Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "trees"

A walk by the River

2012-02-07T22:43:45Z

With a beautiful late winter Saturday afternoon to fill, I decided to take my two boys out for a walk by the river. I like the area by Sutters' Landing at 28th/B for it's accessibility and the proximity of the skateboard/bocce/dog parks. The water level is very low and all the tracks and trails were available for wandering.

I took along my two cameras - the new, a Nikon D90 and the old, an Olympus OM4Ti with a 24mm lens. I haven't used the Olympus in a while and wanted to do a comparison by taking some side-by-side images. Also to check if the light seals were still intact - seven years of storage can make them rot.

It was perfect weather for a stroll, the ground was dry, the sun not too hot and the boys had a great time; running, hunting, finding stuff, playing with sticks, messing in the water - I on the other hand, had plenty of time to look at the scenery and take some snaps.

Rule #1 of old-style film photography had obviously escaped me - check that you have enough film in the camera!

I took one shot with the Olympus and that was it - run out of film! The Nikon, of course, had over 200 more images possible, even at my overkill image quality settings (Large, Highest quality RAW and JPGs). That reminds me - I found the oddest thing about using the film camera again was that I kept forgetting to wind the film on!.

Anyway, here are the pictures I took. There was no wind so the trees reflected beautifully. While editing, I rotated some of them 90° to make some wonderful Rorschach-like images.Here's one:

The light was nice at the end of the day, I didn't have to do much to the images beyond cropping and a little contrast adjustment. Anyway, enjoy my pictures and take a stroll out to Sutters Landing yourself some fine day!

Ancient olive trees create the 'heart' of Bridge District park

2012-01-28T04:24:21Z

Four massive Seville olive trees were installed in The Bridge District’s Garden Park earlier this month setting the stage for a welcoming community space in West Sacramento’s newest development area.

Garden Park is a three-quarter-acre public park billed as the “centerpiece” to the first stage of development of The Bridge District, according to Stephen Jaycox, senior vice president of design for The Bridge District’s designer/developer, Fulcrum Property.

Jaycox said the design and planning of The Bridge District is unusual compared to typical new development plans.

“We are starting with the green space and then moving on to building townhomes and apartments around it,” Jaycox said. “This is a different sort of planning from the days when parks were an afterthought.”

The newly-replanted olive trees averaged 21,000 pounds each and are each well over 100 years old, according to Jaycox.

The olive trees were working trees on a farm near Fresno before the move to the park in West Sacramento. They were selected because of their sculptural trunks, character and beauty, Jaycox said.

“Having a fruit-bearing tree is a reminder of the importance of agriculture to our communities,” Jaycox said Thursday.

The trees will frame a seating area in the center of the park featuring a 16-foot-long granite table that Fulcrum Property President Mark Friedman described as “an invitation” to get together with neighbors.

“The trees give the park instant character, creating a sense of age and permanence that you wouldn’t normally get in a new park,” Friedman said.

Jaycox said Garden Park is designed in what is called a “circus plan” – a long oval – similar to South Park in San Francisco.

“It’s long and narrow, and the buildings will go up around it,” he said. “It will feel like being in an outdoor room.”

Garden Park is expected to be the “heart of the neighborhood,” according to Friedman.

“We’ve built it like a jewel box for the district,” he said.

The West Sacramento park will cost nearly $2 million and is being paid for with a variety of public funds including grants and general fund dollars, Katy Jacobson, project manager for the city of West Sacramento, said Friday.

“(The olive trees) give us an instant sense of history as we transform the area from industrial to mixed-use,” Jacobson said.

Additional improvements to The Bridge District will include final construction of an off-ramp at Fifth Street this fall, followed by the start of construction on the first housing units before the end of the year, Jacobson said.

As Garden Park nears completion, the final addition will be a yet-to-be-selected sculpture set in a prominent place as a counterpoint to the ancient trees.

“It will offset something natural – the ancient Seville olive trees – with something manmade,” Friedman said.

Construction on Garden Park began in November and is expected to open in spring, although no specific date has been set.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Man on the street: Thanksgiving edition

2011-11-23T03:03:50Z

The short, brisk days and the warm, fall colors in the trees remind us that the holidays are fast approaching. With Thanksgiving upon us, The Sacramento Press went to the streets to ask, “What should Sacramento be thankful for?”

“All of the trees,” said Debbie Isley, 59, a retired real estate agent from Placerville. “And the water.”

Isley, originally from Southern California, said she appreciates how green the area is, especially after living in the desert for many years.

For those native to the area, the answers change a bit. Carolyn Gamble, a retired state employee from Carmichael, has lived in the Sacramento area her entire life.

“Sacramento supports everything here,” said Gamble, 65. “It’s a very supportive town."

For Lisa Larimore, a teacher from Davis, it’s all about the food.

“Sacramento should be thankful for all of the really good restaurants,” said Larimore, 48. She listed Elephant Bar and The Cheesecake Factory among her favorites.

Randy Boyle, 59, is originally from Oklahoma, but moved here many years ago for work. Although he has lived in Hawaii, the Midwest and all over California, he said this part of the world is his favorite.

“The great weather and the proximity to all things outdoors,” said Boyle, a manager at UPS from Vacaville. “There are not many places where you can water ski and snow ski on the same day.”

Boyle also said the importance of being the state capital is a reason for Sacramento to be thankful.

For Ericka Landero, 20, a retail associate from Antelope, Sacramento is a place for possibilities.

“I think Sacramento should be thankful for the many opportunities we have in life,” said Landero.

What do you think Sacramento should be thankful for? Please let us know in the comment section below.

Growing Debate Over Sacramento Tree Removals

2011-11-22T01:41:11Z

Criticism over the handling of Sacramento tree removals sparked a heated debate at the November Parks and Recreation Commission meeting in city hall.

Nathan Jacobsen, an attorney and environmental activist, spoke at the Parks and Recreation Commission tree appeal hearing to oppose a decision made by Jerry Way, Director of Transportation, to remove a Non-Heritage ‘Bradford’ Flowering Pear tree, located at 2001 10th Street.

“The city should be protecting a public resource, not tearing it down or destroying it without a clear democratic process. Removals need to be supported by factual information,” Jacobsen said.

On April 26, Jacobsen sent a request to meet with Way regarding the approval to remove the ‘Bradford’ tree.

Instead, Way’s representative and Manager of Urban Forestry Services Joe Bennassini spoke with Jacobsen on grounds for the removal.

Still in disagreement, Jacobsen sent an appeal to Jim Combs, Director of Sacramento Department of Parks and Recreation on Sept. 21.

The Sacramento Tree Foundation, in its brochure The Magnificent Trees of Del Campo Park, describe the Bradford Pear tree (Pyrus Calleryana) as one of the earliest blooming trees in late winter. When in bloom, it produces white flowers, small marble-sized fruits and has a red fall color. It can grow to 50 feet tall and 30 feet wide. Without corrective pruning when young, its narrow branch angles may cause the tree to split at 12 to 15 years old.

At the Parks and Recreation Commission tree appeal hearing, the debate boiled down to several points. Bennassini defended the tree’s removal because of the cultivar’s history of limb failure, its location to a near-by preschool, poor limb structure and an overwhelming mistletoe infestation.

Jacobsen countered the argument at the hearing, disputing that the tree is “healthy and vigorous” with no visible signs of decline caused by mistletoe, no attempts to prune the mistletoe had been made and the tree is fully mature and uniquely large for its species. Furthermore, branch failures are an innate part of living with trees, no imminent threat was posed by the tree, the tree is approximately 40 feet from the preschool and the repaired sidewalk indicates a prior effort to preserve the tree’s life.

“While the tree does not present an imminent problem, it presents a predictable problem. Removal and replacement of trees such as this reduces risk and are a part of routine and responsible maintenance of the urban forest and is within the mission of Urban Forestry,” read the UFS staff recommendation for tree removal, signed and submitted by Benassini.

“Urban Forestry has routinely removed these (Bradford Pear) trees as they have reached their full life expectancy (25 to 30 years) and as the risk of branch failure increased,” read the November Parks and Recreation Commission meeting minutes.

“Do we benefit from a city of sapling trees that don’t grow to mature size? The value of a mature tree exponentially exceeds that of a ewly planted one,” Jacobsen said at the hearing.

In a July email Jacobsen sent to the mayor and city councilmembers, he noted the benefits of older, mature trees which provide increased energy savings, wildlife habitat, water filtration benefits and enhanced property values.

“Practice is to replace a large tree with a large tree. The fact is, we build cities differently than we did before, we don’t have as many opportunities to plant within large areas that can support large trees,” Benassini said at the hearing.

Urban Forestry Services contended that pruning would not remedy the Bradford tree’s poor branch attachment and that the cost and risk analysis of the tree outweighed the benefit of its preservation.

“All that said, perhaps it will still be prudent to remove the tree, but I believe the larger issues of businesses advocating for tree removals still be addressed,” wrote Jacobsen in a September email to Benassini.

The owner of Tiny Town Pre-School successfully requested the removal of two other trees located on public property in recent years.

Jacobsen questioned the qualifications of UFS staff and presented pictures of other trees that had been cut down by the city with recommendations from staff and conflicting evidence in the removed entities.

He addressed the problem of city arborists and inspectors identifying healthy, viable trees as safety hazards based on the complaints and desires of developers and business owners. He stated that there could be a problem with the willingness of the department to take every claim made by staff as true.

