The Tiffin Shade Tree and Beautification Commission was established in 1973. As would be expected, there was little budget and most of the new plantings happened with volunteer help. Only the dead, dying, or dangerous trees were removed.
About 16 years ago, plans were formalized for a more rapid improvement in the situation and the budget was increased. This resulted in Tiffin being included as a member of Tree City, USA. For 14 consecutive years Tiffin has been so recognired and expects to receive positive word on May 7 for 1996. To be a member of Tree City, USA, the city has to spend one dollar per person each year, have a formal plan for new plantings, and provide proper care of the existing trees.
Over the years, the duties and obligations of the Commission has been established by various ordinances of the City Council. They are summarized as follows:
1. Jurisdiction over the planting, removal and trimming of trees in the city tree lawn area along streets and boulevards.
2. Removal of trees or trimming of trees in the tree lawn is to be approved by the Tree Commission with the exception of emergency conditions resulting from storms.
3. Private removal, trimming, or planting of tree-lawn trees requires a permit from the Safety-Service Director (City Administrator Wayne Stevens). Generally, the Safety Service Director will ask the Tree Commission to evaluate the situation and recommend approval or disapproval of the permit.
4. Guidelines for proper trimming, pruning, and removal of deadwood are those established by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry.
The size of the city tree lawn varies depending on the size of the street and other factors. The right of way for most residental streets is 60 feet wide. The street may not be exactly in the center of the right of way. Recognizing the benefits trees provide to the qualily of life, air pollution reduction, energy conservation, and global warming mitigation, and the need to manage these valuable resources, the City of Tiffin contracted with ACRT to conduct an urban forest inventory and develop a management plan.
Douglas Wade, an urban forester, did most of the work in 1995 and a Tree inventory Report and Management Plan from the Environmental Specialists, ACRT, was submitted in September, 1995.
All 6,117 city lawn trees and 1,142 city park trees were examined, evaluated, identified, and mapped as to location. A value of $8,458,000 was given for the city trees and $1,112,000 for the park trees.
Recommendations included the immediate removal of 46 trees in 1995 and removal of about 100 damaged and dying trees that were over 30 inches in diameter for 1996. For 1997, 100 more in the 26-30 inch range which are in poor condition are to be removed. Before any trees are removed, Lowell Hetzel, a city employee in training to be a certified urban forester, will examine them and varify their condition.
For 1997, 207 trees have been ordered and another fifty from the city tree nursery are to be planted. Every location of their planting has been determined by the Tree Commission. Appropriate species are selected for each site, and, as a general rule, the owner of the adjacent property is notified and permission received. The Shade Tree and Beautification Commission, an all volunteer organization, is trying to do the best it can.
We have lots to be proud of in our city, and why not have Tiffin become known in Ohio for its outstanding beautiful urban forest?
-- Percy