Regreening the Community

5.1  Chapter Summary

Major and minor storms are differentiated by the amount of damage, the amount of assistance needed for clean up, or the number of trees lost or injured. Clean up time will be much longer for a major storm and the regreening process will take years.

Once storm damage debris have been removed, an array of reforestation opportunities are available. A variety of occasions are available to replant or repair the urban forest that has been damaged by a natural disaster. Urban trees and forests, municipally managed or privately owned, can be regenerated through carefully orchestrated programs. Key players involve elected officials, volunteer community leaders, and municipal employees.

A variety of technical and educational resources are available to assist in the "regreening" of a community after a disaster. Involvement and commitment of both elected officials and volunteer community leaders is critical to the success of these efforts. Sources of technical assistance range from local urban forestry professionals and state natural resource agencies, to the USDA Forest Service, or other national professional or volunteer organizations.

Recognition awards for communities, such as Tree City USA or the Tree City USA Growth Award, provide opportunities for communities to promote their successes. Many states offer state level recognition awards as well.

Public support for community tree care programs can be achieved through awareness programs that promote the benefits of trees. Often, the education of caring, active citizens will generate the necessary support needed to start a program or keep a program alive. The goal for a community should be to have an effective, comprehensive urban and community forestry program.

5.2  Chapter Outline

     I. Major/Minor Storms--Difference and Similarities
          A. Key Differences and Similarities
          B. Sources of Assistance
     II. Long-term Effects of Natural Disasters--The Clean up Process
     III. Long-term Effects of Natural Disasters--The Regreening Process
          A. Benefits of Trees
     IV. A. Comprehensive Urban and Community Forestry Program
           B. 12 Indicators of an Effective Tree Care Program
           C. Community Tree Care Through Combined Efforts
           D. Urban and Community Forestry Regreening Awards and Recognition
                1. Tree City USA Standards
                2. Tree City USA Growth Award
     V. For More Information / References
          A. Appendix--How to Fund Community Forestry
          B. Appendix--Tree City USA: Foundation for Better Tree Management
          C. Appendix--Tree City USA Growth Award Application

5.3  Major and Minor Storms--Differences and Similarities

Major storms and minor storms have a number of significant differences and similarities that impact how a community will plan, respond and regreen. Many of the differences relate to the amount of damage, the impact of the damage not only on the tree resource but on the community itself, and the length of time for recovery. Obviously, major storms will have more severe damage that will require a larger response and clean up effort.

A. Key items to note regarding differences and similarities of major and minor storms.

• Major storms may force a community to seek assistance from outside their community (arboricultural firms, neighboring communities, counties, and states) for clean up crews.
• Minor storms, if planned for appropriately, may be handled by local staff and crews.
• Major storms tend to cause more damage and produce large amounts of debris that will require clean up, disposal and/or possible utilization. Communities should identify clean up plans, additional resources to aid clean up, a plan to separate tree debris from other debris for potential utilization, disposal options, debris storage and handling sites, and ways to handle debris on private land.
• Major storms may injure or destroy a large portion of the communities tree population. Communities must recognize that regreening efforts will not and can not be immediate. Rather, they should plan regreening efforts for many years. If a community were to lose all trees in a certain area and replant every site within 2 years, the community may put itself into jeopardy of having an even-aged stand of trees.

B. Sources for Assistance

Guidance for regreening efforts can be provided by a number of resources, agencies and organizations. State Forestry or natural resources agencies can provide technical assistance and information on available grants and possible contacts for related experiences and information. State agency staff may be available to provide direct technical assistance.

If the area is declared a State or Federal Disaster, State and Federal Emergency Management agencies can provide relief efforts and resources. (Refer to Chapters 6 and 8 for detailed assistance information.)

