Title
Update on City of Olympia Urban Forestry Team
Recommended Action
City Manager Recommendation:
Briefing only; no action requested
Report
Issue:
At its meeting on April 23, 2016, the Land Use and Environment Committee discussed an Urban Forestry Strategy Report completed by consultant Elizabeth Walker of Terra Firma. This briefing will provide an update on progress implementing initial recommendations of that report, and overall status of urban forestry program.
Staff Contact:
Shelly Bentley - Urban Forestry Program Manager, CPD, 360.753.8301
Presenter(s):
Leonard Bauer, Community, Planning and Development Deputy Director.
Shelly Bentley, Urban Forestry Program Manager.
Dave Hanna, Parks Department Associate Director.
Mark Russell, Public Works Transportation Director.
Gary Frank, Parks Department Operations and Planning Supervisor.
Background and Analysis:
The Urban Forest Strategy Report included a summary of the program’s current status, budget and challenges. Strategies and timelines were also outlined to show clear priorities and additional resources needed to move the program from a reactive to proactive management mode over time. The initial recommendation of the Report - the establishment of a cross-departmental Urban Forestry Team - has been completed with no new funds needed, and has increased communication and coordination among various departments that are managing Olympia’s urban forest.
Current Program Status and Budget Timeline Strategies - Attachments 1 and 2 were presented to the Committee at its April 23 meeting, and are included here to provide a summary of current program status, with the addition of the formalized cross-department Urban Forestry Team.
The City currently has a Public Works Water Resources habitat stewardship plan and program, and the Park, Arts and Recreation Department (OPARD) has developed an asset maintenance management program. Both of these efforts manage trees on city-owned properties for which these departments are directly responsible.
Other aspects of the existing urban forestry program are briefly summarized below. Additional detail will be provided in the presentation at this Committee meeting.
Collaborative Hazard Tree Program - Due to a backlog of deferred maintenance and dry weather putting many trees under greater stress, 2015 has seen an increase in calls for assessments and removals of hazard trees on city properties. Hazard tree assessments are coordinated by the Community, Planning and Development (CP&D) Urban Forester, and performed by CP&D’s contractor, Sound Urban Forestry. If removals are necessary, they are typically also performed by a contractor. Staff will provide a more detailed update during this presentation on the hazard tree program.
Maintenance of Street Trees Downtown and along Main Arterials - OPARD provides pruning and other baseline maintenance of these street trees (approximately 2000 trees) as resources allow. Some street trees have been planted in the past few years, funded through grants the City has received. Watering of these new trees is necessary the first 2-3 years until they are well-established. In the absence of funding for this task, City probation crews have watered the new trees as much as possible; however, the dryer weather has presented challenges to getting trees established. (Similar challenges have faced street trees planted as part of City street improvement projects.)
The Urban Forestry Team has identified an additional grant opportunity to seek funding to update our inventory of these street trees and establish the asset baseline. (Department of Natural Resources Tree Inventory Grant - application due October 2016)
Options:
Receive briefing on urban forestry program and discuss.
Financial Impact:
The various elements of Olympia’s urban forestry program are funded within the operating budgets of the CP&D, Public Works, and OPARD Departments. More detail on the resources currently available within each department will be provided during this presentation.