A contentious atmosphere began building up in the hearing; commissioners asked Jacobsen not to “single-out” Joe Benassini’s name in the criticisms being made.

In the final motion, the Parks and Recreation Commission unanimously voted to remove and replace the ‘Bradford’ tree in question.

This, however, was not Jacobsen’s first battle with the City.

In August of 2010, Jacobsen sued the City in Sacramento Superior Court for a violation of the California Public Records Act for failing to respond to a records request of policy regarding removal of city trees and records related to removal of specific street trees.

The complaint against the city also alleged that the city failed to comply with ordinances that require public citizens receive the opportunity to appeal the removal of public street trees.

The court granted Jacobsen a preliminary injunction that ordered the City of Sacramento to comply with the appeals procedure mandated by City Code section 12.56.120 on March 25, 2011.

In the tentative ruling the City was found ignoring its own rules to circumvent the public appeals process in tree removals.
“Are we all going to have a voice in how public resources are used, or will it only be the people with money, power and influence,” said Jacobsen.

Dan Pskowski, listed as one of the Sacramento Tree Foundation’s “2009 Tree Heroes” and arborist of 18 years for Sacramento’s Urban Forestry Services, spoke at the July 26 city council meeting.

Pskowski expressed his concern for trees that do not meet “heritage criteria” and receive no second thought in removal. He states that these classifications have led large trees to be removed without just cause.

“In Land Park, one citizen had to install air conditioning in their home because a neighbor had removed a large canopy tree that had provided shade, just because of a leaf litter problem,” Pskowski told the city council.

Jacobsen followed Pskowski’s comments at the hearing.

“I have had, and continue to have some concerns about the lack of public process and transparency in city and environmental issues... it’s difficult to publicly participate when conflicting information is provided,” Jacobsen said at the July city council hearing.

Councilmember Angelique Ashby openly criticized Jacobsen at the hearing for not contacting her office, not coming forward in prior community meetings, California Environmental Quality Act Notices and council meetings regarding trees up for removal in the “Cars on K Street” project.

“Waiting and missing those two years of opportunity is a cost of $20 thousand to $30 thousand at a time when we’re upside down in a budget,” Ashby retorted at the hearing.

The CEQA notice was a Mitigated Negative Declaration. Meaning, the city found “no environmental impact that could not be mitigated to a less than significant level,” Jacobsen pointed out in an email to Councilmember Ashby following the meeting.

Jacobsen then stated that the mitigation document, primarily informational, provides the public an analysis of the environmental effects and consequences, was missing in the CEQA notice.

He addressed the concealed changes from Urban Forestry Services, with eight trees being considered for removal and only two being addressed in the CEQA notice.

“It was impossible to determine what the plan was and how many trees would be removed for the project,” Jacobsen said in the email.

Jacobsen was also unable to submit his appeal until an injunction had been granted by the court, mandating the temporary ruling that forced the City to obey its own policy of allowing tree removal appeals.

The Parks and Recreation Commission denied Jacobsen’s appeal to keep the London plane street trees on K Street. The commission motioned to support the removal and recommended the trees be replaced by a minimum of two trees.

In the end, a redesign proposal came through from the Department of Transportation that allowed the trees to remain standing on K Street.

“Absent my appeal, trees would have been removed at an unnecessary expense to the city and the environment,” Jacobsen stated in the email to Councilmember Ashby.

The Department of Urban Forestry Services’ website states that there are approximately 100,000 trees in Sacramento, a beautiful diversity that gave Sacramento the title “City of Trees.”

“I think that the best decisions are made when the public is informed and engaged even if there is disagreement about those issues,” Jacobsen concluded at the July city council meeting.

Cast a Patriotic Vote for our Trees

2011-06-28T15:46:08Z

Imagine this: You’re driving down the highway in a new Sacramento Tree Foundation Truck. It’s your first full day on the job, it’s raining, you’re slowing down to look for your exit when… bam! Another truck sideswipes you at 70 MPH. Suddenly you’re tumbling, tail over hood, down the embankment, until finally you come to a stop – miraculously right side up and without a scratch on you. The roll bar saved your life, but the trees, the truck, and yes, your first day are completely wrecked.

Know what’s even worse? You don’t have to imagine it. It happened. On one rainy day in April the Sacramento Tree Foundation lost a truck that we had hoped would help us move trees and large supplies to our plantings in parks, at schools, in neighborhoods, and at habitat restoration sites. We were lucky because our driver walked away without a scratch on him, but we were sad because losing the truck would slow down our efforts to plant 5 million trees in the Sacramento region.

Enter Toyota’s 100 Cars for Good initiative – our chance to win a truck so that we can do more good for our community.

So how do you know we’re “doing good”? Well, check us out. Go to www.sactree.com to view the 2-minute video we made to explain why we need a Toyota truck. If that doesn’t convince you then consider this: for 29 years the Sacramento Tree Foundation has been helping people throughout the Sacramento region plant, care and learn about trees. Elm, maple, sycamore, pine…look outside right now and chances are you will be looking out upon a forest of trees. Our region reaps the benefits of an urban forest rich with a canopy of 7 million trees. From air quality, to shade, to health and well being, trees define the Sacramento landscape and make our community a wonderful place to live.

Trees have also become a way for people to give back to their community. From September 2010 through June 2011, the Sacramento Tree Foundation saw over 4,000 volunteers show up at our planting events. These 4,000 volunteers put over 18,000 trees in the ground. That’s equivalent to $5.3 million in energy saving benefits to the community, $14.5 million in air quality improvements, and an $8.5 million increase in property values. And that’s just in one year! Imagine the benefit to the community if we all continue to plant trees for another 30 years.

Of course, in order to plant the trees, we have to move trees, and to move the trees we need a new truck. But to get that new truck we need your help.

And I know you want to help. Of the 500 contestants that are entered in Toyota’s 100 Cars for Good initiative, four are from the Sacramento area: Freedom Bound Center; Disabled Sports USA Far West; the American Red Cross Capital Region Chapter, and the Sacramento Tree Foundation. Of the four, two have already won vehicles. Freedom Bound Center took home the prize on May 17, and Disabled Sports USA Far West, in Citrus Heights, was the May 22 winner. The Sacramento Tree Foundation is up for its vote on July 4, 2011, and votes for the American Red Cross can be cast on August 13.

So, to close this out, I just want you to imagine one more thing. This Independence day while you’re outside barbequing under the shade of a giant elm, biking under a line of oaks along the American River Parkway, or relaxing in hammock between two maple trees, think of the organization that wants to help put more trees in the ground. Think of the Sacramento Tree Foundation and remember that you can improve your community just by voting on July 4. Visit sactree.com to watch the video and sign up for a reminder to vote.

Disclosure: Anne Fenkner is a Greenprint regional coordinator for the Sacramento Tree Foundation

4th Wednesday Design Dialogue - Quantifying the Benefits of Street Trees

2011-06-22T01:49:08Z

There's a lot more green on a tree than just its leaves!

At this month's 4WDD ISA-Certified Arborist Scott Gregory will talk about assessing the economic and environmental benefits of the urban forest. In April, Scott successfully defended his master's thesis, "Quantifying Street Tree Function and Distribution: Analysis of Environmental Services, Population Characteristics, and Sidewalk Uplift in the City of Chico, California".

His thesis entailed inventory of 34,950 street trees, stumps, and available planting sites within the City of Chico and subsequent data analysis to quantify environmental services provided by the City's street trees. By identifying public and private trees in advance of potential tree failure, the street tree inventory is estimated to save the City of Chico as much as $30,000 per year in reduced maintenance and emergency clean-up costs. Carbon dioxide sequestration benefits have already been used in the development of the City of Chico Climate Action Plan, and the identification of available tree planting sites has subsequently assisted in the acquisition of a tree planting grant by Chico's Street Tree Department.

The event is FREE and open to anyone. Light refreshments are provided. Please RSVP to info@aiacv.org or call 916-444-3658.
See the flyer (above) for more information.

What : 4th Wednesday Design Dialogue (4WDD) – Quantifying the Benefits of Street Trees

When : Wednesday, June 22nd @ 5:45-7:30pm. Doors open at 5:30, discussion and question/ answer session follows the presentation

Where: AIACV Chapter Office, 1400 S Street, Sacramento (Enter on 14th Street)

Facilitator: Jake Favour, Creative Director at Romp Creative

Disclosure: Dalton LaVoie is the co-chair of the 4th Wednesday Design Dialogue (4WDD).

Fallen trees live on

2011-04-30T01:26:52Z

Nothing lives forever, but according to Clark Kayler, trees can.

He extends the life of trees by turning them into furniture. The trees go from decorating the streets to decorating various rooms.

Kayler, 41, is the owner and founder of New Helvetia Hardwoods.

They rescue trees that have been knocked down by storms, trees that are being chopped down for development purposes or dying trees that are all headed for the landfills.

“(I am) giving our city’s trees a second chance,” Kayler said.

In early 2005, Kayler noticed a tree being removed from his neighbor’s yard. It bothered him. He asked the neighbor for the redwood tree, and he created his first piece of furniture: a table.

As a property manager, he is experienced in restoring and remodeling older homes. Rescuing trees is a hobby he hopes to turn into a business someday, he said.

