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Urban forester reports year‑end risk work; nine high‑risk trees remain under watch
Summary
Haskell Smith, urban forester, reported year‑end activity: of 47 high‑risk trees identified earlier in the year, staff removed or addressed most and nine remain but were reassessed to a lower risk; the department reported pruning, removals, plantings and inspections as part of a larger inventory effort.
Haskell Smith, Bloomington's urban forester, presented his fourth‑quarter risk report and year‑end tree work to the parks board.
Smith said he identified 47 high‑risk trees at the start of the year and staff removed or otherwise addressed most of them; nine trees remain on the list but have been reassessed to a lower risk rating following inspections. He reported the department completed thousands of inspections and many pruning, removal and planting actions during the year and said staff added approximately 1,300 trees to the inventory. Smith described continued staffing constraints as a factor in his team's capacity to address all issues and said the department works toward a 10‑year pruning and evaluation cycle.
Board members thanked Smith for the work and noted a heavy volume of public inquiries: Smith said he had received nearly 5,000 emails and more than 1,000 phone calls. Smith framed the year's progress as addressing roughly 30% of the city's inventory over the year and said additional staffing and time will be necessary to expand inspections and risk assessments.
The board received the report and moved on to remaining items and announcements.
