2006 Boise Community Forestry Report Card completed January 2015

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1 2006 Boise ommunity Forestry Report ard completed January 2015 In 2006, as part of Boise s last 10-year ommunity Forest Management Plan, the Les Bois Tree Task Force developed 23 Top Priority Recommendations. The status of these recommendations was evaluated by the ommunity Forestry staff in 2015 and further categorized by the Management Plan Team in order to create this 2006 Report ard. Status Key: = ; N = Not ; = partially complete; NA = Not applicable or outdated REOMMENDATION STATUS OMMENT PLANTING 5. Increase the required 1:1 ratio for tree replacement : removal and encourage additional tree planting in ROW. Strive to reach a planting ratio of 2-3 plantings : removals. Encourage adjacent property owners to plant trees beyond the minimum requirement. 19. ontinue with and expand on Park property tree replacement and new planting to maximize tree canopy coverage. Increase our estimated tree canopy land cover to 23,047 acres (33%). 23. Partner with local nurseries for contract growing using alternative funding. Monitor and evaluate cost savings and species quality. N The average replacement:removal ratio is currently 1.6:1. There are hopes that the Neighborwoods project will help increase this number, but sufficient planting space and lack of basic landscape care in the ROW still reduces the ability to significantly expand tree planting. anopy coverage is increasing, but a long way from 33%. While park planting has expanded, it is limited by various uses of park sites and expansion of gray infrastructure in parks. Two important notes: (1) the 2013 treasure valley urban tree canopy assessment indicates the ity of Boise has approx. 16% canopy cover and tree canopy in parks (not including open space) is at 28%); (2) the desired 23,047 acres of tree land cover in parks from the 2006 management plan may be in error, i.e. the 2011 omprehensive Parks and Recreation Plan documents more than 1,397 acres of green parks, neighborhood pathways, road ROW, and 4,380 acres of open space maintained by the Department. Staff opted to focus the city-owned unningham Tree Nursery on growing species not commonly found in retail. More commonly found species can easily be purchased at local retail or regional wholesale nurseries Boise ommunity Forestry Report ard (d Jan 2015) 1

2 MAINTENANE 1. Fund contract services to respond to hazardous tree removal and maintain, at a minimum, the current 7-8 yr hazard reduction pruning cycle by increasing contract budget $50,000 / yr from general fund for FY Thereafter provide annual increases in contract funding to maintain resources required for tree removal and pruning. 20. Provide control of Elm Leaf Beetle to meet the threshold for treatment of no more than 25% infestation in a tree. EDUATION & OUTREAH 2. Expand Tree Steward Program to assist staff with additional workload. This group could be expanded by people in 1 additional staff is in-place to oversee the program 3. Hire 1 additional staff or convert 1 existing staff member to oversee educational outreach programs, Tree Stewards Program, volunteer groups and the program website. 12. Provide additional educational classes to various groups and professionals. onduct tree classes including: various nurseries and green industry businesses, on the web, various trade schools and high schools, botanical gardens. We are unsure if the annual increases are automatically in-place to maintain the necessary resources. Effective monitoring and treatment methods have resulted in effective elm leaf beetle control. With new disease and pest resistant varieties, we anticipate elm tree populations to increase in the future. This is a very successful program. One staff person works with the Tree Stewards in addition to other management duties. More than 25 tree stewards assist periodically with pruning, neighborhood plantings, etc.; however they don t necessarily reduce staff workloads. No staff was added to oversee this program. No additional staff have been added to the Forestry Program. Education and outreach programs are managed by several staff within Forestry and the Parks Department, including: all forestry staff, in addition to other duties assigned, oversee various outreach programs including the Tree Stewards Program; the Parks Department Volunteer oordinator handles administration of volunteer programs; Forestry staff works with Parks Department Public Information Officer (PIO) to improve the program website and outreach for programs. Forestry s annual tree/landscape care classes, offered in early spring each year, have been highly successful Boise ommunity Forestry Report ard (d Jan 2015)

