People + Trees in Cities

Larry Ellison Tree Fight: Oracle CEO Settles Longstanding Lawsuit - San Francisco, CA

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Galvin) — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 00:49:00 +0000

Larry Ellison Tree Fight: Oracle CEO Settles Longstanding Lawsuit - CNBC

Oracle CEO and Founder Larry Ellison has settled his longstanding lawsuit…over trees.

Barri Kaplan Bonapart, who specializes in tree law, and represents Mr. Ellison, told CNBC that the lawsuit has been “resolved to everyone’s satisfaction.”

A trial date had been set for June 6.

The multi-millionaire’s 5-bedroom, 10,000+ square-foot residence in San Francisco’s Pacific Heights had had its views of the Bay become obstructed by his neighbor’s two giant redwood trees.

Church asks judge to reconsider airport tree-cutting ruling - Hilton Head, NC

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Galvin) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 22:07:00 +0000

Church asks judge to reconsider airport tree-cutting ruling | islandpacket.com

A historic, native-island congregation on Hilton Head Island has asked a judge to reconsider his May 13 order that allows airport tree work.

A church attorney also said the congregation only wants to prevent trees from being removed and would not fight efforts to trim them.

Beaufort County Master in Equity Marvin Dukes III dismissed the church's challenge of a town permit for the county to trim and remove about 1,400 trees at the north end of the runway to meet federal safety regulations.

St. James Baptist Church filed a motion May 23 asking Dukes to reconsider that decision.

The church, on Beach City Road north of the county-owned airport, filed a lawsuit in January aimed at stopping tree-cutting on airport property. Church members say tree removal would destroy a natural sound barrier and buffer. The suit says the town's zoning board improperly denied their appeals and a town ordinance allowing the tree work is invalid.

Dukes, however, ruled the board acted within its authority and said the church failed to prove any damage would come from the tree work. The church's May 23 motion reiterates those claims dismissed by Dukes.

Montgomery's electricity crisis continues as utility ignores recommendations on infrastructure and communication and focused on trees - Montgomery County, MD

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Galvin) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 18:02:00 +0000

Panel: Montgomery's electricity crisis continues

Montgomery County's struggle for quality electrical service is not over, according to at least one member of a panel that studied the issue.

"Montgomery County is still in the middle of a crisis," said Keith Haller, a member of a panel assembled by County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) to study Pepco.

Despite the group's work, Haller said Pepco has largely ignored the panel's recommendations and is committed to conducting business as usual, with few improvements to its infrastructure or communication.

City councilor's view: Help Duluth regain its lost designation as a Tree City, USA - Duluth, MN

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Galvin) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 13:53:00 +0000

City councilor's view: Help Duluth regain its lost designation as a Tree City, USA | Duluth News Tribune | Duluth, Minnesota

Just over eight years ago, Duluth lost its designation as a “Tree City, USA.” Recently, I’ve been proud to work with the mayor and city staff in a truly proactive program to not only regain our Tree City designation but also to beautify our city.

Since 2003, no boulevard trees have been planted unless there was total reconstruction of a street. It is estimated that 40 percent of Duluth’s boulevard tree canopy has been lost.

City receives grant to determine tree canopy coverage - Issaquah, WA

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Galvin) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 13:51:00 +0000

City receives grant to determine tree canopy coverage : The Issaquah Press – News, Sports, Classifieds and More in Issaquah, WA

The city is poised to deploy experts to determine how much land sits beneath leafy tree branches.

The most recent estimate — using 2006 aerial photography and collected in a 2008 tree canopy survey — estimates the tree canopy coverage inside city limits at 51 percent.

The percentage could vary between surveys, due to recent construction and the methods used in the earlier effort. The initial program did not meet regional standards for tree canopy surveys, but the measure did provide baseline tree canopy information for the city Comprehensive Plan, a key growth blueprint.

Issaquah received a $10,000 grant from the state Department of Natural Resources to fund the upcoming study. Municipal staffers intend to contribute $6,350 to the project through in-kind services. City Council members accepted the grant May 2.