“I was always driving around fixing things,” Kayler said. “I would see the tree service companies taking down trees. I would grab my trailer (and) pull (up) next to them. It is more of an opportunistic thing, (and then) I see if I can get the tree.”

When a tree will fall is unpredictable, and sometimes people call him, or he finds them, Kayler noted.

The more people know about what New Helvetia Hardwoods does, the more it grows and the more trees are saved, Kayler said.

“Trees get to bless us. They have a long life, their beauty doesn’t die and their contribution to us doesn’t go away … We encounter them every day – they don’t have to disappear,” Kayler said.

His son, Mattias Kayler, 15, helps him and shares the same passion for trees.

Trees are taken for granted. Whether it is acknowledged or not, trees have a presence – they shade, they provide the beautification, smell – they play a role in you wanting to sit there and enjoy the area or relax, Mattias Kayler said.

In turning trees into furniture, it is like giving them a proper burial, Clark Kayler added.

“My favorite tool to use is the axe. I like the rhythm involved in using it – the motion, the swing of back and forth. When you come in contact with the wood, you feel the impact – you feel connected,” Mattias Kayler added.

“When you cut a tree down the middle, you get to see the entire life of the tree. It’s like a biography of the tree,” Clark Kayler said.

He has used around 50 trees so far, and most of them are from Midtown and West Sacramento.

Some of the trees he works with are walnut, elm, figured redwood, big leaf daple and Deodora cedar.

He uses an Alaskan chain saw mill. It is a huge chainsaw to cut trees that can be 6 feet wide and 40 feet long.

Another tool is a skid loader. Like a forklift, it is a common basic contractor’s tool used for moving heavy things. A trailer and a truck are used for transporting the logs.

He has a little yard in West Sacramento, and at times he uses his own garage for the finishing.

The first step is acquiring, then milling, storing and finishing. The process requires a lot of patience, Clark Kalyer said.

He has supplied woods for a number of places in San Francisco for remodeling. Locally, the Azul Mexican Food and Tequila bar restaurant on 20th Street also carries his work.

He said he is concerned that the planting of trees is no longer supported or protected, especially canopy trees.

According to him, it will save money, and the environment, to turn these trees into furniture.

“There is an enormous carbon footprint generated in the throwing away of the trees,” Clark Kayler noted. “It also takes heavy equipment, manpower and expensive equipment.”

Architect and designer Michael Hargis, 38, has worked with Clark Kayler before.

“Clark is very responsive. He is honest, (and) he delivered everything he said he would. I am looking at doing more business together,” Hargis said.

Clark Kayler has found something he is passionate about, and he is on the verge of turning it into a business, Hargis said.

“The fact that he is recycling the trees and things are not going to waste is cool,” Hargis noted.

For more information contact Clark Kayler: clark@newhelvetiahardwoods.com or 548 4007.

Bonsai Show: photo essay

2011-04-12T05:11:27Z

The American Bonsai Association, Sacramento (ABAS) held its 52nd Annual Show and Sale over the weekend at the Shepard Garden and Arts Center in McKinley Park, Sacramento.

Bonsai is the Japanese art of growing and shaping miniature trees in containers to imitate the forms and shapes of full-sized trees.

The show included displays of over 100 bonsai trees, suiseki (Japanese viewing stones) displays, workshops, and bonsai vendors from around Northern California.

City outsources tree pruning work

2011-02-24T00:51:57Z

The Sacramento City Council voted Tuesday to hire an outside contractor for tree pruning and removal work despite opposition from a major city union, Stationary Engineers Local 39.

Council members voted 7-2 to pay up to $3.7 million to Roseville-based Jensen Tree Service, Inc., for a contract that could span five years. The contract has a one-year guarantee of work – after that, the city manager will decide each year over the following four years whether to continue the contract, according to Craig Lymus, the city’s acting procurement manager.

A representative for Local 39, which represents urban forestry workers, among many other groups of city employees, said the work that Jensen Tree Services will carry out is usually done by city employees.

“I find this to be an affront to the public employees and the residents of this city,” Linda Norman, business representative for Local 39, told the City Council. “These dollars will be lost to the city’s embattled economy.”

Each year, the city will pay the contractor $749,000, according to Transportation Director Jerry Way. The money will come from a lighting and landscaping fund, he said.

Way told council members that his department is trying to balance its tree pruning work between in-house workers and outside contractors to save money. The city’s Urban Forest Service is part of the Transportation Department.

“We’re growing our outsourcing a little bit, because, you know, we’ve been hemorrhaging general fund dollars,” Way said.

Councilwomen Sandy Sheedy and Bonnie Pannell voted against hiring the contractor. Pannell raised concerns about contracting with an outside firm when the unemployment rate is high. “My problem is: Unemployment is 12 percent,” she said.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

University of Phoenix Sacramento Campus Makes City Greener

2011-02-23T20:07:35Z

More than 100 employees from University of Phoenix’s Sacramento Campus joined together to help maintain and beautify the Northern California Parkway, a landmark scenic area that helps differentiate Sacramento as the “City of Trees.” In support of the Sacramento Tree Foundation (STF), volunteers planted 43 trees, demonstrating the significant impact volunteers can make in just one day when working together.

“University of Phoenix Sacramento Campus has a fantastic group of employees, and fosters a culture that encourages ongoing community involvement and volunteerism,” said University of Phoenix Sacramento Campus Director Scott Lewis. “We are proud to support the efforts of the Sacramento Tree Foundation, and believe that working to maintain the beautiful natural landscape of Sacramento benefits the entire community.”

University of Phoenix volunteers worked with STF to plant new trees and perform maintenance work on trees planted in previous years including, staking, un-staking, mulching, weeding and irrigation work. Further beautification activities included trash pickup, brush clearing and pruning back rose bushes.

“Our mission to plant, protect, and teach about trees relies on the dedication and contributions of thousands of volunteers who work alongside our staff every year,” said STF President William Ishmael. “We are so encouraged by the generous outpouring of hard work from University of Phoenix Sacramento Campus. The Sacramento region would suffer greatly without the benefits that trees provide, and we need informed and active citizens, like those who joined us from University of Phoenix, to create a legacy of healthy, livable communities for many generations to come. ”

STF is leading the effort to plant 5 million trees by 2025 in the greater Sacramento region. The organization has been protecting, planting, and promoting education about trees since 1982.

Disclosure: Justin Dyke is a public relations professional in Sacramento working on behalf of University of Phoenix.

Compromise Presented At Tree Hearing

2011-02-07T02:59:43Z

A long-debated topic in the Curtis Park neighborhood came potentially one step closer to its resolution Friday morning during a hearing at the Historic City Hall. Representatives from the community, concerned about the future of some 57 “Heritage Tress” in the Curtis Park Village development, presented a collaborated compromise designed to mitigate the impacts of any tree removal with the project firm, Petrovich Development Company.

“Heritage trees” are the large oak trees that pepper within the boundaries of the Curtis Park Village. The land they now occupy is contaminated with various toxins due to the pervious industrial railroad shops that formerly stood on the site.

Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association President Patrick Soluri called the compromise the result of an “extensive collaboration with the developer, the city and neighborhood association.”

“We were skeptical at first, but we are now satisfied with the conditions,” Soluri said.

Joe Benassini from the city’s Urban Forestry Division outlined three main points of the compromise:

1. Wherever trees are located and toxins are not present, those trees will not be removed. If later planning requires a tree to be removed, it will be brought up for review on its own merits.

2. One “Legacy” tree (a tree which does not meet the standards to be labeled “Heritage” but still is deemed highly important to the community) will not be removed unless toxin levels in its soil absolutely require so.

3. The developer will pay $378,000 to replace the trees that must be removed. SCNA, the city of Sacramento and the Sacramento Tree Foundation would collaborate on how best to use the funds.

Benassini recommended granting permits based on the fulfillment of these conditions.

Philip Harvey, senior vice president of Petrovich Development Company, said he was happy to reach the compromise.

“Estimates from 1995 showed that there are 80,000 cubic yards of soil contamination on the site,” he said. “Once the cleanup began, we realized toxins in the soil were much higher than believed. We ended up removing 240,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil. This is soil with arsenics and other cancer-causing materials.”

Harvey said original plans for the development incorporated the trees locations in its design.

“The toxin levels required the redesign,” he said. “We will work with Urban Forestry to best place new trees in the development.”

Mediator Bill Carey asked the members of the gallery to voice any comments or questions after the representatives finished their presentations. Curtis Park resident Linda Elgart was the lone commentator of the attendants.

“I just want to stress that we save the trees when possible,” Elgart said.

The concerns which once divided the neighborhood leaders with the developers seemed for the time to be settled.

“We look forward for this collaboration to continue,” Soluri said.

At least one resident in attendance still questions the levels of toxicity in the development area. Claudia Ludice’s backyard backs up to the development’s northern border. She pulled me aside after the hearing and told me that her children used to play under the trees in question.

“This is before the fences went up, of course, a long time ago,” she said. “They would make mud pies, for crying out loud. I don’t know of any ill effects from it.”

A decision from Carey is expected within two weeks.

Tree Advocates Stress Need For Discussion, Accountability

2011-02-01T01:08:51Z

There has been an enthusiastic debate simmering in the Curtis Park neighborhood for quite some time now. The topic of discussion: heritage trees in development zones and their proposed removal. But through the passionate exchanges from local residents and the developer of the project, cooler heads express the need for civility. I learned this while speaking candidly with two citizens working hard behind the scenes on this hot-button topic over the weekend.

