Urban Forestry at 5,280 Feet

Partners in Community Forestry ConferenceNovember 18-19, 2015

Denver, CO

Rob DavisCity Forester

City & County of Denver

Keith WoodCommunity Forestry Program

ManagerColorado State Forest Service

Part 1: State Perspective

MythBusters Colorado!Welcome to Colorado!

Not everyone in Colorado has a Subaru and dog

Myth #1

They might have a pickup truck… …and a dog

…Or a mountain bike…and a dog

…Or just simply…a dog

Not everyone hikes and skis our beautiful mountains

Myth #2

Some like to visit our pinyon-juniper woodlands in Southwest Colorado

…and while there “stand” in 4 different States at once

Some like the dry canyon lands of SE Colorado where wavyleaf oaks, netleaf hackberries and western soapberry trees grow

…and let’s not forget the Great Plains in northeast Colorado and the value of our plains and lanceleaf cottonwood trees to that ecosystem

Not everyone has a corner micro/craft brewery in their neighborhood

Myth #3

How about the fruit orchards on Colorado’s western slope

This is not Colorado’s new State Tree

Myth #4

It’s still the majestic Colorado Blue Spruce

And let’s give honorable mention to quaking aspen

It doesn’t always snow here

Myth #5

We give equal opportunity to natural disasters of all types such as fires, floods, and tornadoes.

…all the while being on the verge of drought.

And not to forget we are the western most State to have

detected EAB.

It can be challenging to grow our urban tree canopies!

Colorado has a diversity of culture, climate and communities!

Take for example some of our 95 Tree City USA communites…Our oldest (Ft. Collins and CO Springs) to our largest (Denver), and smallest (Campo) to 25 year Growth Award recipient (Durango)

DENVERDURANGO

Although quite different and unique these communities have something in common…be it a Mountain Valley town, Eastern Plains community, a Front Range City or a dot on the map on our West Slope…these forests have been for the most part created, cared-for and valued by people. People coming together to create a better quality of life where they live, work and play!

Partnerships!

Front Range Urban Forestry Council and the Colorado Tree Coalition

(FRUFC & CTC)

Ralph Campbell

Phil Hoefer

Vince Urbina

Talented City Foresters, Urban Forestry Technicians, Consultants and Arborists!

ORGANIZATION NAMEArvada Craig HillegassAspen Ben CarlsenAurora John Wesolowski

Berthoud Ryan WakeleyBoulder Kathleen Alexander

Boulder County Cathy ThiltgenBow Mar Pat HoffmanBow Mar Karen ReutzelBrighton Kyle Sylvester

Broomfield Tom WellsCanon City Rex Brady

Castle Pines North MD Craig MillerCentennial Sheri ChadwickCheyenne Lisa OlsonCheyenne Mark Ellison

Cherry Hills Village Ryan BerninzoniColorado Springs Jay HeinColumbine Valley Pete GrimmCommerce City Tony Jaramillo

Denver City Forester Robert DavisDenver-Parks Michael Swanson

Denver-Million Trees Initiative Sara DavisDenver-Zoo Jamen WeberEdgewater Dan MaplesEnglewood Dave Lee

Erie Mike McGillEstes Park Brian Berg

EvansFederal Heights Carol WrightFoothills PRD Bill KieckFort Collins Tim BuchananGlendale Jody YonkeGolden David HighGreeley Shiloh Hatcher

Greenwood Village Kurt NielsenHighlands Ranch Dennis DonovanHyland Hills PRD Rush CalkinsJefferson County Greg VowelsKen-Caryl Ranch Allen Rogers

Lafayette Monte StevensonLakeside Robert GordanierLakewood John Dzialo

Larimer County Dave LentzLittleton David Flaig

Liverpool MD Cathy MitchellLone Tree Seth HoffmanLone Tree Julius ZsakoLongmont Ken WicklundLouisville Chris LichtyLoveland Rob MacDonald

Lyons Mike HarrisMilliken Josh Roseberry

Mountain View Eugene BarnesNorthglenn Joel Szymanski

Parker Erik StadsvoldPleasant View Metro District Stewart McAlister

Pueblo Mike SextonSeverance John HoldrenSheridan

South Suburban Greg HoweSuperior Matt RarickThornton Lynn Lathrop

Westminster John KaszaWheat Ridge Margaret Paget

Windsor Ken Kawamura

Partner Examples (Some of Which You Can Get More

Familiar With Over the Next Couple Days)

• Non Profit Groups such as The Park People (Denver Digs Trees), Trees, Water & People, and Plant-It 2020

• Private Sector (Xcel Energy, Colorado Public Radio)

• UWP (EPA, CDPHE, DEH, Water Providers, NGO’s)

• EAB (APHIS, CDA, CSU Extension)

• FR Recommended Tree List and the Ash Tree Replacement List and Species Diversity Guide (Landscape Architects, Nurserymen, Arborists)

