Restoring LA’s Urban Forest

Page 1

R E S T O R I N G L A’ S

A. Duncan Smith Client: Martin Schlageter, LA Council District 14 Faculty Advisor: Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris

Historical Review, Cost-Benefit Analysis, Crisis in Los Angeles, GIS Mapping, and Policy Recommendations

2

3

4

Legend CD14

Council_Districts trees 7.500000

7.500001 - 8.900000

8.900001 - 10.700000

10.700001 - 11.900000

Disease

Drought

Damage

Budget Cuts

11.900001 - 13.700000

Percent of Population Living Below 2x the Federal Poverty Level

Legend

Legend

CD14

CD14

Dense Cover

13.700001 - 15.000000

Council_Districts

Council_Districts trees

The spatial arrangement of LA's urban forest is an issue of environmental justice: trees

6

15.000001 7.500001- 15.900000 - 8.900000

2

4

8.900001 - 10.700000

Rio Vist a Santa Fe

e View

N

Campus

0 0.0250.05

0.1

0.1

0.15

0.15

Miles

Miles 0.2 0.2

A. Duncan Smith / Intro to GIS / Winter 2015

0 0.0250.05

23rd

Mateo

24th

0.1

0.1

0.15

0.15

Miles

Miles 0.2 0.2

N

00.025 0.05

0.1

A. Duncan Smith / Intro to GIS / Winter 2015

0.15

Miles 0.2

0

0.1

4. Widen the diversity of tree species 5. Focus on the maintenance of young trees 6. Plant more native and drought-tolerant tree species

N

Miles 0.2 00.025 0.05

Sources: LA County GIS Data Portal

3. Engage the community in tree-related decisions

Sources: http://lareviewofbooks.org/essay/piety-perversity-palms-los-angeles; http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-0417-sidewalks-20140417-story.html; http://www.uniprot.org/taxonomy/5507; http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/02/california-drought-matters-more-just-california; http://coloradopeakpolitics.com/2014/11/17/final-totals-82-million-political-ads-colorado/money-ii/; LA County GIS Data Portal; CalEnvironScreen 2.0; McPherson, E.G. 2008. 'Los Angeles 1-Million Tree Canopy Cover Assessment

Imperial

24th

Caldwell

e View

2. Increase the budget for urban forest management

19.800001 - 22.400000

Washington

Rang

N

0

23rd

Butte

Harriett

2

Minerva

1

1. Amend pruning practices and enforce standards 0

Rio Vista

Rio Vista

0

1.5

16th

Caldwell

Harriett

1

Washington

Butte

Miles

le

Rang

Minerva

nga

0 0.250.5

Miles 2

Modoc

16th

16th

N

Miles

Cori

Cori nga

2

d Bir

r Welle

1

14th

15th

ino

Miles 2

th

Perr

1.5

12 12th

o

0

1

11th

in Perr

0 0.250.5

a

Porter

12 th 11th

Mateo

Modoc

16th

RECOMMENDATIONS: Campus

Santa Cl ara

Imperial

ara

Mateo

Santa Cl Mateo

Coons

ni

Alum

Rio Vist

Mateo

Mateo

ood

rpa

14th

ada

19.800001 - 22.400000

r Welle

12th

s

In order to inform policy and practice recommendations, surveys and interviews were conducted with urban forest managers, horticulturalists, arborists, plant pathologists, landscape architects, forestry researchers, and environmentalist non-profit managers. Final recommendations for urban forest restoration in LA have been determined through a synthesis of historical context, cost-benefit analysis, the causes and effects of the current street tree crisis, program evaluations, and the opinions of local industry experts.

Hunter

Porter

14th

15th

on

Methodology:

7.5

r

11th

N

ni

5

Ente

Olympic

Washington

Alum

0 1.252.5

I-10 e

rpris

Hunte

Porter

Esca

¯

Hunter

Arm

Miles 10

Damon

Enterprise

11th

m

7.5

En

5

Los Angeles County GIS Data Portal; American Community Survey, American Fact Finder, US Census Data 2013

Miles 10

Ente

Porter

Bird

0 1.252.5

Los Angeles County GIS Data Portal.

16.300001 - 19.800000

16.300001 - 19.800000

view

Sources: McPherson, E.G. 2010. Million Trees Los Angeles Canopy Cover and Benefit Assessment;

¯

e Ridg

Why is proper maintenance of the urban forest essential? Street and park trees yield numerous benefits that cannot be replicated by other means. This report divides the benefits of the urban forest into three categories: environmental, economic, and social. The US EPA identifies tree planting as a crucial mitigation measure in limiting the urban heat island effect, especially when plantings are targeted along streets and in parking lots. Ensuring the health and dispersion of trees is an imperative of public health - in addition to lowering city temperatures, trees reduce smog, which is correlated with asthma and respiratory ailments.

