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City forestry staff report 132 street trees to be planted, detail pruning and storm cleanup
Summary
City forestry staff updated the Forestry Advisory Committee on year-to-date operations, saying 132 trees are slated for fall planting, crews completed hundreds of prunings and removals, crews responded to a major storm and watering was conducted about five times this year to support new plantings.
Forestry staff told the Forestry Advisory Committee on Wednesday that 132 trees are scheduled to be planted this fall as part of the department’s routine replacement and new-planting program. "A 132 trees will be planted this fall," the staff member said. The staff member said city crews expect to plant 32 of those trees in-house and to contract out the remainder.
The update summarized other year-to-date work and storm response. The staff member said 864 trees had been pruned this year in total — with 552 pruned in-house and 312 completed by contractors — and that 50 trees had been removed. Stump work reported included 139 in-house removals and four completed by contractors, for a reported total of 143 stump removals. The staff member said crews had completed 246 citizen service requests year to date.
Committee members discussed the department’s drought response and watering. The staff member said crews watered new plantings “probably about 5 times this year” and cited several concentrated watering efforts including about 65 trees at the Troy Road retention area south of Smith Park and plantings at Stratford Park. The staff member said city crews triaged new plantings during the drought to focus resources on the most at-risk sites.
The staff member described the department’s work after a recent storm, saying crews spent "about 6 or 7 full workdays" cleaning roadways and parks and that one park in particular took the brunt of the damage.
Committee members raised questions about how to assess transplant survival vs. late-season dieback, and the staff member said some species show bud health that helps determine whether trees will re-leaf in spring. Members also discussed longer-term survival risks for newly planted street trees and the role of follow-up watering and monitoring.
No formal committee vote or policy decision on these operational items was recorded during the discussion; staff presented the report and committee members asked questions and offered suggestions.
The committee is scheduled to meet again in November; staff said they expect to continue tracking survival of the current year’s plantings and to report back on any changes to planting lists or contractor arrangements.
