Matteo Fennell, Community Forestry Coordinator for Athens-Clarke County, told a meeting that air spading — using compressed air to restore pore space in compacted soil — can help downtown trees survive and extend their lives.

"The number 1 thing that kills trees is water stress," Fennell said, explaining that repeated car and foot traffic compacts soil and squeezes out the pore space trees need to take in water. He said air spading reverses that compaction to allow roots to receive moisture and oxygen.

Fennell described the technique in practical terms, saying air spading uses highly compressed air to recreate pore space so roots can take in water. He said the county aims to preserve trees already in the ground because when a planted tree dies before reaching maturity, "that's a really large investment that's been lost," and replanting requires renewing that expense.

"When we aerospade, we can give trees decades, if not centuries, added on to their life," Fennell said, framing the work as a long-term strategy to maintain canopy, provide shade and reduce energy costs. He also characterized the work as "a considerable investment" and did not provide cost figures or a schedule in the remarks recorded in the transcript.

No formal motions, votes or funding amounts were recorded in the transcript excerpt provided; the remarks were informational and focused on the technique and its benefits.