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/75614
Partners Updates State Coordinators Tree Inventories for South Dakota's Community Forests by Tiffany Arp, South Dakota Community Forestry Specialist Community forest in Pierre, South Dakota • Photo Courtesy SD Division of Resource Conservation & Forestry When you think of South Dakota, you likely think of the State's open rolling prairies and of Mount Rushmore and the Badlands. Other than her ponderosa-pine-covered Black Hills, you'd be surprised if this Plains state has any trees at all. The truth is South Dakota has a vast network of community forests that stretch from north to south and east to west. With high prairie winds that sweep across our state, South Dakotans understand the need for trees to protect our communities and other natural resources. Many can remember or have heard stories of The Dirty Thirties, aka The Dust Bowl, when prevailing winds, extensive droughts, and little vegetation anchoring soils in place meant that our soils were carried as far east as the Atlantic Ocean. These hard times led to a new respect for trees in the West. Many prairie states began massive tree planting efforts aimed at anchoring soils and slowing winds. Farmers and ranchers used trees to protect crops, live- stock, and homesteads. Cities planted trees within the towns to protect their homes and businesses, giving root to community forestry in South Dakota. Since the Dirty Thirties, much progress has been made in our community forests, which expanded as commu- 14 nities grew. We now understand they provide us more benefits than our forefathers could have ever imagined. Many of our communities realize the importance of community forest inventories and maintenance plans. The South Dakota Department of Agriculture (SDDA), Division of Resource Conservation and Forestry (RCF), has been tasked with assisting South Dakota communi- ties with the care of this resource. With the amount of media attention on high-profile insects and diseases, acquiring and maintaining up-to- date inventories is critical. These inventories help local officials target areas that could be attacked by a par- ticular pest and identify those areas to receive special attention to minimize risk. Street tree inventories provide critical data and are the first step in actively managing the community tree resource. To help our communities do this, RCF has cre- ated three inventory kits for communities to complete their own community tree inventory. Each inventory kit has five handheld data recorders (3 i-PAQs and 2 Juno SB units), a Garmin GPS, diameter tape, and clinometer. Each of the handheld units has a copy of TreeWorksTM Inventory Software installed. Communities can check these kits out for as long as they need. We also provide training and workshops for volunteers on tree identifi- City Trees