban and Community Forestry Program, which helped produce the study.
Three of the most common species in Scranton's urban forest - red maple, black cherry and northern red oak - are also relatively large, leafy trees with the most benefits in terms of reducing air pollution, providing electricity savings and mitigating stormwater.
Large-canopied Norway maple, which make up less than 4 percent of the city's trees, provide nearly 11 percent of the urban forest's leaf area. On the other hand, spindly grey birch, which thrive on culm banks, make up 10 percent of the forest's population but provide less than 3 percent of its leaf area.


Read more: http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/urban-forest-study-shows-value-of-scranton-s-trees-1.1138172#ixzz1KwPdwqvY

Want more trees in your area? Albany Parks & Rec is here to help if you apply by July 1 - Albany, NY

Want more trees in your area?


The Albany Parks & Recreation Department is taking applications for a new neighborhood tree planting program.
The NeighborWoods program is a nationwide model now being used by the City Tree Commission and Urban Forestry Program to help restore Albany’s tree canopy by planting street trees in neighborhoods and parks with the assistance of residents.
If a neighborhood decides to plant trees along the street, any interested homeowner is eligible to receive a free tree; 150 trees are available this year.
The trees will be 6 to 10 feet tall depending on the species. Each homeowner will be able to select from two or three species of trees.
The trees will be purchased by the city of Albany and donations to the City’s Urban Forestry Program. Homeowners will help plant their trees.
Anyone interested in getting a free tree should complete the Neighborwoods application at www.cityofalbany.net/parks/urban forestry/neighborwoods or call 541-917-7679. Applications are due by July 1.

Casey Trees says D.C. gets a C for care of its trees - Washington, DC

D.C. gets a C for care of its trees - Post Now - The Washington Post


You might think one of the best things about Washington is its tree canopy, its beautiful flowering trees and its support of residents who want to plant new and different species along its streets.
A couple is silhouetted against blossoming cherry trees in April. (Matt McClain - THE WASHINGTON POST)
Think again. The Casey Trees’ Tree Report Card, which is billed as the only independent assessment of D.C.’s trees on both public and private lands, gives the nation’s capital a C for 2010, dropping from 2009’s grade of B-minus.
“The lower grade is due in large part to the F assigned to tree protection,” the organization said in a press release.
The organization takes particular issue with the city’s officials who moved $539,000 from its tree fund to the general fund because of a serious local budget shortfall.
Th report also said the city has not kept records to show if 10,000 trees that should have been planted since 2002 are alive, or even if they were planted.
The District’s Urban Forestry Administration, within the Department of Transportation, has not yet responded to our request for comment.

Connecticut DEP announces Tree City USA designation

NorwalkPlus.com News - Connecticut DEP announces Tree City USA designation

The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced recently that Branford and New Canaan join 17 other communities in Connecticut as Tree City USA’s for 2010. This is a national designation, created by the Arbor Day Foundation in Nebraska, as a means of honoring those cities and towns who have demonstrated a commitment to maintaining the local urban forest and tree canopy cover.


Once a Tree City USA, communities need to reapply each year in order to retain that distinction.
The nineteen Tree City USA’s, with number of years in parentheses, are:

Branford (new)
Bridgeport (3)
Brookfield (5)
Danbury (21)
East Hartford (15)
Fairfield (23)
Groton (16)
Hartford (17)
Middletown (21)
Monroe (7)
New Canaan (new)
New Haven (3)
Norwalk (7)
Ridgefield (10)
Southbury (13)
Stamford (23)
West Haven (2)
Wethersfield (15)
Wilton (2)

University of Minnesota prof maps tree cover for city planning - Minneapolis, MN

U prof maps trees for city planning | mndaily.com - Serving the University of Minnesota Community Since 1900


More than 30 percent of Minneapolis is covered in tree canopy, but there’s room for twice that.
Areas with housing currently have the highest tree canopy percentage and provide the most potential for more trees, according to a survey conducted by University of Minnesota professor Marvin Bauer and graduate students Don Kilberg and Molly Martin.
Adding more trees in both urban and suburban environments would not only help to beautify the area, but help reduce storm water runoff and conserve energy, the researchers said in the report.
In the case of energy conservation, Bauer gave an example of trees providing shade during the summer, thus reducing the need for air conditioning.
Bauer, director of the University’s Remote Sensing and Geospatial Analysis Laboratory, got a contract with the city of Minneapolis to study tree cover.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Group cited for shutting I-70 for 12 hours -- to plant trees - Indianapolis, IN

Group cited for shutting I-70 for 12 hours -- to plant trees

NEBRASKA CITY -- Keep Indianapolis Beautiful will be honored here Saturday for shutting down a six-mile stretch of Interstate 70 for 12 hours -- to plant trees, shrubs, perennials and grasses.

In an effort that took two years to plan, KIB partnered with Eli Lilly and Company of Indianapolis to restore the stretch of I-70 that runs between downtown Indianapolis and Indianapolis International Airport. Together, the groups organized more than 8,000 tree planters and arranged for the extended shutdown of the thoroughfare.