The assessment is meant to provide a more accurate analysis of the city’s tree canopy. In addition, the city intends to assess areas covered by other vegetation. Issaquah includes about 1,300 acres in open space.

Ready for a SLAM? Tune in to the Slow Ash Mortality seminar on June 2

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Galvin) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 00:41:00 +0000

Welcome to the BYGL Newsletter

B. SLOW ASH MORTALITY (SLAM) WEBINAR.
When it comes to EAB and ash trees, everyone agrees that something needs to be done besides standing back and watching the trees die. It is this reasoning that has created a research program referred to as SLAM - Slow Ash Mortality. Applying the SLAM approach will not eradicate EAB, nor will it eliminate ash tree mortality. Rather, the goal of the program is to slow the local invasion process and allow land managers time to be proactive rather than simply reacting to the overwhelming numbers of dead, and often hazardous trees.
To learn more about SLAM, including steps to implement the strategy to SLow Ash Mortality, tune into the Emerald Ash Borer University (EABU) on Thursday, June 2, 2011. The webinar will begin at 11:00 a.m. EST, and last approximately 1 hour.

Oracle boss Ellison sues neighbor for planting trees that block view of San Fran Bay - San Francisco, CA

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Galvin) — Mon, 30 May 2011 16:29:00 +0000

Ellison seeks bay view in tree stoush - Software - Technology - News - iTnews.com.au

Arborist provides first responders with the tools and skills they need, rescues trapped glider pilot hung up in trees - Freehold, NY

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Galvin) — Sun, 29 May 2011 23:13:00 +0000

Part-time tree cutter rescues trapped glider pilot - FOX23 News - The 10 O'Clock News

Rescue crews in Freehold, New York had to call in a professional tree cutter to help rescue a glider pilot stuck upside down, high atop a group of trees near the airport for hours.

When fire and police officials initially showed up to assess the situation, a storm was brewing nearby, the wind was starting to pick-up, and first responders didn't have the right equipment.

But thanks to a brave tree cutter, it was still a happy Memorial Day weekend for an experienced 60-year-old pilot in a very precarious situation.

The pilot's wife Donna Laitinen says she even had a chance to talk with her husband by cell phone while he was stuck in the trees for about 3 hours.

Landmark oak tree cut down at Ross School - Marin, CA

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Galvin) — Sun, 29 May 2011 23:07:00 +0000

Landmark oak tree cut down at Ross School - Marin Independent Journal

As Ross grapples with the fallout from its demolished one-room schoolhouse, the town had another piece of history disappear Saturday — the stately oak tree in front of Ross School.

Lagunitas Road was closed outside the school so a crew could cut down the dying valley oak, whose age has been estimated at 150 to 200 years. A cross-section of the oak will be saved for students to count the rings, said Jon Logiudice, a tree specialist who was overseeing the operation.

The tree's fate was sealed this month after Becky Duckles, a certified arborist hired by the school district to monitor construction work at Ross School, issued a report saying the oak was dead or dying and had probably been dying for five to seven years.

"It must be removed soon to protect the children from falling branches," Duckles reported.

Among those dismayed by the tree's demise were Mayor Chris Martin and his wife B.J., who are active with the Ross Street Tree Committee. For the mayor, the tree's death has prompted a new fact-finding project.

Volunteers care for delicate WNY trees - Buffalo, NY

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Galvin) — Sun, 29 May 2011 18:38:00 +0000

Volunteers care for delicate WNY trees | WIVB.com

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - There's no rest for these volunteers on this holiday weekend. They're donating their time to care for delicate trees that took a beating throughout this rough Western New York winter.

Paul Maurer of Re-Tree WNY said, "We're going to go along and re-stake the trees, make sure they're in good shape and put some more top soil on, and generally make it look great, like it already has started to look great on South Park Avenue in South Buffalo."

