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Parks staff report: volunteers removed 403 tons of trash in 2024; tree crews finish fire removals, planting program continues
Summary
Parks and Street Tree Division staff reported volunteer hours, park ranger activity, donations for Caper Acres, and completion of a round of fire‑related tree removals; staff described continued tree-planting grants and forthcoming street and park tree projects.
City parks staff gave updates on volunteer activity, park-ranger enforcement and street-tree work at the March 3 Parks Commission meeting.
Shane Romain, Parks Division, reported that volunteers contributed 19,092 hours in 2024 across city parks and greenways, which the department estimated as roughly $740,000 in contributed labor. Staff also reported removing 403 tons of trash from city properties and parks last year. Romain said park rangers responded to 80 calls for service in January, made no citations that month and were involved in eight arrests; the department expects a third park ranger to complete field training in mid-May if no extensions are required.
Romain and staff also discussed donations to Caper Acres (the children’s play area): the department reported receiving a $50,000 donation toward rehabilitation of Caper Acres, a separate $10,000 contribution from the Discovery Shop for fence construction, and a $100,000 anonymous gift toward fence work. Parks staff said those funds are earmarked for the renovation project.
Street Tree Division staff reported on post-fire work: contractor Firestorm and city crews completed a removal project that eliminated 125 trees most impacted by the Park Fire. The division said it is taking a conservative approach to removals—removing trees that are unlikely to survive while monitoring others for recovery—and that additional removals may be needed as assessment continues. The division is also carrying out a grant-funded tree-planting program tied to a CAL FIRE grant aimed at planting up to 1,000 trees; staff reported about 930 trees planted to date and said the team will make a final planting push before the grant ends in March.
Street Tree staff described other planned work including larger removals and replanting along Park Avenue ahead of a Caltrans-funded bike-trail project, and upcoming end-weight reduction pruning along Peterson Drive tied to safety and reconstruction work. Staff also described a pilot fruit-tree gleaning with Chico State climate-action ambassadors that collected roughly 200 pounds of fruit for the Wildcat Food Pantry.
Commissioners asked how trash figures account for encampment impacts; staff said community cleanups include debris from encampment enforcement and that trash tonnages have fallen as encampments have been reduced in some park areas. No formal actions were taken; the item was a verbal report.