While the road was closed, the volunteers planted 1,600 trees, 1,000 shrubs and 72,000 perennials and native grasses to enhance four interchanges.

For its efforts, KIB will receive the Arbor Day Foundation's Excellence in Volunteer Management award.

Univeristy of Arizona Tree-Ring Lab to Get New Home - Tucson, AZ

UA Tree-Ring Lab to Get New Home | UANews.org

The Bryant Bannister Tree-Ring Building will incorporate the Mathematics East building in an unusual multi-level design.


After 75 years in "temporary quarters" under the University of Arizona's football stadium, the world's first laboratory dedicated to tree-ring research will have a new home.


The groundbreaking ceremony for the Bryant Bannister Tree-Ring Building, named for the UA Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research's director emeritus, will be held on Tuesday, May 3 at 11 a.m. at the UA Highlands Commons. Attendance at the ceremony is by invitation only but is open to the media.


Speakers will include UA President Robert N. Shelton, UA Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research Director Emeritus Bryant Bannister, UA Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research Director Thomas W. Swetnam and UA College of Science Dean Joaquin Ruiz.
 

The study of the annual rings of trees, known as dendrochronology, was invented by lab founder Andrew E. Douglass more than a century ago. Douglass, who came to the UA in 1906, pioneered the use of tree rings to date the ancient ruins of cliff dwellings.

Time to start counting trees - Moorestown needs you for tree inventory help - Moorestown, NJ

Moorestown Sun - Time to start counting trees

Moorestown is known for its scenic, lush, tree-lined streets, but did you ever wonder how many of them there are? What shape they’re in, or how about how many different kinds there are?

Members of the township’s tree planting and preservation committee are figuring that out with a township-wide tree inventory that aims to maintain trees as an asset to the community.

The endeavor began in Spring 2009 and involves collecting data about each tree in the township’s tree canopy – the trees that line township and county roads in Moorestown.


The third round of the inventory is scheduled to kick off in just a few days, and the committee is asking for your help.

So, put on a pair of comfy shoes, grab a measuring tape, and get ready to help as inventory season gears up for a May 5 kickoff.

New Chicago Botanic Garden Celebrates World Environment Day June 4 with Highlights on UNEP International Year of Forests - Chicago, IL

New Chicago Botanic Garden Celebrates World Environment Day June 4

The Chicago Botanic Garden will celebrate the United Nations World Environment Programme's (UNEP) World Environment Day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on June 4, 2011. Visitors of all ages will participate in fun, interactive, and enriching programs and activities that explain the importance of protecting and preserving plants through awareness and action. Several activities and two lectures highlight UNEP's 2011 International Year of Forests theme.

Minnesota Twins Blame Trees for Offense Problems; Transplant in State Parks - Minneapolis, MN

Twins Blog: Blaming The Trees « CBS Minnesota


Somewhere in the Minnesota State Park system, there are some black spruce trees growing in a much more natural environment – wide open fields, fresh air and wildlife.

They spent last spring, summer and fall planted in a glitzy new ball field in downtown Minneapolis surrounded by bright lights, beer and loud music.
Then, major league players blamed them for their hitting troubles – calling the trees a distraction. Well, their former spot in center field is now empty and the back wall is a solid black, so you would expect to see some more offense at Target Field this season.
If not, you can’t blame the trees.

Morris Arboretum's interactive April 30th Arbor Day event will take you out on a limb to see how trees work - Philadelphia, PA

04/26/11, Sustainability at Penn - Almanac, Vol. 57, No. 31 Arbor Day Celebration: April 30 Celebrate the importance of trees at Morris Arboretum’s annual Arbor Day celebration on Saturday, April 30, 1-3 p.m. This interactive family event will begin high in the tree canopy (50 feet above the forest floor) on the Out on a Limb exhibit, where visitors will receive a treasure hunt map. From Out on a Limb, they’ll experience trees up-close and learn about the many reasons we need trees. The trees of the Arboretum will provide the basis for a tree adventure treasure hunt including four tree activity stations. Interactive activities will focus on tree care, tree protection, where trees come from, and what trees give us. Visitors who complete the exploration will receive a seedling to take home.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Rebuild Christchurch Up To Tree-height, Says Top Architect - Christchurch, New Zealand

