TO: COMMUNITY AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION
FROM: JEREMY SWAN, COMMUNITY SERVICES DIRECTOR
DATE: MAY 1, 2024
Reviewed by:
City Manager: n/a
SUBJECT:
Title
SEMI-ANNUAL REPORTING OF URBAN FOREST ACTIVITIES: JULY-DECEMBER 2023
Body
SUMMARY
The City’s Tree Policies and Guidelines Manual requires staff to bring forth a monthly report of newly planted and removed trees. This practice has been completed over the past several years to provide transparency to the City’s planting and removal practices. On a semi-annual basis, a report of reporting of urban forest maintenance activities will be presented. Included in this report are urban forest maintenance activities for the six-month period of July 1, 2023-December 31, 2023.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommended Action
Staff recommends the Community and Human Services Commission receive and file this report.
Body
ALTERNATIVES TO RECOMMENDATION
In addition to the recommendation, there is the following alternative:
• Refer the item back to staff for additional information.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
The staff cost to prepare this report is estimated at $1,400 and is included in the operating budget of the Community Services Department.
ANALYSIS
Background
The City’s Tree Policies and Guidelines Manual describes the day-to-day management of the urban forest. The Manual describes the responsibilities of the City Council, Community and Human Services Commission, City staff, and the community. City staff is responsible for the removal of City trees that are dead, diseased, or hazardous; the replanting of removed trees; and all trimming activities. Additionally, staff has the authority to remove trees if hardscape/infrastructure repairs cannot be completed without severe root pruning which would jeopardize the health and stability of the tree. The tree may be removed only after all mitigation measures have been considered. Per the Manual, City staff is to provide a monthly report to the Community and Human Services Commission of trees planted and removed each month. The purpose of this requirement is to provide transparency and show equity between removals and plantings. In September 2022, the Community and Human Services Commission directed staff to report urban forest maintenance activities on a semi-annual basis, in April and November of each year. This report will include the six-month period of July 1, 2023-December 31, 2023.
Note: To be consistent with the budget, all reporting periods are by fiscal year, which is July 1 through June 30 of the following calendar year.
Urban Forest Activities - July 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023
Trimming
Proper tree trimming is essential to a tree’s health and structural integrity, which in turn mitigates risk of tree and/or limb failure. There are three types of trimming that the City uses: grid, select, and young tree trimming. During the period of July to December 2023, approximately 2,000 trees were trimmed.
Grid Trimming - Grid trimming occurs in November through June when the weather is generally cooler. As of July 1, 2022, the City moved to a 5-year trimming cycle. In 2023-24, Grid 4 is scheduled for trimming. Grid 4 is the northwestern portion of the City, from Base Line Road to the northern City boundary and from Mills Avenue to the western City boundary. During this reporting period, 1,425 trees were trimmed under the grid trimming program.
Select Trimming - Some trees require trimming outside of the regular grid trimming schedule, which is considered select trimming. This type of trimming is used for pedestrian, vehicle, or sight clearance, structural pruning, or rebalancing. During this reporting period, 532 trees were select trimmed.
Young Tree Care - All newly-planted trees receive a good structural pruning approximately one year after planting. Properly trained trees will develop into structurally sound trees well suited for the urban environment. Young tree care is included in the count for select trim.
Wildlife - Wildlife nesting season runs from February through November of each year. Due to the quantity of trees included in grid trimming, it is almost impossible to complete trimming by the end of February, when nesting season begins. The City’s tree maintenance contractor, West Coast Arborists, Inc. (WCA), takes nesting season very seriously. Whenever WCA crews come across signs of nesting activity, that tree is skipped and scheduled for trimming when all nesting activity has subsided. During this reporting period, no nesting birds were identified.
|
Tree Trimming |
|
6-month Comparison |
|
Year |
Period |
Grid |
Select |
Total |
|
2019 |
July 1-Dec 31 |
239 |
512 |
751 |
|
|
Jan 1-June 30 |
3752 |
1170 |
4922 |
|
|
|
3991 |
1682 |
5673 |
|
2020 |
July 1-Dec 31 |
901 |
1090 |
1991 |
|
|
Jan 1-June 30 |
2811 |
3769 |
6580 |
|
|
|
3712 |
4859 |
8571 |
|
2021 |
July 1-Dec 31 |
518 |
595 |
1113 |
|
|
Jan 1-June 30 |
3147 |
448 |
3595 |
|
|
|
3665 |
1043 |
4708 |
|
2022 |
July 1-Dec 31 |
264 |
336 |
600 |
|
|
Jan 1-June 30 |
3495 |
475 |
3970 |
|
|
|
3759 |
811 |
4570 |
|
2023 |
July 1-Dec 31 |
501 |
85 |
586 |
|
|
Jan 1-June 30 |
3380 |
636 |
4016 |
|
2023 |
3881 |
721 |
4602 |
|
2024* |
July 1-Dec 31 |
1425 |
532 |
1957 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2023 |
1425 |
532 |
1957 |
|
*Reflects the 6-month reporting period of July-Dec 2023 |
|
Plantings
The City’s typical planting season is November through April of each year, depending on weather conditions. Plantings occur during this time to take advantage of the cooler, wetter weather. The City plants 15-gallon-sized trees, but larger trees can be purchased at the resident’s expense. Each tree planting includes staking, tying, watering for the first 90 days, and a watering bag at the end of the 90-day watering period.
