urban forestry at 5,280 feet
TRANSCRIPT
Urban Forestry at 5,280 Feet
Partners in Community Forestry ConferenceNovember 18-19, 2015
Denver, CO
Rob DavisCity Forester
City & County of Denver
Keith WoodCommunity Forestry Program
ManagerColorado State Forest Service
Part 1: State Perspective
MythBusters Colorado!Welcome to Colorado!
Not everyone in Colorado has a Subaru and dog
Myth #1
They might have a pickup truck… …and a dog
…Or a mountain bike…and a dog
…Or just simply…a dog
Not everyone hikes and skis our beautiful mountains
Myth #2
Some like to visit our pinyon-juniper woodlands in Southwest Colorado
…and while there “stand” in 4 different States at once
Some like the dry canyon lands of SE Colorado where wavyleaf oaks, netleaf hackberries and western soapberry trees grow
…and let’s not forget the Great Plains in northeast Colorado and the value of our plains and lanceleaf cottonwood trees to that ecosystem
Not everyone has a corner micro/craft brewery in their neighborhood
Myth #3
How about the fruit orchards on Colorado’s western slope
This is not Colorado’s new State Tree
Myth #4
It’s still the majestic Colorado Blue Spruce
And let’s give honorable mention to quaking aspen
It doesn’t always snow here
Myth #5
We give equal opportunity to natural disasters of all types such as fires, floods, and tornadoes.
…all the while being on the verge of drought.
And not to forget we are the western most State to have
detected EAB.
It can be challenging to grow our urban tree canopies!
Colorado has a diversity of culture, climate and communities!
Take for example some of our 95 Tree City USA communites…Our oldest (Ft. Collins and CO Springs) to our largest (Denver), and smallest (Campo) to 25 year Growth Award recipient (Durango)
DENVERDURANGO
Although quite different and unique these communities have something in common…be it a Mountain Valley town, Eastern Plains community, a Front Range City or a dot on the map on our West Slope…these forests have been for the most part created, cared-for and valued by people. People coming together to create a better quality of life where they live, work and play!
Partnerships!
Front Range Urban Forestry Council and the Colorado Tree Coalition
(FRUFC & CTC)
Ralph Campbell
Phil Hoefer
Vince Urbina
Talented City Foresters, Urban Forestry Technicians, Consultants and Arborists!
ORGANIZATION NAMEArvada Craig HillegassAspen Ben CarlsenAurora John Wesolowski
Berthoud Ryan WakeleyBoulder Kathleen Alexander
Boulder County Cathy ThiltgenBow Mar Pat HoffmanBow Mar Karen ReutzelBrighton Kyle Sylvester
Broomfield Tom WellsCanon City Rex Brady
Castle Pines North MD Craig MillerCentennial Sheri ChadwickCheyenne Lisa OlsonCheyenne Mark Ellison
Cherry Hills Village Ryan BerninzoniColorado Springs Jay HeinColumbine Valley Pete GrimmCommerce City Tony Jaramillo
Denver City Forester Robert DavisDenver-Parks Michael Swanson
Denver-Million Trees Initiative Sara DavisDenver-Zoo Jamen WeberEdgewater Dan MaplesEnglewood Dave Lee
Erie Mike McGillEstes Park Brian Berg
EvansFederal Heights Carol WrightFoothills PRD Bill KieckFort Collins Tim BuchananGlendale Jody YonkeGolden David HighGreeley Shiloh Hatcher
Greenwood Village Kurt NielsenHighlands Ranch Dennis DonovanHyland Hills PRD Rush CalkinsJefferson County Greg VowelsKen-Caryl Ranch Allen Rogers
Lafayette Monte StevensonLakeside Robert GordanierLakewood John Dzialo
Larimer County Dave LentzLittleton David Flaig
Liverpool MD Cathy MitchellLone Tree Seth HoffmanLone Tree Julius ZsakoLongmont Ken WicklundLouisville Chris LichtyLoveland Rob MacDonald
Lyons Mike HarrisMilliken Josh Roseberry
Mountain View Eugene BarnesNorthglenn Joel Szymanski
Parker Erik StadsvoldPleasant View Metro District Stewart McAlister
Pueblo Mike SextonSeverance John HoldrenSheridan
South Suburban Greg HoweSuperior Matt RarickThornton Lynn Lathrop
Westminster John KaszaWheat Ridge Margaret Paget
Windsor Ken Kawamura
Partner Examples (Some of Which You Can Get More
Familiar With Over the Next Couple Days)
• Non Profit Groups such as The Park People (Denver Digs Trees), Trees, Water & People, and Plant-It 2020
• Private Sector (Xcel Energy, Colorado Public Radio)
• UWP (EPA, CDPHE, DEH, Water Providers, NGO’s)
• EAB (APHIS, CDA, CSU Extension)
• FR Recommended Tree List and the Ash Tree Replacement List and Species Diversity Guide (Landscape Architects, Nurserymen, Arborists)
Urban Forestry at 5,280 Feet
