Urban Tree Programs
The Findlay Courier of Tuesday, May 28, 2002 provides much of the material for this week’s article. Eighty per cent of Page A3 was written by their staff writer, Lou Winlin, and his two articles were City Going Out on a Limb and Other Ohio Cities Employ Tree Specialists.
Their Shade Tree Commission Report states: “The City of Findlay has been lucky thus far that there has not been a human fatality or serious injury as a result of negligent tree care.”
Their Shade Tree Commission had recommended a year ago that the city hire a new full-time forester. Whereupon one City Council member asked, “Is there enough work out there?”
Winlin writes about several fiascos such as the erroneous removal of trees and the invasion of gypsy moths and many ailing old trees. Apparently Findlay spends its budget of $6,400 with a private forester who removes trees after complaints have been lodged. Some on the City Council and the City Director want to start out with a part-time forester and gradually increase the job to a full-time position.
Urban Forester Stephanie Miller of the Ohio Division of Forestry serves as a forestry consultant for 19 northwest Ohio counties and has her office in Findlay. She stated that Findlay could staff a department for a city of this size. She says that the situation is urgent.
Miller describes some catastrophic events that have occurred in other cities, and she believes under the present conditions that they could happen in Findlay.
Just as in Tiffin, Findlay’s streets are lined with mostly old soft-wood silver maples. “Worse still, foresters say a popular trimming practice - “topping” – actually makes trees more likely to fall or lose large limbs in a storm. Foresters define topping as drastic, indiscriminate cutting of branches, usually those near the top. It means, making large diameter cuts which stress a tree and often cause spreading decay. Untrained observers can be fooled, however. Topping can sprout new green growth that hides the problem.”
Miller and Siam, the contract forester, believe that the cost of a full time forester would be mostly offset by savings on cleanup costs for tree damage after storms. According to Winlin, other nearby cities with full time forestry programs have estimated a potential saving from $30,000 - $50,000 per year.
Winlin describes the situation of some nearby cities of similar or smaller size that have formal programs for removing, trimming, and planting trees.
Ashland (21,249) has two arborists and a laborer. Two or three more workers are engaged each summer. The Park Department has another seven employees.
The park manager of Upper Sandusky (6,533) has five full-time workers and one part-time. They are responsible for care of their trees.
Don Snyder, the urban forester of Grove City (27,075) contracts for planting, removals, and larger tree-trimming jobs. Their commission helps with tree pruning. Snyder examines each tree once a year. Their tree management is part of its public works-street department.
Sandusky (27,844) has had a forester since the 1940’s. Mike Pisarsky, the city’s park director has 15 full-time employees. Four of them work full-time with their trees. The remove or plant an estimated 200 – 250 trees each year and trim about 1,200. Each tree is examined or trimmed about every five years.
The situation in Tiffin (18,135) was highlighted with a large colored picture of our city arborist, Lowell Hetzel, in the Findlay Courier. He was removing large branches off a tree on West Perry street which was coming down because of the replacement of sidewalks.
Lowell, employed since 1995 in our Public Works Department, spends most of his time with the trees. Another employee helps Lowell about 80% of his time, and a third worker assists at times.
Hetzel and Mayor Bernard Hohman were quoted: “The program is saving Tiffin the expense of tree removals and damage cleanup after storms.”
Tiffin’s Shade Tree and Beautification Commission was established many years ago as a volunteer organization to provide guidance and recommendations to the Mayor and City Director. It had no budget and its early members used some of their own money and many hours of personal time to improve the situation.
About 10 – 11 years ago under the leadership of then mayor, David Martien, money was allocated to have a professional tree service inventory all the city trees along the streets and in the parks. A formal program of tree removal and planting was established. A budged allowed for the removal of hundreds of dead and dying trees. Perhaps more than 2,000 new trees have been planted
With the continued leadership of Mayor Hohman and City Director Stephens and a very helpful city council, Tiffin’s Urban Forestry Program is something that should fill us with pride.
We no longer see major damage or exhaustive cleanup after major storms. In place of the old ailing silver maples, we see a great variety of newly planted trees. Trees are selected according to the size and qualifications of the site. The future looks green and bright if we can continue in the same path.
The spotlight for the past week in Tiffin is on the Japanese Ivory Silk Lilac. This beautiful small tree has large clusters of creamy flowers. Recent plantings by the city may be seen at the intersection of South Monroe – East Market Streets and on the east side of 125-145 Sycamore Street. An older plantings can be seen on the west side of North Washington Street about halfway from the river to Sixes Corner. There is also a Japanese Ivory Silk Lilac at 110 Mohawk Street.
– Percy