Rebuild Christchurch Up To Tree-height, Says Top Architect | Voxy.co.nz The rebuild of the Christchurch central business district (CBD) should be up to tree-height, seldom higher than four storeys, a leading New Zealand landscape architect Di Lucas said today. Lucas said lower height limits enable more people-friendly city environments. She did an analysis for the Civic Trust 20 years ago and now is the time to reconsider this approach as Christchurch looks at re-building options, she said. ``The current City Plan lacks design controls and measures to make the CBD beautiful and sustainable. An urgent change is needed. We don't want just utilitarian structures. We need a city with the X factor, to attract businesses, workers and visitors. Not again draughty spaces below high-rise and exposed to the easterly; buildings ignoring the solar resource; and, outmoded transport options. We could change it from a tired energy-hungry city to an appealing sustainable garden city. ``This time, we must allow for functioning natural systems; managing rainfall with permeable surfaces; daylighting streams; maximising local materials; greening roofs, and having vegetated public and private spaces forming pleasant micro-climates,'' said Lucas, a former president of the NZ Institute of Landscape Architects. "Whole street blocks have been mostly destroyed so their layout needs to be re-thought comprehensively to create more appealing urban spaces that showcase cutting-edge design." ``We need to reorganise spaces and access, with more green areas within a low rise city, using tree canopy - three or four storeys - as a measure. Noosa on the Sunshine Coast formalised their height limits to tree canopy height, and everyone loves that city. You don't need to see the sea from within the centre, you can sense it, and enjoy the microclimate from a low rise environs. ``We went to the Environment Court for a local group eight years ago in a battle against Christchurch City Council and developers regarding building heights surrounding Victoria Square. The council had proposed an 80m height limit - over 20 stories. The court almost halved that and reduced heights to 15m along the Avon corridor. That fits the tree canopy measure.''

Banding of trees in Regina urged to thwart cankerworms - Regina, Canada

Banding of trees in Regina urged to thwart cankerworms REGINA — Spring in Regina might have been delayed this year, but the slow start to the season isn't going to stop one of the city's pernicious pests. Cankerworms are about to appear and residents should try to get their trees banded by the end of April, according to Wade Morrow, the City of Regina's supervisor of pest management. "We're a little late this year," he said in a recent interview, noting the long winter might have put off the cankerworms' inevitable attack. "Everybody's aware of the weather. The water's getting a lot of attention, but it's putting other programs behind, too. We were just out banding some monitoring trees a week ago." The city normally advises that banding should start by the end of March and that all the trees should be banded by the end of April. But this year, "it was just too much snow around most of the trees," Morrow explained.

Elk Grove's new tree ordinance takes root - Elk Grove, CA

Elk Grove's new tree ordinance takes root - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee When Elk Grove incorporated in 2000, the city inherited Sacramento County's tree ordinance, which was vague, said Christopher Jordan, the city's planning manager. After three years of public wrangling, the City Council unanimously voted for the revised tree ordinance in February, and the city started implementing the rules this month. The ordinance adds more local species to the list of protected trees, provides a landmark tree designation to protect trees of interest, and offers more alternatives to mitigating the loss of trees. Cindy Blain, operations director for the Sacramento Tree Foundation, said Elk Grove's rules are innovative in some key areas, including giving credits for protection of smaller trees. "Typically, when someone takes out a tree 6 inches or more in diameter, they have to replace them or pay a fee," Blain said. "But with this ordinance, the city gives credit for preserving smaller trees of certain species. Since the trees already exist on the site, it makes the likelihood of their surviving much better." Blain also lauded the city for discouraging efforts to relocate trees, especially larger oaks, as a mitigation measure. Often, she said, relocating a tree means "slow death."

Monday, April 25, 2011

Beaumaris tree lopper's 'lenient' fine and why it was so - Beaumaris, Victoria, Australia

Beaumaris tree lopper's 'lenient' fine - News - News - Moorabbin Leader


BAYSIDE Council has criticised a $250 court fine imposed on an illegal Beaumaris tree chopper as “outrageously” lenient.
At Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court last Wednesday, Matthew Egan pleaded guilty to removing a 40-year-old flowering gum tree from his Balcombe Rd property last year.
He was ordered to donate $250 to a court fund, pay $40 in council costs and given a good behaviour bond for a year. No conviction was recorded.
Outside court, Bayside Mayor Andrew McLorinan said the penalty imposed was inadequate and sent the wrong message to the community.
“The community should be advised that the council is committed to tree protection and tree canopy retention, and will rigorously investigate and enforce the tree protection laws and investigate and prosecute all illegal tree removals,” Cr McLorinan said.
“We are seeking legal advice on our right of appeal in this case.”
In court, Bayside Council prosecutor Pat Dunne said Egan was caught out by an inspection of his property last August.
Egan had applied for a permit to cut down the 15m tree in May, but was formally refused in July.
Magistrate Paul Smith said even though Egan may have been told by real estate agents it was “no problem” to remove the tree, he was “undoubtedly” informed by the council that it had to stay.
Mr Smith said the fine was “modest” because no infringement notice was issued by the council and others had ill-advised Egan.

Mapping Minneapolis' Tree Canopy - Minneapolis, MN


A land cover classification of Minneapolis with overall accuracy of 92% was generated using a combination
of high resolution (0.6-meter) multispectral satellite imagery and lidar data. Lidar with its information on tree height was especially useful.

The City was covered by Existing tree canopies of 31.5% (11,569 acres) in 2009. Trees could potentially, under the right circumstances, cover an additional 37.5% (13,684 acres); termed Possible UTC, these areas include grass and impervious surfaces (e.g., parking lots). The remaining 31% (11,479 acres) of the City’s area of buildings, streets, water and other permanent features is generally unsuited to UTC improvement. Many factors determine where and when trees are planted and maintained, but a UTC assessment is an
essential first step of determining where trees can be planted if the requisite social-political and financial capital exists.