Patrick Soluri, Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association president, gave me the CliffsNotes version of information from years of hearings, public meetings, press releases and e-mails from neighborhood advocates.

In a nutshell: The Petrovich Development Company, owners of the former rail yards adjacent to 24th Street, plan to develop the 72-acre site and want to remove all trees on the property in efforts to clean toxins left over from years of industrial use. Neighbors around the development have voiced concerns over losing what they deem to be irreplaceable heritage oak trees on the site.

As these things tend to go, emotions became intense, promises made in good faith for whatever reason were not kept, and people’s wires have become frayed. “That’s when the notices went up on Portola Way,” Soluri said. “The letters said the trees were coming down. I thought we were going to have another discussion with the developer. For whatever reason, it didn’t happen. The neighbors became concerned.”

Fielding the concerns of neighborhood activists with their passionate beliefs and trying to find common ground to find a realistic compromise is no small task. But while the Petrovich Development Company and the SCNA have historically had a somewhat contentious relationship, Soluri said he is open for fostering a continuous and mutually respectful dialogue.

“Discussion helps.“ Soluri repeatedly said. “It gets us into the process and helps to keep the neighborhood informed. And it promotes accountability with any concessions we may achieve. If we compromise, it’s important that the terms of the compromise are followed through by those promised them. We want to make sure that happens.”

Dan Airola, a certified wildlife biologist and Curtis Park resident, pointed out that “Down the line, we’re looking at losing these trees for other reasons, too.” Final plot lines for the proposed development have yet to be drawn, and trees that pass any toxicity testing may still have a date with a chainsaw if they are in the middle of a future intersection. “But even more remarkable than the age or size of these trees is the number of migratory birds I’ve observed in these trees: much more than in the surrounding areas.”

Airola produced his own study, which claimed that the number of migratory birds using the trees slated for removal is many times higher than in the trees in populated areas. Airola said that in some cases the bird density is 38 times greater in these heritage trees that other similar areas. The reasons why these trees in particular are more dense than other requires further study, but Airola said he is unsure how any developer can replace this environment pound-for-pound without the luxury of time, a luxury the birds may not be able to afford.

“Some trees have to go.” Airola freely admitted. “The nature of the toxicity is such that no amount of cleaning can be effective without removing some trees. But any tree that can be saved should be saved. It’s a quality-of-life issue.”

While providing me with a tour of the development border, Airola’s passion for the trees’ preservation was apparent. However, so was his willingness to concede that at the end of the day a mutually beneficial compromise with the developer would still be a favorable result from this community activism.

“As soon as the permits are approved, we’ll probably lose more trees,” he said. “But if we can get some accountability on some of these concessions, then maybe we can save something irreplaceable for the future generations. Let’s get people out, let’s activate people, have a dialogue and hash this issue out.”

I was able to speak briefly with Phillip Harvey, vice president of development for the Petrovich Development Company, about finding common ground with the locals.

“We are beholden to several safety regulations in order to certify that the earth is free of toxins,” he said. “Despite rumors to the contrary, we cannot simply vacuum up the dirt around the trunks of the trees and call them safe. That’s just not how it works. However, we have been working with City Councilman (Jay) Schenirer toward moving to a conclusion on this issue, and we’re looking forward to putting this matter behind us.”

Citizens will get another chance to have to their say and hear arguments from both sides an what could be the penultimate hearing on this matter at 9 a.m. Friday at the historic City Hall, second floor, 915 I St.

For more information visit:

http://www.sierra2.org/SierraCurtisNeighborhoodAssociation/Advocacy/CurtisParkVillage/tabid/80/Default.aspx

http://www.petrovichdevelopment.com/

Councilmember steps in to save Heritage Trees

2011-01-21T00:36:34Z

The Friday, January 21st hearing at which development firm Petrovich Development planned to request a permit from the City of Sacramento to remove Heritage Trees from his Curtis Park Village site has been cancelled until a future date. The postponement is the result of a meeting arranged between Sacramento Councilmember Jay Schenirer and members of the Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association (SCNA) on the evening of January 19th.

Representatives of SCNA’s Neighborhood Concerns Committee who attended the meeting are encouraged about what transpired, and feel that what was agreed upon and what is still being discussed amounts to good news for trees at the future site of the development project on the Union Pacific Railyard. Councilmember Schenirer’s meeting between representatives of SCNA’s Neighborhood Concerns Committee and Petrovich Development occurred less than two days before a contentious hearing on a permit for the developer to remove 57 Heritage Trees from the site for the purpose of completing the removal of toxic soil.

Under Schenirer’s leadership, the developer and community representatives agreed to the following four points, all of which
will be developed into enforceable measures.

First, where the presence of toxic contamination does not require it, Heritage Trees and non-heritage trees will not be cut, although some of those trees will have to be cut later for roads and other development. This will save as many trees as possible, but allows for complete remediation of the site.

Second, the Grand Legacy Valley Oak, which is outside the area known to be toxic, will not be removed unless contamination is found.

Third, SCNA will participate with Sacramento City staff and others in developing appropriate mitigation for the loss of those Heritage Trees that must be removed.

Fourth, the City’s hearing on the developer’s application for a permit to remove Heritage Trees is postponed until February 4, 2011. This is a tentative postponement, and provides time for all parties to reach agreement on the specific details of the above points.

Assuming agreement by all, SCNA will not oppose the tree removal permit.

SCNA is appreciative of the new Councilmember’s leadership in this matter that is so close to the heart of many Curtis Park residents.
The neighborhood association is cautiously optimistic that a resolution is forthcoming. SCNA thanks all those who offered phone calls and emails in support of the preservation of the trees, and thanks Councilmember Schenirer and Petrovich Development for their roles in this effort.

Residents celebrate Tretheway's community service

2010-10-19T05:45:48Z

Supporters of outgoing Sacramento Councilman Ray Tretheway gathered in North Natomas on Monday night to celebrate Tretheway’s nine consecutive years on the City Council.

Tretheway, who was first elected in 2001, lost the District 1 re-election race in June to his opponent Angelique Ashby. He will leave his City Council seat in late November, but will keep his position as executive director of the Sacramento Tree Foundation.

More than 100 people turned out for Monday night’s event held at the North Natomas Library. District 1 includes North and South Natomas and downtown’s Alkali Flat.

“We are knitted as a community,” Tretheway told his supporters and constituents Monday night. “There’s no doubt about it. There’s something special in Natomas ... It has been an honor to serve you and to stand side-by-side with you in so many different endeavors.”

Tretheway sat with former Sacramento Mayor Heather Fargo, a Natomas resident herself, as several of his constituents praised him for his community work.

Nick Avdis, a District 1 resident who is active in the Valley View Acres Community Association, said Tretheway urged him to get involved with his community. Avdis said Tretheway is a neighbor. “You stand with us because you are one of us,” he said.

Jerry Way, the city’s transportation director, described Tretheway as “a man of great integrity.”

Fargo said she’s worked with Tretheway on local issues since 1980. Their shared work included planting trees, cleaning up graffiti and building parks, she said.

“He’ll be missed, but he’s not going too far away,” Fargo told the crowd. “He’s still going to be living out here and working on things, and planting trees. And he’ll still be your friend.”

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Exhibit Reveals Sacramento's Arboreal Love Affair

2010-08-13T04:34:19Z

Sacramento has been called “The City of Trees,” a city with more trees per capita than Paris, a place known for its romantic, tree-lined walkways and thoroughfares.

Each tree in Sacramento has a story to tell. This is the theme of “Living With Trees,” a new art exhibit that opened in City Hall Aug. 4 featuring 17 historical photographs selected from the Center for Sacramento History’s archives, each telling a small piece of the decades-old romance Sacramento has had with its trees.

There are images of automobiles smashed by broad tree trunks flung down in the windstorm of 1950, costumed children playacting in a shaded grove and an ordinary Sacramento man sweeping a front yard enveloped by countless leaves.

But, it’s about more than just the trees, said Coloma artist Cheri Ibes. “It’s about our relationship with nature.”

Ibes’ installation is in the center of the exhibit – a tangled arrangement of pruned brambles from a manzanita shrub enclosed in a glass case.

“The spectrum of the human relationship with nature runs between fear of an unbridled, uncontrollable force of nature – things like hurricanes and earthquakes – to wanting to control and own nature ourselves in the form of something like a potted bonsai plant in your backyard,” Ibes said.

Her installation, she said, embodies that spectrum of human interaction with nature, as do all the photographs in the exhibit.

Since 1849, the people of Sacramento have cherished the benefits of having lots of trees around. But with the city’s budget cuts reducing the workforce of Urban Forestry services from the equivalent of 57 full-time employees to about 36, there is concern about what the future holds for Sacramento’s urban canopy.

Despite having fewer employees, a recent upgrade to a Google Earth-style tree mapping system that tracks data for about 100,000 public trees in Sacramento has made preservation efforts easier for the city, Sacramento Urban Forestry Manager Joe Benassini said.

“There’s a real protective tendency people have toward trees, ” said Lisa Prince, curator of this exhibit and curator for the Center for Sacramento History, which is presenting the exhibit in conjunction with The Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission.