During the months of July through December 2023, 170 trees were planted, and the total cost to plant all 170 trees was $54,140. The majority of tree plantings were funded through the Landscape and Lighting District Fund. Two trees were donated to the City through the City’s Gift-to-the-City Program, and eighteen trees were paid for by residents through the City’s Residential Pay Program. The list of trees planted is included in Attachment A.
Below is a breakdown of trees planted by size and funding source:
|
Landscape and Lighting District Fund (LLD) |
|
Size |
Number of Trees |
Amount |
|
15-gallon |
120 |
$26,400 |
|
24”-box |
25 |
$10,500 |
|
36”-box |
5 |
$ 5,500 |
|
LLD Total |
$42,400 |
|
Residential Pay Program / Gift to the City |
|
Size |
Number of Trees |
Amount |
|
24”-box |
17 |
$ 7,140 |
|
36”-box |
2 |
$ 2,200 |
|
48”-box |
1 |
$ 2,400 |
|
Residential Pay / Gift to the City Total |
$11,740 |
|
Total Planting Cost |
$54,140 |
The chart below shows tree plantings over time:
*Reflects the 6-month reporting period of July-Dec 2023
|
Tree Planting |
|
6-month Comparison |
|
Year |
Period |
Total |
|
2019 |
July 1-Dec 31 |
287 |
|
|
Jan 1-June 30 |
484 |
|
|
|
771 |
|
2020 |
July 1-Dec 31 |
84 |
|
|
Jan 1-June 30 |
71 |
|
|
|
155 |
|
2021 |
July 1-Dec 31 |
2 |
|
|
Jan 1-June 30 |
161 |
|
|
|
163 |
|
2022 |
July 1-Dec 31 |
61 |
|
|
Jan 1-June 30 |
214 |
|
|
|
275 |
|
2023 |
July 1-Dec 31 |
134 |
|
|
Jan 1-June 30 |
308 |
|
2023 |
442 |
|
2024* |
July 1-Dec 31 |
170 |
|
|
|
|
|
2023 |
170 |
|
*Reflects the 6-month reporting period of July-Dec 2023 |
Removals
It is the City’s policy to protect and preserve healthy trees whenever possible; however, preservation of City trees is not always possible, and removal is necessary. Staff has the authority to remove trees if they are dead, diseased, or hazardous. Additionally, staff has the authority to remove trees if hardscape/infrastructure repairs cannot be completed without severe root pruning, which would jeopardize the health and stability of the tree. The tree may be removed only after all mitigation measures have been considered. During July through December 2023, 164 trees were removed. All 164 trees were removed from the City’s parks or public rights-of-way. Of the 164 trees removed, 60 trees were removed by City staff at no cost. The remaining 104 trees were removed by WCA. The cost for WCA to remove these 104 trees was $37,891. The list of trees removed is included in Attachment B.
Below is a chart that shows reasons for removal during this reporting period:
The charts below show tree removals over time:
|
Tree Removals |
|
6-month Comparison |
|
Year |
Period |
Total |
|
2019 |
July 1-Dec 31 |
194 |
|
|
Jan 1-June 30 |
287 |
|
|
|
481 |
|
2020 |
July 1-Dec 31 |
285 |
|
|
Jan 1-June 30 |
126 |
|
|
|
411 |
|
2021 |
July 1-Dec 31 |
216 |
|
|
Jan 1-June 30 |
203 |
|
|
|
419 |
|
2022 |
July 1-Dec 31 |
147 |
|
|
Jan 1-June 30 |
494 |
|
|
|
641 |
|
2023 |
July 1-Dec 31 |
333 |
|
|
Jan 1-June 30 |
279 |
|
|
|
612 |
|
2024* |
July 1-Dec 31 |
164 |
|
|
|
|
|
2023* |
|
164 |
|
*Reflects the 6-month reporting period of July-Dec 2023 |
*Reflects the 6-month reporting period of July-Dec 2023
Comparison Charts
Below is a graph that compares annual tree trimming activities by type:
*Reflects the 6-month reporting period of July-Dec 2023
The next chart compares annual tree plantings and removals. Plantings will show greater numbers in past years due to the availability of grant funds for tree planting. Grant funds for planting have now expired, so planting numbers were lower in recent years. Moving forward, the City has included funding for plantings in the Community Services Department budget.
*Reflects the 6-month reporting of July - Dec 2023
*Reflects the 6-month reporting period of July-Dec 2023
CEQA REVIEW
This item is not subject to environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
TREE COMMITTEE REVIEW
On April 17, 2024, the Tree Committee unanimously recommended that the Community and Human Services Commission receive and file this report. An excerpt of the meeting minutes is included as Attachment C.
PUBLIC NOTICE PROCESS
The agenda and staff report for this item have been posted on the City website and distributed to interested parties. If you desire a paper copy, please contact the Community Services Department.
Submitted by: Prepared by:
Jeremy Swan Cari Dillman
Community Services Director Community Services Manager
Attachments:
A - Trees Planted by Address - July to December 2023
B - Trees Removed by Address - July to December 2023
C - Excerpt from the Draft 04-17-24 Tree Committee Meeting Minutes