Nora-Northside community group is again offering free trees - Indianapolis, IN

Nora-Northside community group is again offering free trees | The Indianapolis Star | indystar.com



The Nora-Northside Community Council will have its 22nd annual Free Tree Gift day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 30 at Nora Plaza, 1300 E. 86th St. If trees run out before 3 p.m., the giveaway will end early.
The Community Council offers the giveaway each year to help conserve natural energy, replace the tree canopy, reduce storm-water runoff and provide wildlife habitats, said Ruth Hayes, council president.
This year, the group will give away 400 white flowering dogwoods to anyone who promises to plant them, Hayes said. After the April 30 giveaway, the council will have distributed 10,000 trees to the community.

Emerald Ash Borer: The $10 Billion Threat

Imperial Valley News - Emerald Ash Borer: The $10 Billion Threat


 The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is a metallic-green insect, a half-inch long and weighs next to nothing. But it’s a serial killer of ash trees all over the United States.
According to the American Institute of Biological Sciences, EAB will cost cities about $10 billion over 10 years for treatment and removal of ash trees. That’s money many cities just don’t have as they dig out from the recession.
“Imagine driving through a neighborhood in the spring or summer and it looks like the fall because there are very few leaves on the ash trees,” said Lance Walheim, co-author of “Landscaping for Dummies” and lawn and garden expert for Bayer Advanced™. “Thinning tree canopies are the calling card for this insect that attacks trees from the inside out.”
According to www.Emeraldashborer.info, EAB has killed tens of millions of ash trees in many areas where it’s been discovered, including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Quebec, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. It’s been in the U.S. since 2002.
Female borers lay eggs in late May through June. The larvae feed under the bark from late July through October, choking off the water and nutrient supply to the tree. Up to half of the tree canopy can die in a year. Most of the canopy will be dead after two years.
You Don’t Have To Cut Down Your Ash Trees
In many cities, workers break out chain saws to cut down ash trees in parks and along streets if EAB is a threat. Local TV news and newspapers cover the mass elimination of trees. So, homeowners think the only solution they have is to cut down the beautiful ash trees in their yards.
According to www.Emeraldashborer.info, there are several homeowner options for controlling EAB. They include products that are injected into the soil or tree trunk or applied around the roots with water.

UVM Spatial Analysis Lab issues report on Montgomery County's tree canopy; 50% - Montgomery County, MD


An analysis of Montgomery County’s tree canopy based on land cover data
derived from high-resolution aerial imagery and LiDAR (Figure 1) found that
157,219 acres of the county were covered by tree canopy (termed Existing
TC), representing 50% of all land in the county.  An additional 43% (136,888
acres) of the county could theoretically be modified (termed Possible TC) to
accommodate tree canopy (Figure 2). In the Possible TC category, 5%
(15,066 acres) of the county was classified as Impervious Possible TC and
another 38% was Vegetated Possible TC (121,822 acres).  Vegetated Possible
TC, or grass and shrubs, is more conducive to establishing new tree canopy,
but establishing tree canopy on areas classified as Impervious Possible TC
will have a greater impact on water quality and summer temperatures.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

City Tries Out a Goat Friendly Way to Get Rid of Weeds - Charlottesville, VA

City Tries Out a Goat Friendly Way to Get Rid of Weeds - NBC29 "We are testing to see if the goats are as good at cleaning out invasives and protecting the tree canopy as we can do with manual labor with equipment or possibly with chemicals," said Chris Gensic of Charlottesville Parks and Recreation. The hungry goats are being kept inside an electric fence between the playground and little league field. Along with the fence, two guard dogs stand by their side. The goats are also catching the eye of people using the park. "This is agri-tainment. In addition to earth friendly brush clearing, the goats are about as entertaining an animal as you can watch," said Goodling. The owner of Goat Busters says the goats do produce between 40 and 50 pounds of natural fertilizer each day, which will help rejuvenate the grounds - just watch where you step.

Friday, April 22, 2011

WHATS BLOOMIN’ IN PARADISE?: A gardeners journey Plant Subject: Jacaranda - Sanibel-Captiva, FL

WHATS BLOOMIN’ IN PARADISE?: A gardeners journey Plant Subject: Jacaranda Tree (Jacaranda mimosifolia ) - CaptivaSanibel.com | Island Reporter, Captiva Current, Sanibel-Captiva Islander First impression: Treelike panicles, filled with blue-lilac-ish flowers that remind me of lavender fields on a tree. These small flowers on tall flower stems emerge from the canopy of a large tree and can be seen in masses. Soft green fernlike leaves are wispy and tiny but also numerous on long, tall stems. The trunk is smooth with silvery gray bark. Our tree stands very straight with a canopy that spreads out wide and tall. No detectable scents in the air. So back up, you gotta view this beauty at a distance; we have a very large Jacaranda Tree in that one of a kind color, blooming at the Botanical Gardens of the Sanibel Moorings. Upon further investigation: Jacaranda is pronounced jack-uh-RAN-duh, and is a non native and hails from South America. Our star is the most popular out of 49 different species. It is considered a unique booming tree because of its bluish lavender colored flowers.