Partners in Community Forestry ConferenceNovember 18-19, 2015
Denver, CO
Rob DavisCity Forester
City & County of Denver
Keith WoodCommunity Forestry Program
ManagerColorado State Forest Service
Part 2: City Perspective
Denver’s Urban Forest1890-1910
Photos Courtesy of Denver Public Library
Mayor Speer’s Tree Day 1909-1912
Photos Courtesy of Denver Public Library
Speer’s Tree Day1911
Photos Courtesy of Denver Public Library
Speer’s Tree Day110,000 Free Shade Trees
Photos Courtesy of Denver Public Library
Denver Municipal Code1906
– Hire a City Forester– Inspection of trees– Permitting – Hitching horses to trees– Interference or damage to trees– Insect and disease monitoring– Requiring planting of street trees– Duty of maintenance
American ElmsLiving Connection to Denver History
18971915
American ElmsLiving Connection to Denver History
City BeautifulCity Park
Photos Courtesy of Denver Public Library
City BeautifulCity Park
Photos Courtesy of Denver Public Library
City BeautifulCheesman Park
Photos Courtesy of Denver Public Library
Cheesman Park (Cyrus McCrimmon, The Denver Post)
City BeautifulCheesman Park
Photos Courtesy of Denver Public Library
City BeautifulCivic Center
CityParksBlog
Photos Courtesy of the Denver Post
City BeautifulDenver Mountain Parks
Photos Courtesy of Denver Public Library
City BeautifulDenver Mountain Parks
City BeautifulParkways
Photos Courtesy of Denver Public Library
Denver Today“It’s easier to love a place that is beautiful”
A City in a ParkCanopy Goals
Game Plan street tree performance goal• Provide a tree-canopy cover of 15 percent to 18
percent in urban residential areas and 10 percent in the central business district by 2025.
Photo by Matthew Santomarco
2013 Metro DenverUrban Forest Assessment
Understanding Value and ServicesDenver and Metro-wide
Denver Only• 2.2 million trees• Asset value of $2.9B• $122 million in annual benefit
– $95M property value– $18M storm water– $6M summer cooling– $530K CO2 storage
Metro Wide Benefits
Maximizing BenefitsHotspots and Plantable Spaces
PartnershipsThe People
PartnershipsThe Park People / Denver Digs
PartnershipsThe Park People / Community Foresters
PartnershipsThe Park People / Mile High Tree Champions
PartnershipsDenver Public Schools
PartnershipsDowntown Denver Partnership
PartnershipsProfessional Sports
PartnershipsNurseries
PartnershipsDenver Zoo
Photos Courtesy of the Denver Zoo
1921 Rendering of Bear Mountain
PartnershipsDenver Botanic Gardens
PartnershipsLandscape Architects and Planners
PartnershipsLicensed Contractors
PartnershipsKeeping Streets Safe
Photos Courtesy of Denver Public Library
PartnershipsPublic Works
PartnershipsEnvironmental Health
PartnershipsCommunity Planning and Development
PartnershipsCommunity Planning and Development
PartnershipsCommunity Planning and Development
PartnershipsParks and Mountain Parks
PartnershipsDenver Parks
PartnershipsBudget Management Office
• Forestry total budget– 2015 $3.7M– 2016 $6.7M (EAB expansion $2.9M)
• 81% increase
PartnershipsDenver Forestry
PartnershipsDenver City Council
PartnershipsAppointees
PartnershipsThe Mayor’s Office
Full park system inventory - 76K trees•Street trees in process - ~190K trees•10 new forestry staff members in 2 years•Aggressive and proactive EAB program
– $1M for treatments annually – $1M for proactive planting annually– $250K for outreach and education annually
Boulder EAB Infestation; Found September 2013= Grids Confirmed as Infested = Street and Park Ash Trees
Emerald Ash Borer Denver’s Plans
• Publicly maintained trees – 76K trees with 6K ash trees
Emerald Ash Borer Denver’s Plans
• Privately maintained public right-of-way trees – ~190K trees with ~25K ash
Emerald Ash Borer Denver’s Plans
• Privately maintained right-of-way trees– Inventory in progress
• 45% complete• 15% increase in street trees• 72% increase in ash
– Projecting towards 25K ash trees– Capturing basic private data– 9 year treatment plan
- Publicly Maintained Trees
- Public Right-of-way Trees
- Public Right-of-way Ash
Emerald Ash Borer Denver’s Plans
• Private property trees – ~1.9M trees with ~290K ash – Education is key with estimated 36K parcels with private ash
trees
Emerald Ash Borer Denver’s Plans
Denver – the right place at the right time
Thank you and have a great conference!
Rob Davis – Denver City [email protected]
Keith Wood – Colorado Community Forestry [email protected]