City Trees is a premier publication focused on urban + community forestry. In each issue, you’ll learn how to best manage the trees in your community and more!
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/26931
Many people only talk about the impact that EAB will have on our urban forest, but the budgetary impact must be considered. One tool that proved to be invalu- able was an up-to-date tree inventory. Prior to the arrival of EAB, we were able to accurately predict the cost because we knew how many ash trees we had, their location, and size. Now that we are in the replanting phase, I can easily generate reports or maps to justify increased expenditures for purchasing and maintain- ing trees. Now more than ever, policy makers demand accurate cost estimates and thorough justifications. Detailed and current data will continue to prove its value as we all fight funding constraints. In my former position I was diligently working to update and revise the City’s tree ordinance in preparation for EAB. Fortunately, when I arrived in Adrian I found the ordinances had been thoughtfully developed and kept current. One issue that I am faced with now is the numerous dead ash trees on private property. Most property owners understand the associated hazards with a dead tree and have either removed them or they are planning on removing them. There will always be a small percentage that either don’t have the means to have a tree removed or simply don’t care. This is when a tree hazard ordinance can play a major role in public safety. Not every community will tolerate the local government having authority to abate hazard trees on private property, but it is important as forest managers to understand the expectations of the com- munities we serve. The final and most important lessons that I have learned are that no matter how hard we try, we will not be effective managers by ourselves and that we must become better educators. Even though it often feels like we are alone in our fight to protect and maintain our urban forest, there are an amazing number of part- nerships and relationships we can build to make us more effective. There are numerous organizations that provide valuable training and opportunities to develop relationships with other forest managers. I have never come across a city or state forester that is unwilling to help his or her fellow foresters develop solutions to the problems we all face. Also, we must never forget that a key aspect of being an urban forester is educating the public. It is easy to forget that most people haven’t been exposed to basic forestry principles, such as bio- diversity. Most of us spend countless hours educating ourselves on new varieties of trees, new pesticides, new gadgets, and new techniques, but how many of us take the time to share what we know? As budgets get tighter and demands for our services grow, we must do a better job of sharing our knowledge. We will never find better advocates of urban forestry than well-informed community members. —Justin Combs, Superintendent of Parks and Forestry, Adrian, Michigan I n the summer of 2002, trees in our city started sprouting leaves from the trunk and dying from the top. During a routine inspection by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, the first warning bells sounded in Windsor, Ontario, located across from Detroit, Michigan, and the first city in Canada to identify the Emerald Ash Borer. The EAB was new to North America, a visitor from the Far East, and there was little information available. Consequently, the forestry staff in the City of Windsor was forced to take a “wait and see” approach while the infestation grew to an epidemic. We had ongo- ing discussions with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (the federal agency responsible for plant pro- tection), the Canadian Forest Service, and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources–but ultimately, we had to develop a made-in-Windsor solution, using City resources and staff. Eight years have passed since the EAB arrived. Windsor has lost 6500 street trees, most of the ash trees in the city, except for blue ash (Fraxinus quadrangulata), which is showing some resistance. Looking back, we have learned a number of valuable lessons. First, never underestimate a new invasive insect or disease. From the beginning, we thought that there would be some sort of balance reached between the EAB and the City’s ash trees. To date, this has not www.urban-forestry.com 35