Trees vs. sidewalks: A truce - Pottstown, PA

Trees vs. sidewalks: A truce | Philadelphia Inquirer | 04/22/2011

In Pottstown, where I live, the nonprofit Trees Inc. raised nearly half a million dollars in the early 1980s to plant more than 1,500 street trees. Thirty years later, the trees have beautifully transformed the appearance of the downtown area and surrounding neighborhoods. Some now soar over two-story houses and shade entire blocks.
But they have also lifted sidewalks. And we've found that the easiest, most cost-effective way to create safe walking surfaces without removing trees is to replace concrete with asphalt.
Two years ago, as a demonstration project, Trees Inc. replaced severely lifted concrete sidewalks around 15 street trees with asphalt. The wells in which the trees grow were also expanded as much as possible, so few roots had to be pruned. The newly poured asphalt was then coated with a permanent epoxy solution pigmented to blend in with the concrete. Today, the asphalt remains in pristine condition and is almost indistinguishable from the concrete.
Meanwhile, the Pottstown Borough Council passed an ordinance allowing asphalt sidewalks to be used in areas where trees are planted. Replacing lifted concrete with asphalt makes sense, but it makes even more sense to avoid concrete sidewalks in the first place.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

What are trees worth? More than we can imagine - Georgina, CA

YorkRegion Article: Trees are worth more to us than we can imagine

Is the value of a tree measured only by how much lumber can be cut from it?
Sometimes, it takes the loss of a mature tree to make us realize how much we appreciated it before it was cut down.
What value do trees have and how do we measure their worth?
Realtors know the importance of trees. 
Appraised values of residential properties having trees can be as much as 15 per cent more than comparable parcels that are not wooded.
In polls, consumers claim they are willing to pay about 9 to 12 per cent more for products in downtown shopping districts having trees. Customer service, merchant helpfulness and product quality are all judged to be better by shoppers in places with trees.

Urbana celebrates Arbor Day with city tree sales initiative - Urbana, IL

City selling trees

In conjunction with Urbana's observance of Arbor Day on April 29 and to increase tree canopy on the city streets, the Urbana Shade Tree Commission is selling trees that will be planted by city and volunteer crews in May. The cost of each tree is $75, and a short application process is required. Payment will be required upon application approval.

Applications are available on the city's website at www.urbanaohio.com. Click on City Government, then on Boards and Commissions. Applications also can be obtained by contacting Doug Crabill at the city at 652-4305 or grants@ctcn.net. Applications are due by Thursday, May 5.

For $75, a property owner in the city can have a tree planted in the right of way in the front of the home or business. The Lewis B. Moore Fund will supplement the cost of the tree, and the tree will be planted by the city. Once the tree is planted, the tree will become the responsibility of the property owner. This tree will be 1 ½ inches in caliper, and it will be delivered from the nursery in balled and burlapped and/or containerized form.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

A Changing Surface in Fredericksburg; less tree canopy and more impervious surface - Fredericksburg, VA

A Changing Surface in Fredericksburg - Fredericksburg, VA Patch It's getting harder and harder to find a shady spot in Fredericksburg. Over the last 15 years, the city has lost more than a quarter of its tree canopy to development. Residents in Ward 1 have been the most affected by these changes, losing 700 acres of tree canopy and gaining 500 acres in impervious surface area in that time. This according to two studies which looked at urban tree canopy and green infrastructure (forests, parklands and wetlands) in the city and the region.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Public engagement, not laws, found as key to success in implementing ecosystem-based management in watersheds including Chesapeake Bay - Kent State University, OH

OhioLINK ETD: Wilson, Gregory

Ecosystem-Based Management of the Lake Erie Ecosystem: A Survey-Based Approach to Assessment of Management Needs



Ecosystem size was negatively correlated with EBM success. For all ecosystems collectively, the correlation for EBM, positive outcomes and ecosystem condition with increasing ecosystem size was negative. Public engagement to involve diverse stakeholders was found to be a critical success factor to facilitate common understanding of ecosystem characteristics and challenges, generate political pressure and enhance environmental appreciation. There was no significance seen between the presence of a legislative mandate to implement collaborative ecosystem management and positive ecosystem outcomes at either the individual or collective ecosystem level. EBM implementation was positively correlated with positive ecosystem outcomes when the ecosystems were viewed both individually and collectively. This view was shared by all classes of respondents (by area of focus and type of organization) from the five ecosystems collectively. However, this was not true for the Lake Erie ecosystem. Only Watershed respondents (by area of focus) and Government/ Regulatory and Academic respondents (by type of organization) showed this result.