Re-Tree WNY joined with Keep WNY Beautiful to create a Spring cleaning army of almost 30 strong. And they're not just focusing on flora. A two mile stretch of South Park Ave. between Ridge Road and Bailey Avenue recently underwent a $2.5 million dollar revitalization project to improve the quality of life in South Buffalo, and now these residents are trying to keep it all looking tidy.

More than 500 dead trees removed in Bozeman after cold snap; replacements, vouchers available - Bozeman, MT

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Galvin) — Sun, 29 May 2011 18:33:00 +0000

More than 500 dead trees removed in Bozeman after cold snap; replacements, vouchers available

BOZEMAN, Mont. — Workers in Bozeman have removed more than 500 dead trees so far this spring that failed to recover from a cold snap, and officials are replanting trees in some areas while also offering homeowners $100 replacement tree vouchers.

City Forester Ryon Stover said the trees died as a result of an October 2009 cold snap that saw temperatures plummet from 80 degrees to below zero in about a week.

"We waited the better part of a year to see if the trees would come back, but they didn't," Stover told the Bozeman Daily Chronicle. "We are replanting some and also have a tree replacement program."

He said most of the dead trees are green ash with 4- to 10-inch diameters, and that four full-time arborists have been removing the dead trees from all over town.

Pinus And Eucalyptus Trees Replaced With Native Species Under Indigenous Tree Canopy Programme -Sri Lanka

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Galvin) — Sun, 29 May 2011 11:07:00 +0000

Pinus And Eucalyptus Trees Replaced While Elephants Are Renamed For Respect | The Sunday Leader

Identifying the serious impact on watershed/ catchment areas, the Ministry of Environment has launched a programme to replace eucalyptus and pinus cultivations with endemic plants under the Indigenous Tree Canopy Programme (Hela Thuru Viyana).

Barringtonia acutangul, Wal Aliya now known as Wana Aliya and S M Chandrasena
Minister of Environment Anura Priydharshana Yapa in response to a question for oral answers revealed that the Indigenous Tree Canopy Programme has already replaced eucalyptus and pinus cultivations in 241.4 hectares (596.26 acres) with endemic plant species including hora (Dipterocarpus zeylanicas), pelan (Kurrima zeylanica – celastraceae), lunumidella (Barringtonia acutangula), mahogany and pihimbiya.

Covington named Tree City USA for 17th consecutive year - Covington, LA

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Galvin) — Sun, 29 May 2011 10:59:00 +0000

News : Covington named Tree City USA : St. Tammany, LA

For the 17th consecutive year, the Arbor Day Foundation has named Covington a Tree City USA community for its commitment to urban forestry.

The program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters and the USDA Forest Service.

To quality, the city has to have four standards: a tree board or department, a tree-care ordinance; a comprehensive community forestry program and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation.

From moss-laden oak trees in the middle of the street to magnolias, river oaks, crepe myrtles, and pines, trees can be found everywhere in Covington, named a Tree City USA community for the 17th consecutive year by the Arbor Day Foundation. (Staff Photo by Debbie Glover)

In fact, Covington has a tree ordinance and requires a permit to cut down a tree.

There are a lot of trees in the city, including the parks and residential areas as well as streetscapes.

“We commend Covington’s elected officials, volunteers and its citizens for providing vital care for its urban forest,” said John Rosenow, chief executive and founder of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Trees provide numerous environmental, economical and health benefits to millions of people each day, and we applaud communities that make planting and caring for trees a top priority.”

Efforts to restore chestnut trees taking root - Louisville, KY

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Galvin) — Sun, 29 May 2011 10:55:00 +0000

Efforts to restore chestnut trees taking root - Westport News

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Years of efforts to restore American chestnut trees are finally taking root in the Louisville area and across the country.

Nuts from a research farm in Virginia that were bred over 28 years to be blight resistant were planted at public and private sites in the Louisville area this year, according to The Courier-Journal.

