Trees v. Sidewalks: There doesn’t have to be a loser Jenny Gulick, M.A., Senior Consulting Urban Forester, Davey Resource Group, Walton, Kentucky; member, APWA Facilities & Grounds Committee; presenter, 2012 APWA Congress
ave you ever been challenged by this decision: Do I keep that mature tree and not repair the sidewalk, or do I repair the sidewalk and lose the shade tree? This is an example of a no-win situation that public works managers face every day across the country. Public infrastructure and hardscape construction projects are vital to the growth, safety, and livability of our communities. However, public trees are equally vital, green infrastructure assets that help reduce stormwater flows, improve air and water quality, decrease energy consumption, and give our communities character like nothing else can. Unfortunately, when communities build, expand, or renovate buildings and hardscapes, it’s the trees that are often compromised in the process. Usually tree removal is considered the first and only option, and attempts to save trees during the construction process are often doomed. Most construction activities have considerable negative effects on trees, and even if trees are not removed at the outset, the damaged trees will likely decline or die, be unattractive, and potentially become safety risks within a few years after the project is complete. So, what’s a manager to do when there are trees within the project limits of a construction project? How do you comply with construction industry, safety, and ADA standards, follow plan specifications, stay within 36 APWA Reporter
August 2012
the budget, complete the project on time, and save valuable trees? APWA recognizes the value of both grey and green infrastructure and believes there can be a balance between the built environment and the natural one. The Facilities and Grounds Technical Committee has created a new publication that will soon be available to members in a variety of formats to help you protect and preserve valuable trees during construction projects. The Tree Protection & Preservation Best Management Practices for Public Works will be available at and after Congress and is a technical guide to conserving, protecting, maintaining, removing, and replacing trees within construction sites on the public rightof-way and on public property. This pocket guide is aimed at helping managers and staff use accepted tree
care standards that will give public trees the maximum chance for survival during development, redevelopment, and other construction projects. The Best Management Practices are technically correct and widely accepted practices and standards used by public works and construction professionals as recommended by professional arborists, urban and community foresters, landscape architects and other tree care and landscape professionals. The goal of the guide is to provide you with basic and practical information on how to best accomplish the most important tree management activities and that will give trees within construction project limits the best chance for surviving and thriving during and after the construction process. If you are a public works manager, engineer, inspector, equipment operator, utility employee, landscape
Livable, sustainable communities need both hardscapes and trees. With informed and proper planning, green and gray infrastructure can coexist for the public’s benefit and growth of the community.