The USDA Forest Service can provide technical assistance in the form of publications (such as "Storms Over the Urban Forest") and information sharing and guidance on available grants and funding. Additional sources of assistance include county and state Extension Offices, colleges and universities, and private consulting foresters, landscape architects, and tree expert firms. Professional organizations such as the National Arborists Association, the International Society of Arboriculture, and the Society of American Foresters are also ready to assist. Volunteer organizations such as American Forests, the Carden Clubs of America, the National Arbor Day Foundation, individual state beautification councils and environmental groups, also stand ready to help. Nearby communities that may have experienced a similar natural disaster may be an excellent source for relevant advice, assistance and information. Refer to Chapter 9, "Technical Resources and Information" for address and contact information for sources of assistance.

Regreening must be predicated on the commitment of both municipal leaders and private citizens to maintain the new urban forest once it has been established. Pledges and funds to plant trees are fairly easy to obtain. High-spirited tree planting ceremonies, especially when linked to Arbor Day celebrations, usually are well publicized and well attended. Nevertheless, when municipal budget hearings determine maintenance support of the new trees, competition among vital community services becomes a compelling reality. At the private property level, when a homeowner's trees are in need of maintenance, costs may not have been anticipated or planned for. Thus, both tree planting and maintenance costs at the public and private levels must be incorporated within the regreening concept.

5.4  Long-term Effects of Natural Disasters--The Clean up Process

Not only do natural disasters impact trees, they impact homes, businesses, vehicles, utility services, and a myriad of other things people tend to take for granted every day. Recognizing this, one must recognize that after a natural disaster has hit, trees are simply another element to deal with in the clean up process. Preplanning and education prior to any disaster may aid the clean up process, and may save many trees. The following are some factors to consider and plan for as part of the clean up process. Refer also to Chapter 8, "Notes from Hurricane Andrew," Section 8.5, for additional information on clean up activities.

• Recognize that a tremendous amount of debris is generated as a result of a natural disaster. (See Photograph 6.) People will tend to include wood waste as a part of the building materials and other debris. Preplanning and public education that debris from trees should be separated for chipping and utilization is key.

  	Photo 6. View of extent of damage caused by Hurricane Andrew. (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

  Volunteers can be used to separate out tree materials, and chipper trucks and crews can be utilized to chip this material. In many cases, the chips can be left at the residence or a nearby storage site for landscaping and gardening. Not only does the community save on landfill costs, the residents gain from this material.
  
  (Note: Most states have adopted or are adopting landfill regulations that restrict wood waste. Communities should identify alternate uses for this material.)
  
  
• Depending on community size, identify one or more storage and handling sites for woody debris. These sites may include parking lots, open spaces, or property adjacent to public right-of-ways. By establishing any agreements prior to a natural disaster, a community can respond with clean up efforts as soon as possible.
  
  
• Establish a tree debris chipping and clean up plan before a natural disaster strikes. Remember that people will tend to utilize this service to clean out household debris and remove trees and vegetation not impacted by the storm. Establish firm guidelines and rules, and make sure the public is aware of them.
  
  
• Anticipate the appearance of fly-by-night "arborists" or tree care experts that tend to show up in communities after disasters. Often times these individuals damage trees more than the storm through improper pruning and care techniques. Advise homeowners of this problem, and provide information on how to identify and hire a professional arborist.
  
  
• Clean up may take much longer than anticipated, especially after a large storm. Take advantage of media opportunities to educate the public on proper tree care after storms, chipping schedules, use of wood chips, avoiding fly-by-night "arborists", and other tree-related topics.
  
  
• Provide technical assistance to residents on the repair and care of trees after a natural disaster through local community workshops. People will want to plant new trees and repair damaged ones, and they will need technical assistance to get it done right.

5.5  Long-Term Effects of Natural Disasters--The Regreening Process

Regreening after a natural disaster is a long term process that will take many years for trees to grow and for a mature urban forest to become re-established. Unfortunately, a mature urban forest can be destroyed in a matter of minutes or hours when a disaster strikes. To regreen that community to its original condition will take years for the trees to grow and mature. Factors to consider in regreening process include:

• After clean up efforts are complete, communities should survey for available planting spaces on public lands, and begin planning for replanting. Depending on the number of sites available, the size of the community, and the forestry budget, a community may not be able to replant lost trees in one season. Communities are encouraged to develop a planting plan to address planting needs over a long period of time.
  