Urban Forestry at 5,280 Feet

Partners in Community Forestry ConferenceNovember 18-19, 2015

Denver, CO

Rob DavisCity Forester

City & County of Denver

Keith WoodCommunity Forestry Program

ManagerColorado State Forest Service

Part 2: City Perspective

Denver’s Urban Forest1890-1910

Photos Courtesy of Denver Public Library

Mayor Speer’s Tree Day 1909-1912

Photos Courtesy of Denver Public Library

Speer’s Tree Day1911

Photos Courtesy of Denver Public Library

Speer’s Tree Day110,000 Free Shade Trees

Photos Courtesy of Denver Public Library

Denver Municipal Code1906

– Hire a City Forester– Inspection of trees– Permitting – Hitching horses to trees– Interference or damage to trees– Insect and disease monitoring– Requiring planting of street trees– Duty of maintenance

American ElmsLiving Connection to Denver History

18971915

American ElmsLiving Connection to Denver History

City BeautifulCity Park

Photos Courtesy of Denver Public Library

City BeautifulCity Park

Photos Courtesy of Denver Public Library

City BeautifulCheesman Park

Photos Courtesy of Denver Public Library

Cheesman Park (Cyrus McCrimmon, The Denver Post)

City BeautifulCheesman Park

Photos Courtesy of Denver Public Library

City BeautifulCivic Center

CityParksBlog

Photos Courtesy of the Denver Post

City BeautifulDenver Mountain Parks

Photos Courtesy of Denver Public Library

City BeautifulDenver Mountain Parks

City BeautifulParkways

Photos Courtesy of Denver Public Library

Denver Today“It’s easier to love a place that is beautiful”

A City in a ParkCanopy Goals

Game Plan street tree performance goal• Provide a tree-canopy cover of 15 percent to 18

percent in urban residential areas and 10 percent in the central business district by 2025.

Photo by Matthew Santomarco

2013 Metro DenverUrban Forest Assessment

Understanding Value and ServicesDenver and Metro-wide

Denver Only• 2.2 million trees• Asset value of $2.9B• $122 million in annual benefit

– $95M property value– $18M storm water– $6M summer cooling– $530K CO2 storage

Metro Wide Benefits

Maximizing BenefitsHotspots and Plantable Spaces

PartnershipsThe People

PartnershipsThe Park People / Denver Digs

PartnershipsThe Park People / Community Foresters

PartnershipsThe Park People / Mile High Tree Champions

PartnershipsDenver Public Schools

PartnershipsDowntown Denver Partnership

PartnershipsProfessional Sports

PartnershipsNurseries

PartnershipsDenver Zoo

Photos Courtesy of the Denver Zoo

1921 Rendering of Bear Mountain

PartnershipsDenver Botanic Gardens

PartnershipsLandscape Architects and Planners

PartnershipsLicensed Contractors

PartnershipsKeeping Streets Safe

Photos Courtesy of Denver Public Library

PartnershipsPublic Works

PartnershipsEnvironmental Health

PartnershipsCommunity Planning and Development

PartnershipsCommunity Planning and Development

PartnershipsCommunity Planning and Development

PartnershipsParks and Mountain Parks

PartnershipsDenver Parks

PartnershipsBudget Management Office

• Forestry total budget– 2015 $3.7M– 2016 $6.7M (EAB expansion $2.9M)

• 81% increase

PartnershipsDenver Forestry

PartnershipsDenver City Council

PartnershipsAppointees

PartnershipsThe Mayor’s Office

Full park system inventory - 76K trees•Street trees in process - ~190K trees•10 new forestry staff members in 2 years•Aggressive and proactive EAB program

– $1M for treatments annually – $1M for proactive planting annually– $250K for outreach and education annually

Boulder EAB Infestation; Found September 2013= Grids Confirmed as Infested = Street and Park Ash Trees

Emerald Ash Borer Denver’s Plans

• Publicly maintained trees – 76K trees with 6K ash trees

Emerald Ash Borer Denver’s Plans

• Privately maintained public right-of-way trees – ~190K trees with ~25K ash

Emerald Ash Borer Denver’s Plans

• Privately maintained right-of-way trees– Inventory in progress

• 45% complete• 15% increase in street trees• 72% increase in ash

– Projecting towards 25K ash trees– Capturing basic private data– 9 year treatment plan

- Publicly Maintained Trees

- Public Right-of-way Trees

- Public Right-of-way Ash

Emerald Ash Borer Denver’s Plans

• Private property trees – ~1.9M trees with ~290K ash – Education is key with estimated 36K parcels with private ash

trees

Emerald Ash Borer Denver’s Plans

Denver – the right place at the right time

Thank you and have a great conference!

Rob Davis – Denver City Foresterrobert.davis@denvergov.org

Keith Wood – Colorado Community Forestry Coordinatorkeith.wood@colostate.edu