Grand Rapids wins upgrade of its 'Tree City USA' designation by the Arbor Day Foundation - Grand Rapids, MI

Grand Rapids wins upgrade of its 'Tree City USA' designation by the Arbor Day Foundation | MLive.com


The Arbor Day Foundation has given the city its first “Tree City USA Growth Award” in recognition of the advancements the city has made in managing and promoting its urban tree canopy.
The city, which also earned its 13th annual Tree City USA designation, has set a goal of increasing the city's “tree canopy” to 40 percent of the city's land area.
To celebrate the achievement, local tree lovers will plant more than 50 seedlings at Garfield Park on Arbor Day, April 29. Several of the trees and seedlings will be temporarily planted at the park's first urban volunteer tree nursery.
“We commend Grand Rapids' elected officials, volunteers and its citizens for providing vital care for its urban forest,” said John Rosenow, chief executive and founder of the Arbor Day Foundation.
“Trees provide numerous environmental, economic and health benefits to millions of people each day and we applaud communities that makes planting and caring for trees a top priority.”

Minneapolis urban tree canopy tree mapping: How does your neighborhood measure up? - Minneapolis, MN

Minneapolis tree mapping: How does your neighborhood measure up? | The Cities | Minnesota Public Radio
A new tree-mapping study by the University of Minnesota is helping the city of Minneapolis see which parts of the city have the most trees. Nearly a third (31.5 percent) of the land in Minneapolis is tree canopy, and the study says there's room for even more. The study is part of the city's effort to respond to emerald ash borer and other diseases. One interesting part of the project looks at all the city's neighborhoods. Professor Marv Bauer at the U of M Department of Forest Resources sent me the image below. It shows which neighborhoods have the most tree canopy. The most tree-happy neighborhoods are the ones where tree canopy made up between 41 and 60 percent of the land. They are: Cleveland, Folwell, Waite Park, Audubon Park, Willard-Hay, Bryn Mawr, Kenwood, Linden Hills, Fulton, Lynnhurst, Tangletown, Field, Page, Hale, Minnehaha, Hiawatha, Cooper and Howe. The downtown area and some industrial areas had the lowest percentages of tree canopy. UTC stands for "urban tree canopy." (Map of Minneapolis neighborhoods here.)

Monday, April 18, 2011

LiDAR News - LiDAR-based Tree-canopy Mapping for New York City

LiDAR News - LiDAR-based Tree-canopy Mapping for New York City LiDAR-based Tree-canopy Mapping for New York City Written by Sean McFadden    Wednesday, 13 April 2011 In previous articles, my colleague Jarlath O’Neil-Dunne has described the value of high-resolution LiDAR for tree-canopy mapping efforts in urban environments.  Shadows created by buildings can obscure trees in passive-sensor satellite or aerial imagery, making delineation and classification of these features very difficult.  This limitation is especially problematic when mapping “street trees”, so named because they are planted within or adjacent to transportation rights-of-way.  Many cities have begun tree-planting programs that focus on trees in publicly-owned rights-of-way, so it is imperative that street trees be included in any assessment of a municipality’s green infrastructure.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Stimulus funds help create Green Jobs, green parks in Dawson Co, GA

Dawson Co. created jobs by planting trees | AccessNorthGa DAWSONVILLE - Dawson County's Parks will have a new appearance after spring through a project that will not only beautify, but also create jobs. The Dawson County Board of Commissioners received assistance through the Chestatee-Chattahoochee Resource Conservation and Development Council with a partnership and local government to plant 15 new trees throughout the county. The trees are two to three inch diameter trees, so they will have immediate benefits to provide shade for playgrounds, storm water runoff and assist with energy conservation throughout the county. The County used money from the Georgia Forestry Commission's Georgia's Growing Green Program, funded by federal economic stimulus money.

NYC Parks And Yale Univ Celebrate Research Collaboration At Kissena - New York, NY

NYC Parks And Yale Univ Celebrate Research Collaboration At Kissena 2011/04/15 Today, Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe, Alex Felson, Assistant Professor at Yale University's School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, Patrice Kleinberg, Director of Education & Visitor Services at the Queens Botanical Garden and eighth graders from East West School of International Studies in Flushing, celebrated a research and reforestation collaboration between the Parks Department and Yale University at Kissena Corridor Park by planting trees and collecting data on the existing trees that were planted last fall.

Storms push through Washington region, felling trees and knocking out power - The Washington Post

Storms push through Washington region, felling trees and knocking out power - The Washington Post Rain and wind lashed the Washington region Saturday as the dangerous weather system that brought death and destruction elsewhere in the United States pushed through the city and its surroundings. Two or three tornado warnings were issued for portions of the region. By late Saturday, it was not immediately clear whether any actual tornadoes had touched down. However, effects of a powerful storm were everywhere. Trees toppled onto cars and houses, water rose in low-lying areas and electricity was cut off to thousands of homes and businesses. As the storm’s toll in the South was reported, the Washington area was alerted continually about the possibility of tornadoes or the approach of strong thunderstorms. In one urgent warning, residents of part of Carroll County, Md., were told Saturday evening by the National Weather Service to “take cover . . . Move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building . . . Protect yourself from flying debris.” It was not certain that a tornado had touched down in the county, but accounts suggested that a fierce storm had passed through. In one place, a barn was pushed off its foundation and onto Route 27. Many trees were down, officials said.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Writer bemoans diminishing tree canopy - Alamosa, CA

Valley Courier Alamosa Trees - Diminishing tree canopy?