  In fact, depending on the total number of trees lost, it may not be wise to completely replant an area without any trees in one year, because an even-age stand of trees may result. By spreading planting efforts over as number of years, a more diversely-aged stand will result.
  
  
• Tree planting, regreening and Arbor Day Ceremonies may be a welcome event after a natural disaster. Residents may see these ceremonies as a sign of hope for the community after a natural disaster.
  
  
• Educating the public on choosing the "right tree for the place " is crucial during regreening efforts. Communities can use this time as an opportunity to avoid problems of the future from poor species selection and improper planting techniques. (Refer to Appendix--B, "The Right Tree for the Right Place" in Chapter 3 for additional information.)

Benefits of Trees

Every day we receive many benefits from trees. These benefits may be direct or indirect. When pursuing funding for tree planting, maintenance or mitigation activities, it is important to emphasize the many benefits we receive from trees every day. For example, in the summertime many of us will park our cars under shady trees, walk on the shady side of a street, or have a picnic under the cool shade of a large park tree. In the autumn, many of us will take special drives to view the beautiful colors of tree leaves as they turn red, yellow, orange, and brown. We especially appreciate the color of evergreen trees in the wintertime. In the spring, we view the splendor of the flowering trees and anxiously await the breaking of buds and the coming of leaves. The presence of trees around homes can help increase property value- in fact, wooded lots tend to sell faster than open lots. When planted in the proper location, trees can help decrease summer cooling bills, and winter heating bills. Trees have also been found to have a healing effect on people, psychologically and physically. With the increasing awareness of the benefits of trees, people will realize the importance of maintaining the health of existing trees, and the desirability of planting new trees. The benefits we receive from trees can be listed according to the following categories.

Psychological Values: Trees often help reduce the stress associated with urban settings by creating feelings of relaxation and well-being. In fact, hospital surgery patients looking out the window at trees and vegetation had fewer complications, needed less medication, and had shorter hospital stays than people whose rooms faced buildings (Ulrich, 1984). People prefer trees and environments with natural vegetation to those without. Communities with tree-lined streets and downtown areas tend to be recognized as areas with high quality of life standards and high civic pride.

Economic Values: An important point to note about trees is that as a public expenditure, trees represent an investment that appreciates in value. All other public expenditures, including sidewalks, sewers, streets, etc., depreciate in value over time.

Property values of homes with many trees in comparison to homes lacking trees tend to be higher; in fact, lots with trees tend to sell faster than lots without trees.

Properly planted trees can reduce air conditioning needs and costs during the summer, and heating costs in the winter. In fact in one study, the values for an "average" 50 year old tree are as follows: air conditioning worth $73, soil erosion and stormwater worth $75, wildlife shelter worth $75, and air pollution control worth $50--a total of $273 (in 1985 dollars). A value of $57,151 was also estimated for the total value of the tree during its lifetime (compounded at 5 percent for 50 years) (Ebenreck, 1989).

Aesthetic Values: Trees provide a variety of aesthetic values including: providing pleasant scenery; screening unpleasant views and odors; accenting the architectural design of buildings; and providing landscapes that promote tourism. Because trees are living and growing features in the landscape, their beauty changes with the seasons and is dynamic and ever-present.

Architectural Functions: According to McCullen and Webb (1982), trees can be used architecturally in the following ways: visually completing building fronts and street frontages; providing enclosure; creating spaces by dividing large areas into smaller, more comprehensible units; reinforcing primary design by separating spaces, providing unity to diverse scenes, drawing attention to important features, emphasizing direction, and providing contrast; providing boundaries; and, controlling traffic by providing a physical barrier.

Engineering Functions: Trees can control erosion and runoff by intercepting rainfall and lessening the impact of precipitation on the ground and by stabilizing the soil with their roots. Properly located trees can control glare and reflection of headlights as well as morning and evening sunlight. Trees can reduce noises and sounds by scattering and reflecting sound with their leaves and branches. Trees can help control air pollution by removing and filtering airborne particles, emissions and other air pollutants.