Tree Cover and Percent of Population Below 2x the Federal Poverty Level

r Bae

15.900001 - 16.300000

5 7.5 Miles

le ada

* Trees relieve mental fatigue

2.5

d Bir

15.900001 - 16.300000

0

0 1.5 3 6 9 12 Sources: McPherson, E.G. 2010. Million Trees Los Angeles Canopy Cover and Benefit Assessment; Technique: Tree canopy cover data from a scientific journal displayed with graduated colors, from low to high tree canopy cover. A. Duncan Smith / Intro to GIS / Winter 2015

Arm

* Trees beautify the streetscape

Tree Canopy Cover by LA City Council District Miles 10

Coons

15.000001 - 15.900000

N

s

19.800001 - 22.400000

rpa

A. Duncan Smith / Intro to GIS / Winter 2015

¯

nda

ra Jaca

on

9 9

ra

Jaca

m

6 6

s

En

0 01.5 3 3

Miles Miles 12 12

Esca

16.300001 - 19.800000

r

Hunte

14th

pu Cam

nda

Bird

N

s

pu Cam

r

¯ * Trees expose children to nature

15.000001 - 15.900000

* Trees provide a connection to history

Percentage of Tree Canopy Cover by Council District

w

19.800001 - 22.400000

evie

13.700001 - 15.000000

I-10 e

rpris

Enterprise

Olympic

0%-21.5%

15

Addison

Norwalk

Bae

* Trees lower demand for energy

15%-37.2%

15.900001 - 16.300000

21.6%-35.9%

70%-96.5% 15.1%-19.8% Percentage of 19.9%-28.8% Tree Canopy Cover by Council District 28.9%-37.2%

15.000001 - 15.900000

Yon osem Dam ite

Delrosa

Norwalk

Ridg

* Trees protect pedestrians

36%-50.6%

10.8%-15%50.7%-66.9%

13.700001 - 15.000000

Addison

Olson

13.700001 - 15.000000

ite

50.7%-66.9%

36%-50.6% 7.5%-10.7%

7.5%-14.9%

Yose m

Delrosa

Sparse Cover:

Sparse Sparse Industrial District Industrial District Industrial District La Roda

11.900001 - 13.700000

70%-96.5%

Mun son

11.900001 - 13.700000

16.300001 - 19.800000

Dense Eagle Rock Rock Eagle La Roda

Percent Coverage

9

6

0%-21.5% Percent Coverage 21.6%-35.9%

10.700001 - 11.900000

Dense Cover:

Dense Eagle Rock

Olson

Social

3

Miles

47

8.900001 - 10.700000

ood

8 N

Mayw

10.700001 - 11.900000

Mun son

7.500001 - 8.900000

Santa Fe

9

7.500000

* Trees increase property values

* Trees limit wind speed and glare

Tree Cover inTree Council 14 District 14 CoverDistrict in Council

trees

* Trees reduce smog concentration

* Trees promote tourism

14

10

Mayw

10.700001 - 11.900000

CD14

Council_Districts

* Trees limit noise pollution

* Trees provide habitats for wildlife

1

e 47

Legend

* Trees reduce energy costs

* Trees extend the life of pavement

13

Watts 7%

15.900001 - 16.300000

* Trees lower city temperatures

* Trees limit erosion of topsoil

5

11

11.900001 - 13.700000

* Trees boost revenue at stores

Bel-Air 37%

3

7.500001 - 8.900000

Economic

Sparse Cover

7

12

7.500000

7.500000

The Far-Reaching Benefits of Urban Trees:

* Trees reduce stormwater runoff

Pruning

Tree Cover and Poverty in Los Angeles Tree Canopy Cover by Council District

8.900001 - 10.700000

Environmental

Old Age

Aven ue

Like most of LA’s street trees, palms are immigrants. Palm trees were introduced to the Southland from the Sonoran Desert and the Canary Islands first for religious purposes, and later in the name of real estate speculation. During the late 19th century, land developers sold the idea of the ‘semi-tropical’ Southland to Middle America, relying on the palm tree to evoke the ‘Eden’ that awaited their arrival. Today, palms are under assult from disease, old age, and environmental critics. Their future along the boulevards of LA is uncertain.

5

Street trees in LA are suffering. The urban forest in Los Angeles faces a multi-front attack from drought, disease, and political disinvestment. Post-recession budget cuts decimated LA's Urban Forestry Division, requiring the City to outsource all nonemergency tree care work to private crews, who have delivered poor results while charging record fees. LA's streets are now littered with over-pruned trees, cut well beyond industry standard best practices, which produce little shade and no environmental benefit. California is mired in a historic drought, wreaking havoc on LA's street and park trees. In addition, plant pathogens such as fusarium wilt, PHSB, and bacterial leaf scorch are killing thousands of trees a year in Southern California, and no known treatments exist.

Aven u

1

0.1

0.15

Miles 0.2

0

0.1

Miles 0.2

Sources: LA County GIS Data Portal

Washington


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