Community Forestry Assistant Newsletter
2010 Articles
January 2010 Newsletter
Shelley, Idaho Receives “Legacy of Leaves” Award
The Idaho Nursery and Landscape Association (INLA), in cooperation with the Idaho Department of Lands, has been administering the Arbor Day Grant Program for the last two years. The purpose of the grant is to support Idaho Cities with their Arbor Day celebrations. It also fosters a stronger relationship between cities and the green industry businesses that are a part of the community. This grant program is funded by generous support from the major Idaho utility companies; Avista Power, Idaho Power, and Rocky Mountain Power.
This year, the INLA decided to present an annual award to the city who made the most of the $300 grant. The criteria for the award included the dollar amount leveraged with the grant funds, the uniqueness of the Arbor Day celebration, and the community support of volunteers for the holiday. It was decided that the name of this annual award would be the “Legacy of Leaves”, a title that recognizes the contribution that trees make to the communities in which they are planted.
This year’s winner of the “Legacy of Leaves” award is the city of Shelley in Eastern Idaho. Shelley received a $300 grant from the INLA and spent nearly $1,300 on their celebration. They enjoyed support from the Boy Scouts of America, the Shelley Tree Committee, and many local citizens. Trees were planted at the City Park in the driving rain (nearly snow), but no one seemed to mind the nasty weather.
Accepting the award at the Idaho Horticulture Expo in Boise were Gary and LaRee Hammer, members of the Shelley Tree Committee. The award was presented at the INLA business luncheon in the presence of the membership of the INLA members and Board of Directors.
Information regarding the 2010 Arbor Day grant program will be available from INLA soon, so please stay tuned!
This article was written by Gerry Bates, Southern Idaho Community Forestry Assistant.
If you have questions about this Newsletter or the Community Forestry Assitance Program, please contact Tera King with Northwest Management, Inc. at 208-883-4488-ext. 133.
February 2010 Newsletter
Ketchum, Idaho – A Sustainable Community Forestry Program
Ketchum’s Community Forestry Division is maintained through their Parks & Recreation Department. Created in 2003, the Community Forestry Division is intended to encourage the preservation, expansion, protection, and proper maintenance of the community forest of Ketchum.
Ketchum was awarded its first Tree City USA designation through the National Arbor Day Foundation in 2004. The Tree City USA program requires communities to pass a municipal Tree Ordinance (adopted in 2004), have a tree committee, hold an Arbor Day celebration (Ketchum’s is the first Friday in May), and spend at least $2 per capita on tree care. Ketchum typically spends about $20 per capita on tree care and related activities, which has resulted in a community forest resource valued at nearly $2 million.
The Tree City USA program is available to any community that fulfills these requirements!!
Enhancing the beauty of the City, stimulating the planting and growing of desirable trees and shrubs by following guidelines set forth by the International Society of Arboriculture, providing for protection of public safety, and educating the public about the community forest are the primary goals of the Community Forestry Division.
| CTE Grants Awarded for 2010
Nine Idaho communities will benefit from Community Transportation Enhancement (CTE) grants provided by the IDL’s Community Forestry Progarm. Unfortunately, due to current economic conditions, this is the last year – at least for awhile – that these grants will be available. The funds are used for planting along streets, roads, and bikeways. Matching funds from the communities are shown in parentheses. |
||
| Boise | $12,620 | ($5,469) |
| Coeur d’Alene | $6,465 | ($5,952) |
| Donnelly | $29,950 | ($21,774) |
| Garden City | $22,165 | ($8,322) |
| Hailey | $30,000 | ($55,102) |
| Idaho Falls | $2,690 | ($2,261) |
| Marsing | $27,350 | ($4,277) |
| New Meadows | $4,675 | ($6,126) |
| Sandpoint | $21,000 | ($58,107) |
Ketchum completed a CTE grant project in 2008 that made their 4th Street Heritage Corridor more pedestrian friendly through sidewalk widening and the planting of 22 new trees. They also used the CTE funds to replace trees along another city block with species more appropriate for the site.
Ketchum will be celebrating Arbor Day on May 7th, 2010 by planting 4 new fruit trees in their Kids Education Garden, which is part of an after-school program supported by the City’s Community Forestry Division.
Jen Smith, the area’s only certified arborist, is the Superintendant of the Parks & Recreation Department and a proponent for enhancing community forestry programs regionally. Jen not only manages the Community Forestry Division in Ketchum, she also chairs the city of Hailey’s tree committee in an effort to improve urban forestry practices and education throughout the Sun Valley.
Citizens are encouraged to contact Jen regarding any tree concerns. Ketchum also offers citizens the ability to schedule an educational session for your neighborhood, homeowners’ association, community group or school regarding specific topics such as planting or pruning.
If you have questions about this Newsletter or the Community Forestry Assitance Program, please contact Tera King with Northwest Management, Inc. at 208-883-4488-ext. 133.
March 2010 Newsletter
Let’s Celebrate Arbor Day!