Trees give us shade from the scorching summer sun, clean air to breathe, and promote mental and emotional well-being, Prince said.

Prince said she wants people to walk away from the exhibit having found some way to connect with the history of Sacramento and develop an appreciation for the urban forest.

Some have. The exhibit includes a cork board where visitors can tack up an index card with their tree stories. The cards are full of stories: about weddings, sad memories of trees now gone, happy childhood memories of climbing trees and building tree houses.

The exhibit can be viewed at 915 I Street in the Robert T. Matsui Gallery on the first floor of the new City Hall building until Jan. 15. The viewing hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Photos 1 and 2 courtesy of the Center for Sacramento History. Photos 3 and 4 by Colin Wood.

Photo 4 is of Joe Benassini, Sacramento Urban Forestry Manager.

Arborists keep Sacramento connected to nature

2010-07-30T07:48:31Z

Maintaining Sacramento’s 100,000 trees is no small task, and with seven positions likely to be cut next week, the Urban Forestry tree maintenance staff will be stretched even thinner.

“We’ve gone from about 58 full-time-equivalent employees to 28 since 2005,” said Urban Forestry Manager Joe Benassini.

Those 28 positions are currently filled, with another eight technically on the books but not staffed. Benassini said the department has not been filling positions vacated through attrition in anticipation of the budget problems and has yet to lay off any employees.

But unless an agreement with unions is made by Aug. 5, some staffers will be let go.

Residents at the July 19 Area 1 Neighborhood Advisory Group raised concerns that tree maintenance staff was being unfairly targeted while pruning staff was being kept on the job.

Benassini said Thursday that in the attrition the department has seen over the past five years, more pruning staff has been lost than maintenance staff, and the department needs to keep a balance.

“The truth is that the skill sets don’t translate both ways,” Benassini said. “I can take a pruner and have them plant trees and do basic maintenance work, but I can’t take an arborist and teach them how to rig and climb and prune trees. It’s much heavier, more-skilled work.”

Benassini was quick to add, however, that arborists are essential to the city, and he hopes the current situation is not permanent.

So what, exactly, is an arborist?

The city currently has two positions classified as arborists, but there are many on staff who are certified as arborists, according to Benassini. That certification means employees have passed a test to ensure they have the level of expertise to properly maintain a tree.

“It’s not as thorough as a college degree in botany, but it means they are qualified,” Benassini said.

“Our arborists really deal with trees on a tree-by-tree basis,” Benassini said, comparing them to having the same job in Urban Forestry as a surgeon has in a hospital.

When arborists are dispatched to deal with a particular tree, Benassini said that nine times out of 10, it is to water the tree.

Pointing to an English Elm tree near City Hall Thursday, Benassini said that when the tree was planted sometime in the late 1800s, the streets were dirt and the trees were largely maintained by residents.

“People had a better understanding of how things grew,” Benassini said. “They knew how to garden and they understood the soil. It’s not as common today.”

Linda Tucker, spokeswoman for the Sacramento Department of Transportation, which includes Urban Forestry, said the city may be seeing the need for a paradigm shift in which residents take a more active part in caring for the trees, as arborists can’t fill the need for all 100,000 of them.

Having residents help with the watering would allow the arborists to focus on the more specialized parts of their jobs, including root pruning, inspections of trees, helping developers determine the proper amount of trees and their placement and putting the right tree in the right place.

To help with their work, arborists now have aerial maps of all of Sacramento’s trees and computer records of the status of their health and other information. That was all brought in over the past two years, Benassini said.

But will residents actually take the time to water the trees around their properties?

Tucker said she thinks so.

“Even tenants (renting from absentee landlords) should see the trees right outside their houses,” she said. “It doesn’t take much to bring out a hose and water a tree once in a while.”

Pamela Frickmann, a community forester with the nonprofit Sacramento Tree Foundation, agreed.

“I think they would be willing,” Frickmann said. “I think that they are unaware that it is becoming more their responsibility. They’re not aware that maybe the city can’t come out as often as they would like, but everyone would be willing to do that, I would think.”

Tucker said the city will still be able to maintain trees even if no agreement is made with labor unions, but calls for service will be answered within a couple of weeks instead of a couple of days.

Tucker and Benassini agreed that the trees are a critically important part of Sacramento.

“It’s what makes Sacramento livable and not a sea of rooftops,” Benassini said. “It’s our connection to nature.”

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Residents fear trees will be neglected

2010-07-23T08:05:44Z

Some Midtown residents are concerned that Sacramento’s urban forest will get the ax from budget cuts.

Midtown resident Karen Jacques raised the issue at Monday night’s Area 1 Neighborhood Advisory Group meeting by filing a request for a response from the city of Sacramento on the possible laying off of Sacramento’s experienced tree maintenance staff.

Jacques said she has heard that maintenance staff is at risk of being laid off, and she said she fears the loss that will represent to the upkeep of the numerous trees in the city.

“This issue is at least grid-wide, and it may be Central City-wide,” Jacques said. “What I’m asking of urban forest staff is that they look at their budget priorities.”

“We have to take a look at all of our services to close the budget gap,” said Linda Tucker, spokeswoman for the Sacramento Department of Transportation. “One of the areas...is going to be Urban Forestry.”

Tucker said she could not go into specific positions facing cuts, but said there will still be people with arborist-level experience on staff.

Layoff notices were mailed Wednesday, and they are scheduled to take effect Aug. 6. Tucker could not elaborate on which positions would be cut.

The level of service, she added, will decline.

“What people will lose will be the ability for the city to...plant new trees other than the ones we replace,” Tucker said.

The cuts will also lead to long-term maintenance costs as some trees might not be properly watered, damaging them in the long run, Tucker added.

She added that positive measures have been taken, including pruning entire blocks at a time instead of responding to calls for single trees needing pruning.

Resident George Raya added to Jacques’ request Monday night, asking for a review of the books for the landscape and lighting funds.

“I’d like to find out how much of our tax is actually going to tree services,” Raya said. “We taxed ourselves specifically for this reason.”

Jacques said she is concerned that without the more experienced staff on-hand, newly planted trees will die and old ones will not get the attention they need.

“In some areas, it isn’t going to be pretty, but these are some tough times,” Tucker said.

The Best Tree-lovers Monument

2010-03-30T05:21:41Z

"John Muir exclaimed "This is the best tree-lovers monument that could possibly be found in all the forests of the world," declared conservationist John Muir when describing the majestic coast redwoods of Muir Woods."

It's an easy drive from Sacramento for a day excursion.

Bark has pulled away from this fallen tree.

"The incredible diversity of flora and fauna at Muir Woods can be daunting sometimes, elusive at other times. The redwoods themselves dominate the scene, but the Steller's jay often steals the show. Ladybugs clustering by the thousands on ancient horsetail ferns boggle the imagination, while the slimy banana slug is able to disgust and fascinate all at once. Plants adapt to low light levels on the forest floor, while whole plant and animal communities bustle in the canopy above our heads.

John Muir was ahead of the Internet revolution when he wrote, "When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe."

Muir Woods was designated the 10th National Monument for the United States of America. Although it was the 10th National Monument, it was the first in three very important ways. It was the first time a private individual (William and Elizabeth Kent) donated land to the federal government to create a National Monument. It was the first time a National Monument was created in an urban setting, just 12 miles north of San Francisco. And it was the first time the Antiquities Act of 1906 was used to preserve a living species, the Coast Redwood tree."

These huge redwoods reach high for the light.

It's an easy walk exploring Muir Woods.

Muir Woods has 1.5 miles of paved or boardwalked trail which is mostly flat. Loops of half a mile, one mile, or two miles are easily achieved on this trail.

Muir Woods is located 11 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge. Take Highway 101 to the Highway 1/ Stinson Beach Exit. Follow the signs to Muir Woods. Roads to the park are steep and winding. Vehicles over 35 feet long are prohibited. Parking space is very limited and fills quickly on most days. There are no RV parking facilities. For an interactive map, please visit http://maps.google.com/maps and type in Muir Woods National Monument.

For information line 415.388.2595

Information accompanying photos from www.nps.gov/

SacPress Photos | Kati Garner

Sacramento Tree Foundation seek volunteers to get dirty

2010-02-12T21:17:57Z

Since 2002 the Sacramento Tree Foundation has been hard at work "building the best urban forest" in Sacramento and vicinity. The Foundation is openly looking for individuals to "get dirty" and to help in various tree planting activities.

According to their website, "Volunteering is a simple, fun way to make a difference in your community and the environment." Since the organization manages a number of sites and many locations need attention the actual part of the urban forest needing work will not be determined until about a week before the event.

One of the benefits of participation in tree-related activities sponsored by the Sacramento Tree Foundation is that volunteers will have access to space not ordinarily open to the public and be able to experience and enjoy natural areas not usually available to the general populace. The next scheduled maintenance is Saturday, February 27 from 9 AM until noon. All training, tools, and materials are provided by the Foundation on site.

You can register for this event by emailing volunteer@sactree.com.

Legacy trees, Sacramento baseball celebrated

2010-02-01T05:26:18Z

New life is coming out of old trees in Sacramento.

A foothills woodcarver is finishing a prototype for a collectible wood baseball bat made from a tulip poplar loved by generations as it stood on state Capitol grounds for 129 years.

Two Mendocino brothers created a seven-foot-tall abstract tree sculpture from another part of the tree.

