Assessment to Action: Columbus' Efforts to Achieve 2020 Tree Canopy Goal - Buckeye Arborist

From Assessment to Action

Columbus’ Efforts to Achieve Their 2020 Tree Canopy Goal

By Chris Peiffer (Plan-It Geo), Erin Miller (Environmental Steward, Columbus), Tina Mohn (Natural Resource and Property Manager, Columbus), and Laura Fay (Secretary, FLOW) The urban forest in Columbus is a critical component of the City’s green infrastructure and contributes to environmental quality, public health, water resource management, local economies, and the beautification of often harsh, paved landscapes. Recognizing the value that trees provide and realizing the need for urban forest improvement is the first step in protecting this valuable resource. Like other valued assets, urban trees require proper planning and management to withstand pressures from urban, suburban, and exurban development as well as pests, diseases, storms, and pollution.

The City understands the vital role that trees and the canopy play in the overall quality of life for the community. Strategies for preserving and enhancing canopy have been integrated across departments, programs, organizations, and the community. The City demonstrates their commitment to improving the urban forest through assessments, planning, tools, programs, and partnerships. The following provides examples of how the City has taken the steps from assessment to action to become a city that exemplifies sound urban forest management using the tools and resources available.

Branch Out Columbus Initiative For the first time in Columbus’ history, an urban tree canopy study was completed in 2015. Plan-It Geo was contracted by the Columbus

Recreation & Parks Department, Division of Forestry to assess the City of Columbus tree canopy and determine the areas where the addition of trees is both needed and essential to improve the health of the community.

From Assessment to Action Cont. on page 12

The Buckeye Arborist September/October 2016

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From Assessment to Action Cont. from page 11 Through this study, we found that the urban tree canopy covers 22% of the City of Columbus, totaling 31,171 acres. It is recognized that trees provide a multitude of economic, environmental, and social benefits, conservatively valued at more than $12.1 million dollars annually and a priceless benefit to the City of Columbus.

based on the current tree canopy, water quality, the Urban Heat Island effect, and several additional categories within that neighborhood.

Along with this analysis, we are able to determine the amount of potential planting area in a neighborhood and determine how many trees we must plant to achieve a certain canopy cover.

Canopy Planner application shows the highest suitable tree planting areas to reduce stormwater runoff and improve water quality

Natural and manmade pressures threaten the City of Columbus trees and therefore threaten the benefits they provide. Our urban forest has been declining in large part due to the emerald ash borer and other tree insects. We anticipate we will lose 200,000 of our trees to insects, extreme weather, and development. In fact, despite all of our best efforts to plant trees over the past 12 years, the tree canopy has not increased because of such a decline of the number of trees being preserved, as well as the rate of impacts from insects.

How do we stack up to other cities? Minneapolis has 31% tree canopy cover, Cincinnati 39%, Pittsburgh 42%, Washington DC 35%, Indianapolis 23%, New York 21%, Charlotte 46%, and Austin has a tree canopy of 30%.

This means that we need to take action. Therefore, our community has set a goal to increase our tree canopy 5% by 2020, meaning we will need to plant approximately 300,000 medium sized trees. If every household in Columbus plants a tree, we will meet our goal.

The study showed the greatest opportunity for additional trees is on private property. Results revealed that of the city’s 284 neighborhoods, half of them have less than the citywide average urban tree canopy of 22%. We also have plenty of public land available in Columbus, with nearly 60,000 acres available for possible plantings, offering a huge opportunity for new trees to be added in under forested green spaces as well as impervious areas such as parking lots. In fact, if we planted all the possible areas, we would have 63% tree canopy coverage.

To determine where we will focus the community’s tree planting efforts, we are using the Plan-It Geo’s Canopy Planner online map and planning tool. This map highlights “high priority” neighborhoods

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The City of Columbus is committed to the 27% tree canopy by 2020 goal, but we cannot do it alone. That is why we branched out and created the “Branch Out Columbus” campaign. There are 21 entities signed onto the initiative to date.

During Earth Day week, April 16-23, the Branch Out partners planted nearly 11,000 trees. Fall plantings are currently in the planning stages.

The City of Columbus is also investing in trees. Through the Urban Infrastructure Recovery Fund, we are providing $520,000 towards the planting of street trees in neighborhoods throughout the city. In addition, we have $2,000,000 planned in our capital improvement plan towards additional street and park trees. These efforts combined will add 12,600 trees. We have also worked with partners to set up a fund at the Columbus Foundation for citizens to donate money towards the planting of trees in parks.

To help our residents on private property, through our GreenSpot Backyard Conservation Program, the City will pay up to a $100 rebate to plant native trees on their property, currently we have enough funds for over 160 trees.