Climatic Functions: Trees provide a wide variety of Climatic functions. Perhaps one of the most important is the ability of trees to provide shade from the sun's intensity and to cool the air through the process of evapotranspiration.

Amenity Functions: Trees provide wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities and educational opportunities. Diversity of flora and fauna contributes to the overall health of the environment, particularly for humans. People benefit from interactions with wildlife; in fact, people want to be able to observe and interact with wildlife. Wooded areas, such as parks, greenbelts and parkways, provide many opportunities for urban recreational activities, including picnicking, walking, bike riding, and exercising.

Educational Values: Trees and natural wooded areas provide wonderful educational opportunities for young and old. Trees near schools represent an educational opportunity for teachers to share with students the importance of trees, their ability to survive in unique environments, and the many benefits we derive from trees.

5.6  A Comprehensive Urban and Community Forestry Program

Ideal community forestry programs include aspects of both private input and public government structure. Individuals and community groups often provide the energy and enthusiasm; the government provides continuity, authority, and resources. A community forestry program exists to maintain the health of the tree resources for the safety of people to exist in it. Therefore, a comprehensive urban and community forestry program involves effective planning and management of the tree resource, providing useful information to the public about the resource, and encourages community involvement and action in its management. There are many components of an effective, comprehensive urban and community forestry program. Hanson, et al. (1987) provides the following 12 indicators of an effective tree care program.

12 Indicators of an Effective Tree Care Program

1. Tree care agency or at least a person responsible for tree care.
   
   
2. An identified budget derived from several sources. While only $2 per capita is required for Tree City USA recognition, the national average expenditure per tree is $2.60 (Kielbaso 1988). (Refer to the Appendix at the end of Chapter 6 entitled "How to Fund Community Forestry" for ideas on how to establish and maintain an urban forestry program budget.)
   
   
3. A well-managed and maintained publicly owned tree resource.
   
   
4. Trained tree workers and arborists in public and private tree care.
   
   
5. A workable tree ordinance or regulations and guidelines.
   
   
6. Annual work plans for public tree care.
   
   
7. Developing or working under a master plan that involves all major city infrastructure.
   
   
8. Initial and continuing participation in new developments and growth areas.
   
   
9. Inventories or assessments of the tree resource.
   
   
10. Education and outreach to citizens, school children, teachers, and political and city leaders.
    
    
11. Citizen and leader participation in planning and implementing tree care programs and events.
    
    
12. Media involvement and coverage of forest conditions, tree care activity, and citizen involvement and recognition.

Community Tree Care Through Combined Efforts

An approach for smaller communities and communities with limited tree care budgets for management, is to combine the efforts of two or more communities. Professional consulting foresters are available to assist communities at any level, from simple identification and recommendation of trees that need to be removed or pruned to prevent liability, to an inventory of the entire community forest resource, and subsequent development of a long-range management plan.

Another approach for communities would be to combine forces for tree care with one or more other communities. For example, a professional forester could be hired to care for two different communities. The forester may work three days in one community, and two days in the other. Another example would be the sharing of equipment. One community may own a high-ranger vehicle, and another community may own a chipper truck. Together these communities could work out tree removal and pruning schedules, and share the equipment, thus keeping equipment costs low.

Adequate tree maintenance can be done in every community, large and small. To achieve it, though, may require innovative thinking, and the breaking down of traditional standards and rules that limit creativity. As long as people work together cooperatively to achieve the goal of a healthy, well maintained, and safe urban and community forest, much can be accomplished.

In the April/May 1993 issue of Urban Forests, Phillip D. Rodbell provided a caveat or warning about the need to carefully plan for tree planting after a natural disaster. Based on the findings and discussions of many meetings held throughout the United States in 1992, the National Urban Forestry Council concentrated on 11 key issues. One which pertains to Regreening The Community is quoted here for consideration by the readers of our manual. "There is a lack of planning for urban forestry needs after a natural disaster. Local officials should delay replanting efforts until adapted or appropriate tree stocks are available."