And a Sacramento sculptor is working on a free-form chair from a California black walnut that marked the site of an old wagon trail for at least 140 years.

The wood remains of these old trees are being turned into art, furniture and other new projects to benefit the Legacy Trees Project. Sponsored by nonprofit Sacramento Education Events for Art, the project is an artist-organized effort to stop special local trees from being turned into wood chips or firewood by distributing the wood to carvers instead.

These artisans want to preserve local icons and memories by recycling or repurposing wood from trees that once made up part of the city's urban forest, said James Cooper, SEEART's executive director.

"It's to honor the life and legacy of historic trees that have contributed to the livability and the aesthetic of Sacramento," he said. "It just so happens some of it is art. Some of it is collectibles. Some of it is furniture — anything that creates a valuable continuing legacy of what once stood for more than 100 years as part of the community."

The project seeks historic, aged, socially significant or especially valuable hardwood and softwood trees that are dying or coming down for another reason. The woodcarvers work together to collect the wood once the tree is taken down by professional tree fallers.

The project was launched in 2007 to stop the state's oldest tulip poplar tree, which was rotting, from going to a green-waste facility. Since then, the collective has saved the black walnut and another well-loved tree, a second-growth sequoia that grew near the old state fairgrounds.

"Our idea is to see that the legacy of these trees continues in an honorable way, instead of going to a wood chipper or mulch," said Cooper, who is making the black walnut chair.

Woodturner Frank Russell has nearly finished the first in a series of collectible vintage bats commemorating Sacramento's place in baseball history.

The tulip poplar tree was planted in 1878, less than ten years after the Capitol was built, two years after the Battle of Little Bighorn and a few short years before the Peruvian Bitters became Sacramento's first semi-professional baseball team. That was also 29 years after Alexander Joy Cartwright, considered the father of American baseball, reportedly brought the game to Sacramento when he came looking for gold in 1849.

Sacramento is believed to have been the first West Coast city to have an organized baseball team, according to some historians. The Peruvian Bitters were renamed the Altas, the Altas became the Solons, and the rest is history.

That's a history artisans with the Legacy Trees Project would like to rekindle. Using wood from a locally loved tree, Russell will make bats to commemorate different segments of local baseball history. One is planned to honor the late Art Savage, who brought minor league baseball back to Sacramento in 2000 after buying the Vancouver Canadians and turning them into the Sacramento River Cats, Cooper said.

Other bats may commemorate Sacramento's longtime team, the Solons, with signatures from surviving team members. Some bats also may celebrate Sacramento players who made it to the major leagues.

Russell, 66, has been "turning" wood for five years, since he and his wife moved to retired and moved from Southern California to Placerville. He'd worked in quality engineering and production control for 3M. But woodworking seemed to come naturally to Russell, who said his great-great-grandfather was a cabinetmaker in Scotland.

"I've actually had a fascination with wood all my life," Russell said.

Using an old Louisville Slugger as a model, he created a 31-inch bat — just a few inches short of professional league size — from a 35-inch slab or blank, a single piece of wood that was three inches square. Only the ends of the bat need to be finished, he said.

"The actual finish on the bat is completed. It's all nice and pretty and shiny," Russell said.

The tree from which the bats are made had grown to a massive size near the Capitol's north entrance. Huge flowers blossomed on leafy green branches that threw out substantial shade each summer.

Professional bats are made from a single piece of birch or ash, which are strong woods and hard, yet lightweight. Tulip poplar is a softer hardwood that is a little heavier and normally light yellow in color. Sacramento's tree was diseased, which turned its wood ash-brown with yellow and purple-brown streaks.

"It is stunning," Cooper said. "The incredible thing is how old it looks — because it really is old."

Russell volunteered to make the bats to help raise funds for the project. He got involved with the organization after hearing the tulip poplar was coming down. His interest and experience was in making gavels for fellow Masons.

He'll now make a gavel from the tulip poplar that will be presented this spring to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, in a black walnut presentation box made by his brother, James.

"He's really an artist when it comes to making boxes," Frank Russell said.

Wood from the three trees is going into more projects, including tables and custom mantles. There is a limited amount of wood and a short waiting list, but the Legacy Trees Project is taking more requests for wood from artists, Cooper said.

Up to 12 baseball bats are expected to be completed in time for baseball spring training. With any luck, a dozen remnants of the tulip poplar will branch out into new resting places in Sacramento, he added.

"With wood that old, you've created an antique — a contemporary antique," Cooper said. "And to think this was going to end up as wood chips."

Give a Gift to the Earth- Reduce, Reuse and Recycle Your Holiday Waste

2009-12-21T20:53:56Z

The City of Sacramento Department of Utilities Solid Waste Services reminds residents that many of the special items used during the holidays can be recycled or reused.

“Everything from trees to boxes and wrapping paper and ribbons can be reused or recycled,” says Edison Hicks, Integrated Waste General Manager. “Even large amounts cooking oil, fats and grease can be recycled by taking them to the Sacramento Recycling and Transfer Station or North Area Recovery Station.”

The City of Sacramento encourages residents to recycle wrapping paper, bottles, cans, mail order catalogs, boxes, and greeting cards by placing them in blue recycle bins with commingled recycling. Christmas trees can be recycled curbside on regularly scheduled loose-in-the street green waste collection days. Ribbons, boxes, and wrapping paper can be reused. Residents who deep-fry turkeys or who generate a large amount of fats, oils and grease can recycle that food waste by collecting it in gallon jugs and bringing it to the Sacramento Recycling and Transfer Station at 8491 Fruitridge Road or the North Area Recovery Station at 4450 Roseville Road.

Recycling this holiday season and year-round can also help residents save money each month on their utility bill. Residents who recycle more will have less waste to put in their garbage can. Residents who place half-full garbage cans out each week should consider reducing their garbage can size for up to a 37% discount ($7.49) on their monthly garbage collection rate.

For information about when to put out trees for collection and more ways to reduce, reuse and recycle this holiday, please visit http://www.cityofsacramento.org/utilities or call 311.

Free SMUD trees support the 5 million tree campaign

2009-10-28T17:33:28Z

Tree clean our air and water, store carbon in their trunks, create habitat for wildlife, reduce air pollution, increase property values, and provide countless other benefits. The Sacramento Tree Foundation works to leverage all of the benefits that trees provide to create healthy and sustainable communities through building the best urban forest in the Sacramento region. A major keystone in building the best urban forest is the Greenprint initiative, a multi-decade regional framework created to meet Sacramento's sustainability and livability goals by expanding urban forests and optimizing the benefits of tree canopies. Greenprint partners, comprised of 22 cities and 6 counties, have agreed to double their tree canopy over the next 40 years. In order to achieve this goal, we need to plant 5 million new trees by the year 2025.

SMUD customers can join the 5 million tree campaign by planting free energy saving SMUD trees. Through the Shade Tree Program, the Sacramento Tree Foundation, in partnership with the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, has planted over 450,000 trees in Sacramento County since the program’s inception in 1990. If you wish to receive free shade trees, a Community Forester from the Sacramento Tree Foundation will visit your property and help you select the best trees, determine the strategic locations for maximum energy savings, and provide you with information on planting and care. When you are ready to plant, your trees will be delivered to your home, along with stakes and ties – all at absolutely no cost to you. To sign up for a free appointment or to learn more about trees and the 5 million tree campaign, please contact the Sacramento Tree Foundation at (916) 924-8733 Ext. 121 or visit Sactree.com.

A non-arborist's adventure through "The City of Trees"

2009-10-18T19:14:27Z

Even though autumn had its official start three weeks ago, I had my first foray into fall on Saturday's tree tour through my own neighborhood Arden Park, hosted by the Sacramento Tree Foundation.

The tree tours were started over five years ago by longtime Sacramento Tree Foundation member Fran Clarke. It was Clarke's goal to make the community aware of the many spectacular trees found in Sacramento.

Eighteen resident citizens, from 2 years age to retired, gathered at La Sierra Park for an informational walk-about with Sacramento Tree Foundation stewardship coordinator Luanne Leineke.

"The trees are not only beautiful, they play important roles in our community," Leineke said. "They help clean up pollution. The leaves attract particles of pollution so people don't breathe them in. They also provide shade which helps lower the ambient air temperature which is especially important in a hot location like Sacramento."

Before the mile-and-a-half walk began, each participant was handed a detailed brochure and map entitled "The Magnificent Trees of Arden Park." The handout illustrated the location of 51 mostly deciduous, "leaf-losing" trees spread out over a many-mile radius.

"This particular tour is best done on a bike," Leineke said as the tour started. But there were plenty of trees to see on an abbreviated walking tour.

Starting out in La Sierra Park, we admired the blue atlas cedar with its dominant pyramidal shape, viewed two sickly looking Black locusts and learned to differentiate between a variety of oaks, including the Southern Live oak, the valley oak and the pin oak.

"Oaks have very lobed leaves," Leineke informed us. "But the pin oak's leaves are very lobed and it has crunchy, vertical bark."

This educational adventure continued into the neighborhoods as we ventured down Los Molinos Way, up El Sur Way and over on Castec Drive. Lieneke has an extensive knowledge of hardwood trees and worked hard to inform our group about proper care for a tree, average tree maintenance costs (approximately $9 a month per tree), pruning techniques and basic plant biology. We made special note of the planting differences of east-west streets that strive for shade and the more open north-south streets.