Once a tree is planted, residents are directed to the Branch Out website where they can register their tree by stating the species and location of where it was planted. Their tree will then be displayed on the Plan-It Geo map and included in our count to reach 300,000 trees. Every tree, small or large, brings us closer to achieving our goal.

From Assessment to Action Cont. on page 13

The Buckeye Arborist September/October 2016

From Assessment to Action Cont. from page 12 and pride as the residents work together to maintain the nursery.

The Weinland Park nursery is the first to be implemented in a neighborhood in correlation to the Branch Out initiative. Branch Out has also held tree giveaways and community planting events in other high priority neighborhoods to encourage residents to plant trees. As the community continues to work together, we will be able to increase our overall tree canopy and create a healthier, happier, and more eco-friendly city.

Canopy Planner application used for adding new trees to planting events The Weinland Park community, the Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed (FLOW) and American Forests partnered on a pilot urban tree nursery, taking vacant land, owned by the City of Columbus’ Land Bank and Campus Partners, and are working to transform it to a place: • where trees can grow to be planted in the neighborhood • where people can learn about the importance of trees and how to properly care for them and • where residents can pick up a tree, mulch, stakes, gator bag and borrow tools to plant on their property Weinland Park has only a 12% tree canopy and a low average income, making it one of the high priority neighborhoods. This nursery will not only provide more trees for the neighborhood but will also increase education on the importance of trees and create a sense of responsibility

Tree planting counter found at https://www.columbus.gov/branch-out/ Partnerships to Reach the City’s Goals: Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed Columbus’ initiative to increase its tree canopy is going to need participation from developers, homeowners, and a number of local organizations. One example of this partnership is Friends of the Lower Olentangy (FLOW), which is demonstrating a way to plant lots of trees and do a lot of good.

From Assessment to Action Cont. on page 14

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From Assessment to Action Cont. from page 13

The 2012 removal of the 5th Avenue dam across the Olentangy River exposed a significant amount of land that is a prime location for restoration. The area from 5th Avenue to Lane Avenue was restored by 2014. The image below, left, shows the Ohio State University Drake Performance and Event Center to the East of the Olentangy, with the adjacent land used as a staging area for the restoration.

This area was improved in 2016 when FLOW and the OSU Undergraduate Student Government’s 132 volunteers planted 12 twoinch caliper native Ohio trees (including American elms, sycamores, swamp white oaks, and pin oaks) in the floodplain. With such a large turnout, volunteers also helped remove invasive bush honeysuckle and conducted a river cleanup.

The newly-treed area is shown in the image below, right, mapped using the City’s Canopy Planner software application. The trees are clustered on the Western half of the parcel because OSU is planning to move Cannon Drive further west. The trees were purchased with funds from Lush Cosmetics and the OSU Undergraduate Student Government.

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Putting Technology to Use: Buckeyes for Buckeyes Assessment An assessment was conducted by an OSU student group called Buckeyes for Buckeyes. Their assessment (Increasing the Tree Canopy on the Ohio State University’s Main Campus: Koontz, Madrishin, Kowalski, HavranVena and Ludwig, 2016) is using the Columbus Tree Canopy Planner to help OSU reach their sustainability goal of doubling its canopy cover.

They identified the following possible planting areas around OSU: From Assessment to Action Cont. on page 15

The Buckeye Arborist September/October 2016

From Assessment to Action Cont. from page 14 and the partnerships between the City departments and organizations are a model for success.

Resources: Columbus Recreation and Parks Department: https://www.columbus.gov/ recreationandparks/Urban-Forestry/ Branch Out Columbus Campaign: https://www.columbus.gov/branch-out/ Friends of the Lower Olentangy: http://www.olentangywatershed.org/ Plan-It Geo: http://www.planitgeo.com/ View the UTC report: https://issuu.com/planitgeoissuu/docs/columbus_ urban_tree_canopy_assessme View the City’s Canopy Planner: https://pg-cloud.com/columbus/

Using the Grow Canopy feature of the Columbus Canopy Planner, the three neighborhoods (West Campus, OSU, and Tri-Village) near the Olentangy River in this part of the watershed shows that 1,816 trees are needed to increase the canopy to just 15%. This is far below the target of 27%.

The City of Columbus and its partners are on the forefront of web/ mobile technologies for urban forest management and will enjoy many benefits from increased awareness to new funding sources to achieve their planting goals. The City will continue its outreach to engage the community in contributing towards their tree planting and maintenance efforts. The Canopy Planner application, Tree Canopy Assessment Report, and Ecosystem Services studies are perfect tools to achieve this

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VEGETATION MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST IT’S PART OF OUR JOB 800-522-4311 • www.nelsontree.com/ad/reputation.html The Buckeye Arborist September/October 2016

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