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Gunnison District
- Community Forestry
Arbor Day . Tree
City USA® . Tree
Grants . Tree Care . Champion
Tree Program
Community Forestry Links
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Arbor Day
In 2006, America will be celebrating the 134th
anniversary of Arbor Day. The
very first Arbor Day was celebrated in Nebraska
on April 10, 1872. It is estimated that more
than a million trees were planted across the state
of Nebraska on that first Arbor Day. This tree
planting holiday was the brain child of J. Sterling
Morton, a journalist, who moved to Nebraska in
the mid 1850's. Arbor Day was a result of the
appreciation he had for trees.
Arbor Day is celebrated on many different
days throughout the country. The earliest
date is in Florida and Louisiana where they celebrate
on the third Friday in January. In South Carolina,
the first Friday in December is Arbor Day. In
Colorado, we celebrate Arbor Day on the third
Friday in April; for most of Colorado, that date
is ideal for tree planting. However, mountain
communities usually wait until May or June. Some
communities combine the Arbor Day observance with
Earth Day, which is celebrated on April 22nd.
The Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS) can provide
information and ideas on how to celebrate this
tree planter's holiday. Arbor Day can be any day
you choose to plant a tree.
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Tree City USA®
To become a Tree City USA®,
a community must annually
satisfy the following four standards:
- A Tree Board or Department
- Most communities are not large enough to support
a staff position devoted entirely to the care
of trees within the town limits. Therefore,
a group of citizens is appointed and charged
by an ordinance to develop and administer a
tree management program for trees on public
property. This group of citizens usually serves
on a voluntary basis much like other boards
in the city. Some communities have elected to
have the city council or trustees serve as the
Tree Board. Larger cities usually have salaried
employees to care for the public trees.
- A Community Tree Ordinance
- This ordinance gives power to the tree board
or department. The ordinance should determine
public tree care policies for planting, maintenance,
and removals on public property. A list of recommended
trees for the community should be referenced
in this ordinance and be made available to the
citizens of that community.
- A Community Forestry Program with
an Annual Budget of at Least $2 Per Capita
- A town must spend at least $2 per capita on
the the community forestry program. Some examples
of acceptable expenditures on trees include:
planting, removals, inventories, maintenance,
pest surveys, pruning, public classes on tree
care, educational handouts, etc. These expenditures
must be applied towards and directly benefit
the public trees in the community.
- An Arbor Day Observance and Proclamation
- Arbor Day must be celebrated to fulfill the
fourth standard. A proclamation issued by the
mayor must accompany the observance and declare
the observance of Arbor Day in the community.
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Tree Grants
The CSFS assists communities who desire to take
advantage of several grants available for tree
planting and public education about trees. All
tree grants require some match by the applicant
and a plan of action. If trees are to be planted,
a maintenance plan is also required.
The Colorado
Tree Coalition (CTC) grant can be
for tree planting or educational projects concerning
proper tree planting, maintenance, or management
of the urban forest. This CTC grant is available
to local governments, neighborhood groups, and
private non-profit organizations. An applicant
can request from $500 to $2,000 but must match
the requested amount. The match must be with non-federal
dollars. In-kind personnel and volunteer services
will not be considered as a suitable match. The
grant project must have an educational component
to it. Grant applications are usually available
in the fall with a deadline of mid-December to
the CSFS District Forester
The State Street Tree (SST)
grant is for the planting of trees on the public
right-of-way. This SST grant is only available
to communities. A community can request from $500
to $2,000 but must match the requested amount.
The match can be in-kind personnel or operating
costs that are related to the installation or
maintenance of trees. Grant applications are usually
available in the fall with a deadline of mid-December
to the CSFS District Forester.
The Colorado
Parks and Recreation Association
(CPRA) in cooperation with Colorado
ReLeaf and Global
ReLeaf sponsors a tree planting grant. This
CPRA tree grant is sometimes co-sponsored by a
local corporation (i.e., Leanin' Tree Inc.). The
grant is for those entities that would normally
not qualify for financial assistance. Matching
grants of up to $500 are available. These grants
must be matched with local funding and must comprise
at least 50% of the project cost. Grant applications
are usually available before Christmas with a
deadline of mid-January to the ReLeaf Coordinator.
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Tree Care
The community forest is a dynamic entity. As
a result, community tree care managers must annually
keep on top of the needs and health of these trees.
To help communities address these needs, the Gunnison
District has set up several programs to help communities
effectively manage the urban forest.
- A tree inventory of the public trees is often
the first step towards effectively managing
the community forest. A tree inventory can be
very useful to the community. A typical inventory
will identify tree species, hazardous trees,
pruning needs, insect problems, incidence of
disease, and open spaces available for tree
planting. This tree inventory is an integral
part of any long range plan to sustain the urban
forest.
- The Gunnison District conducts sick tree calls
for private property owners throughout our service
area. Diagnosis and tree care recommendations
are made by appointment.
- CSFS offers arboriculture courses to tree
care personnel in local communities. This knowledge
helps a community maintain a healthy community
forest.
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Champion Tree Program
| The American
Forests and the Davey
Company maintain a national registry of
the largest trees in the nation. Kathleen
Alexander of the Colorado Tree Coalition (CTC)
administers the Champion
Tree Program in Colorado. Because Kathleen
cannot cover our large state by herself, the
CSFS helps her by locating champions, publicizing
the program, and educating Coloradoans about
our big trees. |
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To see if you have a champion, you will need
the following measurements:
Colorado champion pineCircumference at breast
height (i.e. 4 - 1/2 feet above the ground), Overall
height, and Average crown spread
The Formula: Circumference (inches) + Height
(feet) + 1/4 of the Average Crown Spread = TOTAL
POINTS
If you think that you have a potential champion,
call or write to the
CSFS. You can see some of these big trees
on the champion
tree poster published by the CTC in 1996.
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Community Forestry Links
National
Arbor Day Foundation
International
Society of Arboriculture
Proper
Pruning Techniques
Tree
Selection Information
National
Arborist Association / Tree Care Industry Association
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