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Board tackles mulch next steps, irrigation gaps and urban forest inventory after public concerns
Summary
Public commenters and board members raised concerns about mulch piled against tree trunks, dry plantings and irrigation mapping; volunteer Chris Epler offered low-cost chip sources (chipdrop.com) and staff said a small matching grant is being pursued to inventory the urban forest.
At the April 23 meeting in Crescent City, the Tree Garden Board addressed several maintenance and canopy-management items after public comment flagged mulch piled against camellia trunks and stressed watering needs for sun-exposed plantings.
A resident said mulch placed at Arbor Bay remained "right up against the trunks," which can harm trees, and asked staff to correct the placement and prioritize watering of azaleas and camellias in full sun. The staff member responded that crews are watering new and vulnerable trees and that she would have staff check the mulch and pull it back where it touches trunks.
Volunteer Chris Epler offered practical, low-cost options for obtaining wood chips and mulch: "One of them is chipdrop.com, which potentially... you can tip a maximum, I think, of $70, and they give you a 40-yard dump truck of wood chips," he said, adding that coordinating volunteers to spread a large donated load could greatly reduce costs.
Board and staff members also discussed soil compaction under mature oaks and the tradeoffs of mulch versus restricting vehicle access. For the Heritage Oak at Sunrise Park they noted past compaction measurements and said measures such as railroad ties or keeping vehicles away from the drip line had been used. Staff said the city is pursuing a small matching grant to produce an urban forest inventory and has contracted an arborist to map where canopy work is needed; public works has been asked to price a week-long chipper rental so the city can process prunings into mulch locally.
The board agreed to follow up: staff will inspect mulch placement, catalogue irrigation heads at key parks and return with cost estimates for chipper rental and for any targeted maintenance recommended by the contracted arborist.