I’m saddened as I walk around town and notice the number of trees that have been cut down recently. Some were older trees; some were interfering with utility lines. I’m alarmed when I see that the homeowners and businesses do not plant new trees. 

When several blocks of North State Street were renovated, several large trees were removed. The City of Alamosa offered to plant new trees, but the landowners declined, according to City Manager Nathan Cherpeski. He mentioned that the houses were rental properties. 

One house on West Street now has only rock and gravel in the front yard. While carefully done, it is barren, with no sign of green or life.

When San Luis Valley Federal Bank cut down 7 large trees in 2009 or 2010, a bank representative told me they were planning to replace them with 12 fruitless crabapples in the spring. Instead, they concreted over the entire north side of the bank along 4th St. and graveled in the east side on Edison. Not a single new tree. 

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

MVHS Ecology Club Spearheads Schoolwide Tree Planting Project - Mount Vernon, VA

MVHS Ecology Club Spearheads Schoolwide Tree Planting Project - Mount Vernon, VA Patch
Students will partner with community members and environmental organizations to help increase urban tree canopy on campus.

Urban birding: a brief history of how the community of interest and practice developed in Bengaluru, India

Citizen Matters, Bangalore: Bengaluru’s birding bio


Birdwatching, or birding, as it is referred to, seems to have become a very popular pastime in Bangalore. In this context, it's interesting to find out just how it's organized and carried out in the city...and I decided to talk to several people who've had more than thirty years of experience in this activity











A team at the HSBC Bird Race. Pic: Deepa Mohan.
There are no "professional" ornithologists, as far as  I can gather, in the city. Most of the experienced birders of Bangalore are those who pursue birding as a weekend or holiday activity. Their professions might or might not be allied to the study of the world of Nature..and in fact, very often become a hindrance to the regular pursuit of birdwatching. 

Monday, April 11, 2011

The Growing Home Campaign gives homeowners in the Baltimore area $10 rebates on tree purchases - Baltimore, MD

Garden Variety: Discount coupons for tree planting - Mid-Atlantic gardening: Tips and pictures on flowers, vegetables, public gardens, composting and farmers’ markets - baltimoresun.com


Though Maryland celebrates it a little early, the official Arbor Day is April 29, a day set aside many years ago to encourage people to plants trees.
The Growing Home Campaign is giving homeowners in Baltimore City, Baltimore County and Harford County a $10 coupon that will be honored in area retail nurseries and garden centers toward the purchase of a tree costing at least $25.
In addition, there is plenty of how-to information on line and in libraries, recreation and parks facilities and senior centers in Baltimore County and the City of Baltimore.
The Growing Home Campaign is an award-winning public-private partnership to encourage homeowners to help increase the tree canopy in our region.

CT DEP kicks off Earth Week with Urban Tree Canopy Cover workshop - Hartford, CT

DEP: UTC Workshop


Workshop for the Start of Earth Week 2011
 
Urban Tree Canopy Cover:
Projects in Hartford and New Haven
The ability to assess the extent and condition of the canopy cover provided by urban trees is fast becoming an important tool to all who are interested in understanding and improving the environment in our cities and towns.  This workshop will provide a fairly simple overview of how urban tree canopy is assessed, followed by a more detailed presentation about how these assessments have proven useful in both Hartford and New Haven. 
All are welcome to attend.
 
April 18, 2011
10 am until 12 noon
 
Coffee, courtesy of the CT Urban Forest Council, will be available at 9:30 am
 
Workshop Location:
The Phoenix Auditorium
CT DEP Headquarters, 5th Floor
79 Elm Street
Hartford, CT 06106

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Storm fells Augusta National magnolia. leaving a gap in iconic drive planted in the 1850s - Augusta, GA

Storm fells Augusta National magnolia | ajc.com


Like practically everything else on the club's 365 acres, the magnolias have a story. They date to the late 1850s, when the property was a nursery and owned by the Belgian nobleman Baron Louis Berckmans. Along both sides of the dirt driveway, Berckmans' son planted magnolia seeds, which had grown into full-sized trees by 1931, when club co-founders Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts first saw the grounds. Because the trees' branches were so long and low to the ground, making it difficult for cars to pass safely, they toyed with moving the main entrance, according to David Owen, author of "The Making of the Masters."
Roberts gave great attention and care to the magnolias and trees on the course, often consulting with forestry professors and reading about tree care. Were he still alive, Roberts likely would be dismayed to hear that magnolias typically have a lifespan of 100 to 150 years, according to Donna Rayfield of the Georgia Arborist Association. Replacements likely wouldn't be too great a problem for Augusta National's honchos.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Toronto's trees, by the numbers - Toronto, Canada