Leineke emphasized planning ahead when choosing a shade tree for your yard. She stressed that consideration must be given to the eventual size of the tree and the importance of a healthy root system.

"Wet soil is not healthy for most trees," Leineke warned. "With wet soil, there is not enough oxygen in the soil for the tree to stay healthy."

During our walk, we stopped to appreciate many trees, including ginkgo, elm, tulip tree (yellow poplar), tupelo — which was starting to get some of its intense red fall color — Southern magnolia, liquidamber and the redwood. Perhaps the most stunning tree on the tour was the wide-branching blue oak that caused many participants to exclaim, "Just beautiful!"

We also learned about the "shade history" of the Arden Park neighborhood. Historically, many streets were lined with the graceful Modesto ash; however, because of its susceptibility to mistletoe and anthracnose (a hardwood tree disease), many of these trees have been removed and replaced with more stable shade providers such as the London plane.

"How do you tell a London plane from a sycamore?" questioned one participant.

"By its balls," answered Lieneke, jokingly referring to the soft brown seed balls that hang from the branches in two-pair clusters. Lieneke indicated that sycamore's seed balls form in clusters of three to five.

Four additional tree tours will be held throughout the fall season and will highlight a variety of community settings. All tours are free and open to the public. The tours begin at 10 a.m. and conclude by noon. Further information can be found on the Sacramento Tree Foundation's website.

The Tree Tours schedule:

Oct. 24: American River College, meet at the administration building, 4700 College Oak Dr.

Oct 30: River Park Community tour, meet at the shopping center, 5493 Carlson Dr.

Nov. 7: Capitol Park tour, meet on the east steps of the Capitol

Nov. 14: Sacramento State campus, meet near the bus stop at the J Street entrance

Storm damage this morning

2009-10-13T18:37:48Z

Here are some photos of the effects of the storm from community members who were out witnessing the damage.

This was taken at Q and 16th streets by Michael Gelber.

These two photos were taken on I Street and 30th. Ed Fogle of Maverick Photography took these as part of a live stream. More photos can be seen at sacmav.com

The next photos are from Southbound I-5 near the J Street exit in the boat section. These photos were also taken by Ed Fogle of Maverick Photography.

If you have photos of the storm, we'd love to see you post them on our site. If you have any questions on how to upload your photos, contact journalism@sacramentopress.com.

Stay safe and dry!

Sac Press does grow on trees

2009-01-15T17:18:52Z

Just the other day I was experiencing another adventure on my Sac Press bike when I came across a very random corner in down town. This pretend playground is located on 9th and O. I was so intrigued by the corner, that I put fliers everywhere, hoping that I would spark someone’s interest to go to the site while maybe answering a question for me. What is this corner? And what is this corner all about?

Who picks up the leaves?

2008-12-23T01:51:58Z

As a result of the recent wintry weather, downtown Sacramento is coated with layers and layers of leaves. While driving around I noticed that there were tons of leaf piles in the street gutters. And they were everywhere, from H street to U Street.

One thing I noticed about the piles was that some people would make theirs so large it would actually spill over into parking spaces. I later learned that this is one of the reasons why the department asks people to sweep out their piles less than 24 hours before scheduled pick-up time.

311 informed me that the Solid Waste Department of the City Utilities Department is in charge of picking up the leaf piles.

For even more information about leaf-pile pickup, I contacted Solid Waste Dept. Public Information Officer Jessica Hess. Hess explained to me that the department is out six days a week picking up the leaf piles.

Do you have leaf piles in your street? Do you rake your own leaves or do you wait for the City to dispose of them? Have you seen their trucks picking up leaves in your street?

To see when the Solid Waste Dept. will be in your neighborhood, click here.

LEAF Steward Training for Community Volunteers

2008-12-11T18:56:49Z

Do you love trees? Do you want to volunteer to improve your neighborhood's tree canopy? You can play a key role in helping the Sacramento Tree Foundation educate neighbors about the multiple benefits of trees, tree planting, pruning basics, and tree care. Learn how increasing the urban tree canopy can improve our built environment, health and save energy.

Join a series of classes to learn tree care, pruning, planting techniques and more from area professionals in a weekly series of hands on class activities, discussion and field trips presented by the Sacramento Tree Foundation’s new LEAF (Leading Education Awareness in Urban Forestry) Program. New classes start for 8 weeks on Tuesday evening, January 13 in Sacramento and Wednesday, January 21 in Rancho Cordova. Classes combine hands on activities, lecture, discussion and field trips led by area tree care specialists.

Upon completion of the course, LEAF Stewards will choose from a variety of education and outreach activities that connect their neighbors, co-workers and communities to the urban forest, while fostering an ethic of community service, leadership and civic pride. This award winning program is modeled after the highly successful UC Master Gardener Program

Help change the landscape and mindscape of your urban forest community; become a LEAF Steward! Contact the Sacramento Tree Foundation at (916) 924-8733. to find out more. Or check the website at www.sactree.com and select Programs & Services link to read about the program and download an application.

City of Sacramento Urban Forest Services Committee December 8, 2008

2008-12-09T06:45:38Z

Tonight the City of Sacramento Urban Forest Services Committee met to receive and comment on proposed changes to the tree appeals process. The proposed changes would move appealed tree removal hearings from the Parks and Recreation Commission to the Planning Commission.

The meeting was civil but contentious. Representatives from Winn Park Neighborhood Association and Newton Booth Neighborhood Association attended to present letters from their boards opposed to the ordinance change. Committee members expressed mixed views of the change.

This was a "receive and comment" meeting so there were no official votes on actions. But an unofficial vote on whether to recommend the proposed ordinance change to the broader Parks and Recreations Commission split 3 - 2. Cynthia Cooke, Leo Lujan, and Patrick Lynn voted in favor. George Raya and David Tamayo voted against. No matter the outcome of that vote either way the full Commission will discuss the proposed ordinance change.

The proposal would change 12.56.120 and 12.64.060 of The Sacramento City Code relating to appeals of decisions on tree removal and maintenance permits. The process to remove a tree is not simple. If a decision to remove a tree is appealed it currently moves through a review process in the Parks and Recreation Commission. The appeal process would be the same, but under the proposed change the Planning Commission would review the appeal. The criteria used to review would also stay the same.

Response

2008-12-08T23:16:26Z

Joe Benassini, the Manager of Urban Forestry Services for the City of Sacramento, responded to citizens concerned about the tree on 16th street coming down with this public email:

All;

The tree in question was removed as a part of the improved streetscape adjacent to the Hot Italian restaurant. The tree had a major limb failure and had other structural problems that might not have been apparent to a passer by. The City Arborist made the call to remove and replace the tree and include an irrigation system in an effort to improve the canopy cover, not to lessen it. The cost of removal and replacement was borne by the applicant, not the city. The fact that the tree was not posted was an oversight by the arborist. However, posting is not required by the City Code. It is done as a matter of our general policy.

There are no plans to remove all liquidambars. However, the City Council has requested that staff review options for removal of trees that are often problematic, including liquidambars and other trees, due to root intrusion or other issues. City code allows a process for individuals to request removal and replacement of street trees, but it is by no means automatically granted.

The mission of the urban forestry division is to support a safe, healthy, and sustainable urban forest for Sacramento's communities. While it may not always be apparent, our decisions are based on the best interest of the residents, property and business owners, and visitors to Sacramento.

Joe Benassini
Manager, Urban Forestry Services
Department of Transportation
City of Sacramento

Winn Park/Capitol Avenue Neighborhood Association voting to oppose change in tree policy

2008-12-08T19:16:37Z

Below is the letter that is being voted on by the board of the Winn Park/Capitol Avenue Neighborhood Association (for those unfamiliar with WPCANA, we are the neighborhoods between K and R Street from 19th to 29th, recently adding a few blocks around Fremont Park to its area. The policy shift doesn't actually streamline the planning process--it moves responsibility from Parks & Recreation to Development Services, and changes the appeal body from Parks & Recreation Commission to Planning Commission, but doesn't actually take out any steps. It has not yet been approved (emails are still coming in) but I expect it to pass, and join letters by NBNA and other neighborhood groups in formally opposing this change in regulation.

December 8, 2008

Mayor Kevin Johnson
New City Hall
921 I Street 5th Floor
Sacramento, CA 905814

Re: Proposal to Move Tree Appeals to Planning Commission

Dear Mayor Johnson,

The WPCANA board is opposed to moving the appeal process for the removal of any trees from the Parks and Recreation Commission to the Planning Commission.

Under the change that is currently being proposed, the Development Services Manager and his staff would be able to approve the removal of city trees at any time that a developer wants this done. The public would then have to appeal the approval to the Planning Commission instead of to the Parks and Recreation Commission.

Planning staff and the Planning Commission have no expertise with regard to trees and no basis for making reasonable decisions about them. The Central City has already lost far too many healthy trees to development projects and this change will make it much easier for developers to remove still more healthy trees. This is not a responsible way to treat the great legacy that these trees represent.

The draft 2030 General Plan talks about livability and sustainability as major goals. Trees are key to both and Sacramento has been blessed by having a great number of majestic trees planted and preserved over the last century. They provide necessary shade and make our hot summers much more livable. They help clean our dirty air, provide oxygen, sequester carbon and reduce the need for air conditioning. Sacramento should be looking for ways to preserve more of our trees, not creating new policies that make it easier to remove them. We owe it to future residents to do for them in planting, protecting and continuing Sacramento’s heritage of trees what was done for us.