Arbor Day is the holiday Nebraska gave to the world. The first celebration of Arbor Day took place on April 10, 1872. The idea for Arbor Day originally came from J. Sterling Morton, a pioneer moving to Nebraska from Detroit, Michigan. He organized a contest in which the prize, “a farm library of twenty five dollars worth of books to the person who, on that day, shall plant properly, in Nebraska, the greatest number of trees.” Nearly one million trees were planted that first Arbor Day. The winner of the prize was J. D. Smith, who, with his employees, planted an unbelievable 35,500 trees in one day. In 1885, the Nebraska State Legislature declared Arbor Day a legal holiday and selected April 22, Morton’s birthday, as the date for its permanent observance.
Today, all states memorialize Arbor Day by legislation, official proclamation, or public acclaim. Arbor Day has now spread beyond the United States and is observed in many countries. The State of Idaho celebrates Arbor Day on the last Friday in April, the nationally accepted date. However, many communities in Idaho choose to celebrate the holiday on different dates due to weather considerations or other factors.
Arbor Day in Idaho is on April 30, 2010
| For ideas on ways for your community to celebrate Arbor Day, check out these websites: | |
| Arbor Day Foundation | http://www.arborday.org |
| Idaho Department of Lands | http://www.idl.idaho.gov/bureau/ community_forestry/arbor_day/index.htm |
| Idaho Forest Products Commission | http://www.idahoforests.org/arborday.htm |
| Kaboose | http://holidays.kaboose.com/arbor-day/ |
| Apples 4 the Teacher | http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/ arbor-day/ |
| Enchanted Learning | http://www.enchangedlearning.com/crafts/ arborday/ |
Planting trees has been an American tradition since the first settlers brought seeds and cuttings from European fruit trees. Each of us can improve our surroundings and contribute to the welfare of our community by performing the simple act of planting a tree. The benefits are magnified when citizens throughout the community recognize the importance of planting and caring for the trees on their property. Can you imagine living in a place with no trees? Be sure to get involved in your city’s Arbor Day celebration. Encourage your city council to recognize the importance of caring for the resource that your community forest provides. The benefits of trees such as energy savings, flood control, crime prevention, and quality of the community will far outweigh the costs of planting and maintaining them.
The celebration of Arbor Day represents a priceless opportunity. Planting trees is an act of kindness and optimism. Trees purify our water, remove pollutants from our air, and prevent soil erosion. Additionally, they provide beauty for both the natural and constructed landscapes, wind breaks that aid in energy conservation, and shelter and food for wildlife. J. Sterling Morton was proud of the success of Arbor Day and noted,
“Arbor Day is not like other holidays. Each of those repose on the past, while Arbor Day proposes for the future.”
The information in this newsletter was excerpted from an article written by Gerry Bates, South Idaho Community Forestry Assistant.
If you have questions about this Newsletter or the Community Forestry Assitance Program, please contact Tera King with Northwest Management, Inc. at 208-883-4488-ext. 133.
April 2010 Newsletter
Tree City USA Awards!
When a community becomes a Tree City USA, it means more than being able to display a road sign or fly the flag. Tree City USA is a foundation for effective, well-organized tree care programs. Along with the community pride are practical benefits such as helping to gain financial support for tree projects, contributing to safer and healthier urban forests, and allowing municipal officials to deliver better service to the voting public.
Every community, regardless of size, benefits in a different way from being a Tree City USA. Some of the benefits being reported by award recipients in Idaho include:
Framework for Action – Meeting the Tree City standards provides direction for the community forestry program.
- Education – Tree Cities join a larger network of partners that share information and have access to all kinds of professionals and teaching aids.
- Public Image – Being a Tree City USA helps present the kind of image that most citizens want to have for theplace they live and work. It is an indication that the quality of life may be better here.
- Citizen Pride – Gaining and retaining Tree City USA recognition is an award to the tree workers, managers, volunteers, tree board members, and others who work on behalf of better care of the community’s trees.
- Financial Assistance – Preference is sometimes given to Tree City USA communities when allocations of grant money are made for trees or forestry programs.
- Publicity – Presentation of the Tree City USA award and the celebration of Arbor Day offer excellent publicity opportunities for the community.
Several north Idaho communities have taken their community forestry programs to the next level. For their efforts, the National Arbor Day Foundation has awarded them Growth Awards for the continual improvement of their community forestry programs. A Growth Award is a powerful demonstration that positive action is being taken to make the community a better place to live.
For 2009, Coeur d’Alene, Hayden, Moscow, Post Falls, Sandpoint, and Kellogg were recognized with Tree City USA Growth Awards.
Some of the information in this newsletter was excerpted from Tree City USA Bulletin No. 22 – “Tree City USA: Foundation for Better Tree Management” edited by Dr. James R. Fazio. If you have questions about this newsletter or the Community Forestry Assistance Program or would like additional information, please contact Tera King with Northwest Management, Inc. at 208-883-4488 ext. 133.