3 13. Determine best practices for the coexistence of grasses and trees. PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT 14. Work with Boise ity Planning and Development Services (PDS), developers and neighborhoods to create street planting along private property behind public ROW (using class II or III trees). 18. Develop, implement and enforce a Boise ity Landscape Ordinance for existing and new site development. 22. reate a process with Boise PDS in which ommunity Forestry is notified of impending development projects at the earliest opportunity; ideally well before the design review application is submitted. This will provide Forestry with a chance to assure greater protection of existing trees on public ROW and private property, and incorporate additional space for new tree planting. NEIGHBORHOODS 6. Work with the North End and East End Neighborhood Associations to develop Neighborhood specific planting plans, including replacement trees in parkways which encourage planting of large stature trees. reate recommendations that address tree diversity, parkway limitations, homeowners education and increase canopy coverage. These plans should be completed and adopted by the end of N Appropriate watering regimes and conservation efforts for trees versus turf in parks continues to be a challenge. The Neighborwoods Program, implemented in 2013 using data and tools provided by the Treasure Valley Urban Tree anopy (UT) Assessment, is an important start to accomplishing this goal. To-date 60 new street trees were planted in 2013 and the program is anticipated to continue. ommunity Forestry was instrumental in development and implementation of Boise s landscape ordinance, which was drafted into law in Effective enforcement of this ordinance could be improved. Developers and architects often consult Forestry prior to beginning development plans. Unfortunately, Forestry staff is often consulted through the design review process after the process has begun and layout has been mostly decided. There are not any specific plans in-place, but staff is implementing this practice effectively Boise ommunity Forestry Report ard (d Jan 2015) 3

4 DOWNTOWN 10. Work with apital ity Development orporation (D) and Downtown Business Association (DBA) and property owners/tenants to create a downtown core tree planting plan. reate a mapped layout identifying proposed species for all block faces in planned areas. The plan will be adopted by the end of 2006 and shall consider: tree diversity, maintenance limitations, microclimate constraints, aesthetics, business concerns. 11. In cooperation with D and DBA, create a comprehensive maintenance strategy for the downtown tree plan, to include: periodic widening of tree grates to provide trunk clearance, annual pruning plan for volunteer Tree Stewards, control management of tree pests and diseases, periodic inspection and maintenance of automated irrigation systems, adjustments or removal of lighting strung in street trees. 21. reate a comprehensive education strategy aimed at downtown property owners, tenants and developers. Education to include annual tree education seminars, regular communication through distribution of educational brochures or newsletters in cooperation with D and DBA. reate a short brochure for owners and tenants covering tree related issues such as planting, maintenance and removal. Investigate grant funding or cost-sharing to complete printing materials. STREETS 4. Require all new and reinvestment development provide a minimum 8-foot wide irrigated space for right-of-way (ROW) tree planting, void of buried utility conflicts. Work with Ada ounty Highway District (AHD) and Utility ompanies to place underground utilities in a way that frees up ROW planting space. Staff has a semi-formalized planting plan, but there is no collaborative and formalized planting plan in-place with downtown stakeholders. There have been discussions with partners, but no formalized strategy has been developed for the downtown street trees. There have been discussions and an effort to create a tree care brochure for downtown business owners in cooperation with D; however a comprehensive strategy has not been developed. A change in management and maintenance of downtown trees is a priority for the ity of Boise and downtown business owners/tenants. Minimum 8 wide strips are identified as best practice for lass II shade tree planting; however this has not been adopted as a requirement for development. There however is recent interest in greater greenspace requirements for development Boise ommunity Forestry Report ard (d Jan 2015)

5 7. Develop incentives for planting lass III trees in parkway planting sites where parkway widths are sufficient. 8. When replacing lass III trees in parkways narrower than 8 feet, offer a narrowed list of lass II trees for consideration that only includes the largest of the available lass II trees. 9. Develop a tree pruning plan with AHD for their 9 year street resurfacing cycle that raises the canopy appropriately for their operation in a way that is more beneficial to the health of the trees, more aesthetically balanced and more satisfying to the adjacent property owner. 16. reate a formal agreement with AHD to cover tree maintenance, tree planting, tree replacement and infrastructure conflicts caused by trees. 17. oordinate alternative sidewalk replacement material / design plans with AHD to protect trees while providing safe sidewalks. STAFF DEVELOPMENT 15. Provide opportunity and additional money for staff to attend training needed to keep certifications current. Attend various conferences, i.e.: annual ISA training conference, INLA training conference and local training conferences N There are no incentives in-place, but staff has effectively implemented this practice (primarily in neighborhoods where space allows and in parks) There have been discussions with AHD and ommunity Forestry staff, but a mutually beneficial and coordinated pruning cycle has not been developed or agreed upon. While discussions have been ongoing, no agreement has been reached due to differences in each agencies tree maintenance goals. There is positive movement in working with AHD on this topic, but no formal agreement in-place. Staff works closely with AHD inspectors and concrete contractors to protect and minimize damage to tree roots where feasible. Staff training is a vital priority for the program and leadership has supported continued advancement of staff s education, resulting in various levels of arborist certification, tree risk assessment qualification and aerial tower certification Boise ommunity Forestry Report ard (d Jan 2015) 5