Also, members of the Kentucky chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation are breeding offspring of the state's 20 surviving trees for blight resistance and research, the Louisville newspaper reported. An orchard in Oldham County is expected to bear nuts this fall for the first time.

Albemarle Road church fined $100 per branch for excessive tree pruning - Charlotte, NC

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Galvin) — Sun, 29 May 2011 02:24:00 +0000

Albemarle Road church fined $100 per branch for excessive tree pruning | CharlotteObserver.com & The Charlotte Observer Newspaper

Every two to three years, Eddie Sales trims and prunes the crape myrtles at his church, Albemarle Road Presbyterian Church.

But this year, the city of Charlotte cited the church for improperly pruning its trees.

"We always keep our trees trimmed back because you don't want to worry about them hanging down in the way," said Sales, a church member.

The church was fined $100 per branch cut for excessive pruning, bringing the violation to $4,000.

Want Info on Statewide Tree Canopy Trends in GA? UGA Natural Resources Spatial Analysis Lab has the answers

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Galvin) — Sun, 29 May 2011 02:21:00 +0000

Statewide Tree Canopy Trends | Natural Resources Spatial Analysis Lab

State, federal agriculture officials tracking a destructive tree bug - PA

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Galvin) — Sat, 28 May 2011 22:43:00 +0000

State, federal agriculture officials tracking a destructive tree bug - dailylocal.com

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has issued a Memorial Day weekend alert regarding a bug that is notorious for killing ash trees across the country and has been found in Pennsylvania.

The emerald ash borer beetle is an invasive species that has destroyed tens of millions of ash tress nationwide.

Federal and state agencies are working together to combat the beetle that hitchhikes to new places on cut wood.

The beetle's larvae damage trees by eating the wood under the bark, officials say.

What is that purple box hanging up in that tree? - Skaneateles, NY

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Galvin) — Sat, 28 May 2011 20:22:00 +0000

What is that purple box hanging up in that tree? | syracuse.com

Skaneateles, NY -- So what’s with the highly visible, purple box hanging high up on a tree along Route 321?

It’s an emerald ash borer trap, one of more than 150 scheduled to be put up in Onondaga County by contractors working for the U.S. Department of Agriculture as part of a joint federal/state effort. A total of 6,400 traps are being put up this spring in 45 counties across the state.
Is the nasty, ash tree-destroying bug in these parts? “It has not been confirmed ... that’s why the traps are up,” said Richard Pancoe, a supervising forester working out of the DEC’s Cortland office.

Tree warden ruling presents new challenge for MISA - Greenwich, CT

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Galvin) — Sat, 28 May 2011 20:16:00 +0000

Tree warden ruling presents new challenge for MISA - GreenwichTime

The Board of Education must fulfill four specific conditions before 121 trees can be removed from the Greenwich High School property to make way for the school's music instruction space and auditorium renovation project, the town's tree warden ruled Friday afternoon.

"My decision is not to remove these 121 trees UNLESS the Board of Education agrees to a binding agreement which requires that the following stipulations and conditions are met," Tree Warden Bruce Spaman wrote.

Emerald city: Ash borer’s arrival jeopardizes Joliet trees - Joliet, IL

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Galvin) — Sat, 28 May 2011 16:56:00 +0000

Emerald city: Ash borer’s arrival jeopardizes Joliet trees - Herald News

JOLIET — The emerald ash borer has been officially discovered in Joliet, meaning the future of thousands of ash trees in the city is not bright.

The Asian beetle has destroyed millions of U.S. ash trees since first being detected in 2002 in southeastern Michigan.

Now it’s Joliet’s turn.

“We’ve tried to let the people know that its coming,” said Jim Teiber, the Joliet city arborist, while standing next to an infested ash tree near Black Road and Dawes Avenue.

Prince George's residents air complaints to Pepco - Prince George' s County, MD

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Galvin) — Fri, 27 May 2011 18:07:00 +0000

Prince George's residents air complaints to Pepco

Upset residents, elected officials and executives with the Pepco power company continued their debate over how to prevent frequent and prolonged power outages in the area while still keeping their communities green.