However, based on practical experience and user interviews, we found that the survivors of natural disasters are interested in replanting their community streets and backyards as soon as possible. Perhaps there is a compromise between Rodbell's caution and the general public's wishes. While initial regreening takes place and a reasonable number of commemorative trees are planted, a detailed tree inventory of existing and needed municipal trees should be accomplished. (Most small communities have not recorded when and where earlier trees were planted.) When the tree inventory has been completed and analyzed, municipal officials and advisory groups can then determine what is needed to rebuild the urban forest. Further, plans can be made regarding budgets and availability of required trees.

Urban and Community Forestry Awards and Recognition

The USDA Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters, in cooperation with the National Arbor Day Foundation, encourage communities to meet and hopefully exceed the standards of Tree City USA. These standards can also be put to good use to reforest communities affected by natural disasters. Four standards exist that must be met to achieve Tree City USA status. (Refer to the Appendix entitled "Tree City USA: Foundation for Better Tree Management" at the end of this chapter for more information.) More than a thousand towns and cities, large and small, have gained Tree City USA status. The standards are definitely achievable and are as follows:

Tree City USA Standards

By meeting the above standards, communities will have the structure for a community forestry program that adequately maintains trees, promotes awareness and appreciation of trees, and demonstrates a commitment to the health and quality of the existing or replanted urban forests. Storm damaged communities are encouraged to achieve Tree City USA status (if they have not already done so).

Tree City USA Growth Award

Current Tree City USA communities are encouraged to achieve the newly established Tree City USA Growth Award. The USDA Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters, in cooperation with the National Arbor Day Foundation, also encourage the achievement of the Growth Award. The Growth Award recognizes higher levels of accomplishment of tree maintenance goals. To be eligible for the Growth Award, your community must have Tree City USA status for a second consecutive year, spend at least as much in its annual tree care budget as the previous year, and earn at least 10 or more points in the following Growth Award Eligible Activities. (Refer to the Appendix entitled "Tree City USA Growth Award" at the end of this chapter.)

The Tree City USA and the Tree City USA Growth Awards are national level awards available to every community. Also, remember that a variety of specific state-level awards may be available to communities. These are offered by conservation, natural resources, economic development, and other state agencies, state urban and community forestry councils, and state professional forestry societies.

5.7  For More Information:

References:

American Forestry Association. 1989. Shading our cities. A resource guide for urban and community forests. G. Moll and S. Ebenreck, editors. Washington, D.C. island Press.

Forest Service, USDA. 1990. Urban and community forestry: A guide for the Interior Western United States. G.L. Younker, editor. USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Region, Ogden, UT 84401.

Grey, G.W. and F.J. Deneke. 1986. Urban forestry. 2d. ed. New York: John Wiley and Sons.

Miller, R. 1988. Urban forestry: planning and managing urban green-spaces. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall.

Reynolds, M.K. and H.S. Ossenbruggen. 1992. Planting trees for communities. USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Area, Durham, NH 03824.

Shigo, A.L. 1992. Modern arboriculture. Shigo and Trees, Associates, 4 Denbow Road, Durham, NH 03824-3105.

TreePeople. 1990. The simple act of planting a tree. Los Angeles: Jeremy P. Tarcher.

Ulrich, R. S. 1984. View through a window may influence recovery from surgery. Science (224):420421.

Creating an urban oasis. Missouri Department of Conservation. Video, 20 minutes.

Trees, please! Pekin Illinois/Illinois Department of Conservation. Video, 15 minutes.

American Forests
P.O. Box 2000
Washington D.C. 20013-2000
(202) 667-3300

The National Volunteer Center
1111 North 19th Street, #500
Arlington, VA 22209 (703) 276-0542

National Arbor Day Foundation
100 Arbor Avenue
Nebraska City, NE 68410
(402) 474-5655

Appendices:

     Appendix A--How to Fund Community Forestry
     Appendix B--Tree City USA: Foundation for Better Tree Management
     Appendix C--Tree City USA Growth Award Application

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