Toronto's trees, by the numbers | OpenFile


At City Council on February 24, no axe fell on Urban Forestry Services. That means that the department responsible for planting, pruning, and maintaining City trees in Toronto can keep moving forward with an ambitious plan to double Toronto's tree canopy—the landscape of the city obscured by branches if you were to look down on it from a plane—from 17 percent to 34 percent by 2050. When asked to explain the strong public support for trees in Toronto, Richard Ubbens, director of urban forestry for Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation, waxes poetic. “It’s the angular, majestic presence that trees have," he tells OpenFile. "They’re like the elephants and whales of the plant kingdom. Majestic, super-complex organizations that you can’t help notice."
When it comes to Toronto trees, there's a lot to take notice of:
10,000,000: the number of trees in the City of Toronto.
100,000: the number of trees planted in Toronto soil each year by municipal workers, an effort augmented by private organizations.
$42.86 million: Urban Forestry Services' gross budget for 2011.
$75,000: the largest fine levied by the City for cutting down a tree on private property. While the City does not plant trees on private property, healthy trees on private property that have a diameter of 30 centimetres or greater, measured at 1.4 metres off the ground, are protected by City bylaws.

Saturday, April 2, 2011

UPDATED: Dan Snyder Never Replanted Trees, Says U.S. Park Service - Montgomery County, MD

UPDATED: Dan Snyder Never Replanted Trees, Says U.S. Park Service - City Desk - Washington City Paper

UPDATED BELOW

Dan Snyder famously went all Paul Bunyan on a big swath of environmentally protected land behind his Potomac residence in 2004.

The National Park Service’s inspector general issued a report in 2006 that said the whole charade started when Snyder decided to add another floor to his already massive abode to house a ballroom. A complaint to the Interior Department says Snyder desired that Mother Nature in no way disrupt his “unobstructed view of the Potomac River.”

When he got permission from the Park Service to add the ballroom, permission which he needed because of an easement on the land, he also got approval to have more than 130 trees out back chopped down. Photos taken above the house that were included in the IG’s report show that Snyder’s handiwork turned the protected lands into an incredible brown eyesore.

All that chopping caused erosion on the hill between the house and the water, and caused a wall on the C&O Canal behind his home to collapse.

In 2005, Snyder settled disputes with Montgomery County and the National Park Service over the cuttings by, according to a report in The Washington Post, agreeing to "replant the deforested land." I read about that settlement recently in the Examiner.

Hidden Elm Population May Hold Genes to Combat Dutch Elm Disease - Washington, DC

Hidden Elm Population May Hold Genes to Combat Dutch Elm Disease / March 30, 2011 / News from the USDA Agricultural Research Service

WASHINGTON—Two U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists may have discovered "the map to El Dorado" for the American elm—a previously hidden population of elms that carry genes for resistance to Dutch elm disease. The disease kills individual branches and eventually the entire tree within one to several years.

It has been accepted for 80 years that American elms (Ulmus americana) are tetraploids, trees with four copies of each chromosome. But there have also been persistent but dismissed rumors of trees that had fewer copies—triploids, which have three copies of chromosomes, or diploids, which have two copies.

Now botanist Alan T. Whittemore and geneticist Richard T. Olsen with USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) have proven beyond question that diploid American elms exist as a subset of elms in the wild. Their findings will be published in the April edition of the American Journal of Botany. Whittemore and Olsen work at the U.S. National Arboretum operated by ARS in Washington, D.C.

Picture a future that doesn't look like this: Urban Forest Project kickoff event to be hosted in tree-less plaza: Tacoma, WA

Come downtown and you shall see a plaza lovely themed of tree | Kits Merryman - The News Tribune

Come downtown and you shall see a plaza lovely themed of tree
The setting is the delicious irony of today’s “Speak for the Trees” Urban Forest Project kickoff.

A banner about urban forestry hangs in Tollefson Plaza in downtown Tacoma. Today, the Urban Forest Project will kick off “Speak for the Trees” here. Many types of artists, including poets, will gather to showcase tree-themed banners and speak about trees.

KATHLEEN MERRYMAN; STAFF WRITER
Published: 04/02/1112:05 am

The setting is the delicious irony of today’s “Speak for the Trees” Urban Forest Project kickoff.

It’s downtown Tacoma’s famously tree-free Tollefson Plaza.

From 1-4 p.m. it will be green to its concrete heart with an Arbor Day celebration featuring poets, artists, arborists, dignitaries – and free saplings.

Poets of all types are invited to compose verses, from the honorable to the humorous, about trees. Tacoma poet laureate emeritus Tammy Robacker will set the example with a poem she’s written for the event.

Chalk troops will enlist artists to imagine and draw an ephemeral forest.

Ash Borer makes it to Terrestrial Terror Final Four as one of greatest land based pest threats to Great Lakes region

Terrestrial Terror Final Four: Emerald ash borer vs. feral swine | Great Lakes Echo

By Alice Rossignol and Rachael Gleason

Editor’s note: Great Lakes SmackDown! Terrestrial Terror is an ongoing Great Lakes Echo series.

The competition has dwindled to the Great Lakes SmackDown! Terrestrial Terror Final Four.

On one side of the bracket, two formidable exotics face off: The emerald ash borer and the feral swine. They’ve both proven to be tough contenders, but which one will invade the finals?

Their fighting skills make it too close to call, so help the Echo judges out. Submit your comments and vote below.