Prince George's County task force members commissioned by Pepco to get recommendations on how to improve electric service met at the College Park Town Hall on Wednesday. Another meeting is scheduled for early June in the Fort Washington area.

For more than a year, the company has faced intense criticism for leaving hundreds of thousands of residents without power for days after bad weather. Major outages occurred during a heavy snowstorm in January and throughout last summer after intense, windy showers.

Tree-trimming practices hated but effective - Nashville, TN

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Galvin) — Fri, 27 May 2011 11:36:00 +0000

The Nashville Ledger

If you haven’t been a victim yourself, chances are you know someone who has. And while it’s not criminal, many Davidson Country residents view Nashville Electric Services’ tree-trimming practices as a crime against nature.

-- Photo By Lyle Graves

“I was watching them cut these four little trees across the street from us, and they just butchered them,” says Diane Sussman, vice president of Richland-West End Neighborhood Association. “I voiced my opinion with the men who were the cutters, but none of them spoke English and they didn’t really care about my feelings of the matter.”

Researcher finds relationship between increase in big trees and reduction in crime rate - Portland, OR

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Galvin) — Fri, 27 May 2011 11:32:00 +0000

Geoffrey Donovan researches trees and crime

"People have an intuitive sense that trees are good things," Geoffrey Donovan said. "Being a soulless economist, I like to quantify things. 'Trees are nice' isn't a very useful statement. You need to know how nice and in what sorts of circumstances."

Donovan, who works for the U.S. Forest Service in Portland, Ore., is trying to measure how urban trees affect the quality of life. He has looked for correlations between tree-canopy cover and the risk of premature births, and is studying the role of trees in managing storm-water runoff. The article that has received the most attention, though, deals with the effect of trees on crime in Portland. Co-authored with Forest Service colleague Jeffrey Prestemon, it was published last fall in the journal Environment and Behavior.

Lone pine may be seed of forest's rebirth - MORIOKA, Iwate Prefecture, Japan

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Galvin) — Fri, 27 May 2011 01:08:00 +0000

Lone pine may be seed of forest's rebirth - Environment - MiamiHerald.com

MORIOKA, Iwate Prefecture, Japan -- The terrifying force of the March 11 tsunami left only one tree standing from a forest of 70,000 in Rikuzen-Takata, Iwate Prefecture. Today, scientists are using that same tree in their efforts to bring back one of the nation's most beautiful sights.

The Takata Matsubara forest was designated a scenic beauty spot, and before the disaster was one of the most popular tourist destinations in Iwate Prefecture. About 70,000 red and black pines grew on a 2-kilometer-long stretch of beach.

Only one tree, estimated to be from 270 to 280 years old, survived the tsunami. It has been a great emotional support to residents, who have dubbed it "kiseki no ippon matsu" (the miraculous lone pine tree).

However, members of the Takata Matsubara Protection Society are concerned the remaining tree might not survive due to excess salinity in the groundwater, as the tsunami eroded much of the beach, leaving the tree about 10 meters from the sea.

Crafton Borough, Residents Debate Removal Of Large Fallen Tree - Who Pays? Crafton, PA

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Galvin) — Fri, 27 May 2011 01:03:00 +0000

Crafton Borough, Residents Debate Removal Of Large Tree - Allegheny County News Story - WTAE Pittsburgh

CRAFTON, Pa. -- A large tree that came down in Crafton is at the center of a debate between the borough and residents about who will pick up the tab to remove it.
The tree was on public land but toppled into a private yard during storms on Monday night.
Hardy Street resident Jason Williams told Channel 4 Action News that he was home sleeping when the tree collapsed.
"If it fell any other way, I would have been gone," he said.
Williams said he contacted his insurance company about removing the tree the following morning.
"Obviously, they're going to cover the roof and everything else. It's just the removal of the tree. We don't know who is going to be responsible for it," said Williams.