Sincerely,

Matt Piner, Chair
Winn Park Capitol Avenue Neighborhood Association

Cc: Ray Kerridge

Tree on 16th street bites the dust

2008-12-08T04:22:56Z

A friend of mine wrote an email wondering about another tree going down in our city:

A neighbor called me to tell me that a healthy Liquid Amber on the east side of 16th street across from Fremont Park was suddenly cut down. Neighbors around there did not know it was going to be cut down because the city failed to post a removal sign!

I have also heard that UFS plans to remove ALL Liquid Ambers. Is this how they plan to do it--in secrecy?

Further, why are we spending money on removal of healthy trees when we are far behind on replanting?

There is some kind of remodeling/building going on there. Is that the reason? Please find out why this happened and is this city policy now?

If anyone has any information please post it in the conversation below. I hope that this tree was diseased or there was some kind of slip-up.

Update: This is the response from the Manager of Urban Forestry Services.

Neighborhood opposition to change of tree appeals process

2008-12-08T04:07:29Z

I received this letter representing Newton Booth Neighborhood Association's opposition to the proposed change of the tree appeals process. The process of change is being rapidly pushed along. I have a feeling there would be more opposition if there were more time, more review, or more media coverage.

Normally, I would not post this kind of letter directly. I want neighborhood associations to speak for themselves using our tools. But because time is short and there is a meeting Monday, December 8th 5:30 pm I feel I have to post this letter.

More information is here, here, and here.

Newton Booth Neighborhoods Association
P.O. Box 161466
Sacramento, CA 95816-1466
www.newtonbooth.org

December 7, 2008

The Newton Booth Neighborhoods Association (NBNA) firmly opposes moving the appeal process to remove trees from the Parks and Recreation Commission to the Planning Commission on all development related issues.

The proposed change will enable the Development Services Manager and staff to order tree removal any time a developer wants trees destroyed. The public would then have to appeal any proposed tree destruction to the Planning Commission instead of the Parks and Recreation Commission.

Planning staff and commission have no expertise in trees. This is wanton destruction of healthy trees that provide shade for all pedestrians (especially seniors, children and disabled persons) who have to move around in Sacramento's 100+ degree summer weather. These trees also provide valuable shade to buildings and helps to lower cooling costs which is important in today's climate of increasing energy costs, decreasing resources and defeats the ability for Sacramento to become a sustainable city.

Sacramento is known as “the city of trees” and we should all work to keep this phrase alive.

Sincerely, Kevin Turner
2008 NBNA Chair
krturner@jps.net

Proposed Ordinance Change for Tree Appeals

2008-12-08T00:59:36Z

On Monday, December 8th, the Urban Forest Services Committee, a standing committee of the City’s Parks and Recreation Commission, will meet. The Committee provides policy recommendations to the Parks and Recreation Commission on issues relating to the City’s urban forest. On the agenda for the meeting is a proposed ordinance change that would shift responsibility for hearing tree removal appeals. Currently, the Parks and Recreation Commission hears tree removal appeals.

A property owner wishing to remove a protected heritage tree must apply to the City for a permit. Permits affecting heritage tree requires the Director of the Parks and Recreation Department to hold a public hearing. Any person dissatisfied with the decision of the director may appeal the decision to the Parks and Recreation Commission. The proposed ordinance change would shift responsibility for those appeals to the City of Sacramento Planning Commission.

The expressed reason for this change is to consolidate under the Planning Commission all decisions related to the review and approval process of development projects. At times, decisions regarding tree removals
related to development projects have been appealed to the Parks and Recreation Commission. This change would assure no potential decisions conflicts will arise between the two Commissions.

The ordinance change is being proposed by the Development Services Department to ensure no development project will be stalled because a protected heritage tree stands in the way of progress. This action by city administrators is in conflict with Sacramento’s proud heritage as the City of Trees. Our City’s bountiful urban forest did not just happen overnight. For over a hundred years the community has planted, natured and protected trees. Now our protected trees large canopy trees are in danger of disappearing because many of today’s development projects lack any setback. The Parks and Recreation Commission understands that trees need space to grow. The Planning Commission has a history of approving development projects unfavorable to large canopy trees. The proposed ordinance change for tree appeals needs to be rejected.

Please attend the public meeting of the Urban Forest Services Committee. The meeting will be held Monday, December 8th, in the New City Hall, 915 I Street, Room 2121. The meeting is on the second floor. Please be sure to bring a picture ID for the security check.

If you cannot attend, please email a letter opposing the ordinance change to:
City Manager Ray Kerridge at RKerridge@cityofsacrament.org
Mayor Kevin Johnson at mayor@cityofsacramento.org.

City plans to attack our trees

2008-12-04T05:57:41Z

I've just learned that city management is planning to move the appeal process to cut down trees from the Parks and Recreation Commission to the Planning Commission on all development related issues!!! This would apply to ALL developer projects.

Why is this bad? This change will enable Development Services Manager and staff (who have no expertise in trees) to order removal of healthy shade trees any time a developer wants them removed. The public would have to appeal to the Planning Commission instead of the Parks and Recreation Commission. A tree would not have to be in the way of construction. It could be that the developer wants all new or fewer trees bordering the new building. Check out SW corner of 20th & Capitol. The big healthy shade Elm tree would have been cut down had it not been for people's opposition.

Please attend Urban Forest Sub Committee Agenda for December 8, 2008 5:30 PM. The meeting to discuss and decide this change of policy will be held in Conference Room 2121 - 2nd floor, DOT offices at City Hall.

Our Tree representative, George Raya, will be there on our behalf but he needs our heip. We need to call, email or mail our new Mayor, and councilmembers Loren Hammond , Seve Cohn, Ray Tretheway (former Tree Foundation) , Rob Fong also to let them know this is just a way to get a healthy tree cut down in a hurry to please a developer who does not even live in our city..

Points to cover a. Planning staff and commission have no expertise in or knowledge about trees like the Parks and Recreation Commission does. b. this is wanton destruction of HEALTHY trees' shade for all pedestrians (mention especially seniors, children, those in wheel chairs) who then have to move around in 100 degree weather. This flies in the face the city encouraging pedestrian activity.

We all agree that sick and dangerous trees should be removed but we must save our healthy shade trees from unnecessary destruction.

Proposal for the Creation of a Urban Forest Services (Trees) Commission

2008-11-22T01:43:38Z

Sacramento is the City of Trees. Earlier this year, the City's Urban Forest Services Division was transferred from the Department of Parks & Recreation to the Transportation Department. Responsibility for trees in parks and on private property remain under the jurisdiction of Parks & Recreation. Responsibility for 'street trees' was transferred because the thought was since Transportation oversees streets (parking; sidewalks, etc.) the Department should also have jurisdiction over 'street trees'.

Appeals of granting or denying permits to cutdown heritage trees still remain with the Parks & Recreation Commission.

With the reorganization of Urban Forest Services to the Transportation Department, I believe now more than ever is the time to finally create a City Trees Commission.

A little history: In 1992, Wolfe Mason Associates prepared the City of Sacramento Urban Forest Management Plan. This 1992 Plan was the first to advocate creation a new advisory group to implement the Urban Forest Management Plan.

Twelve years later, in 2004, Robert Tate Associates in their Sacramento Tree Services Best Management Practices Review and Report also called for the creation of a strong and well-recognized citizen advisory group to aid in setting policy, provide checks and balances, and advocate for the urban forest.

in 2006, the City Council adopted the Urban Forest Services Best Management Practices Implementation Plan. Once again, the creation of a Citizen’s Advisory Group on Trees was included in the plan.

The Parks and Recreation Commission's Urban Forest Services Committee has in a limited capacity served as a citizen advisory group as called for in the Wolfe Mason Report and the Tate Report. The Tate Report, papers 34 and 35, enumerated quite clearly the duties and responsibilities of a citizen advisory group (Trees Commission):

Advise the Mayor, City Council, and appropriate City departments on urban forestry concerns.
Review of project plans for major publicly sponsored developments, civic improvements, and changes to public right-of-way relative to their projected impact on trees and make recommendations regarding these projects to the Mayor, City Council and appropriate City Departments.
Encourage early and continuous public participation in urban forestry projects and programs.
Facilitate the cooperative interaction of tree-related activities within the City among various city, state and federal agencies, as well as among businesses, non-profit groups, and the public.
Provide a regular forum, according to an establish, publicized agenda, of scheduled topics for public discussion of urban forestry issues.
Assist with the development of policies that affect trees.
Ensure the effective implementation and administration of the Urban Forest Best Management Practices Plan.
Assist and support public education efforts on the value and benefits of the urban forest.
Identify and support procurement of adequate funding, especially alternative funding opportunities, and staffing to ensure that the needs of the urban forest are effectively addressed.
Actively advocate and champion the commitment of adequate resources for tree programs.
Monitor and annually report on the state of the urban forest.
Hear tree appeals regarding street trees, Parks and Recreation Commission would continue to hear tree appeals for trees located in City parks.

What are your thoughts? Should the City of Sacramento create a Trees Commission? If you agree we should, would you be willing to help?