2007 Summary of Tree Maintenance
           (In parks, golf courses, cemeteries, city buildings, and on other city property)

• Trees Removed: 318
  Trees are removed due to poor structural support caused by past lightning strikes, decay, wind damage, or winter desiccation.  Many of the removals this year were trees that had been killed by bark beetles.
  Drought stressed trees are an easy target for insects and disease, which can be the final cause in killing the trees.  Ips bark beetle, and Mountain Pine Beetle, are very small insects, which in high numbers, attacked and killed over 40 large spruce trees and pine trees.  We remove the bark off of beetle killed pine and spruce trees, prior to storing the trunks.  We use two chain saw powered bark peelers to remove the bark.  Bark removal is required to keep the beetles from emerging and attacking other trees.  None of the wood debris generated by tree removal or pruning by City Forestry goes into the landfill.
  
  
• Trees Pruned: 1,816
  Larger park trees are generally pruned in the dormant season, November through March.  Smaller trees are pruned year-round.  Many smaller trees in unirrigated areas are pruned while they are being hand-watered during the summer months.
  
  Pruning small trees, 51% of the 1,816 total number in 2007, allows us to direct the growth of the tree as it matures.  We remove small poorly positioned branches, which affect the growth of more desirable branches, before the branches become larger.  Tree care industry guidelines recommend pruning every other year on newly planted trees beginning a year after planting and continuing for six years.  Pruning in larger trees primarily removes dead, broken, or weak branches.  Squirrels feeding on the high food value layers of cells under the bark in smaller branches causes significant die-back in many larger trees.  Smaller limb die-back, if severe enough, causes larger limb die-back.  We have had to remove many large trees due to repetitive and heavy squirrel damage.  Squirrels can kill trees!
  
  
• Trees Planted: 487
  New trees purchased and planted - 410
  Trees transplanted from city maintained tree nurseries - 77
       Over 300 trees exist in various tree nurseries and are maintained by this division.  As the trees mature,      they are transplanted into the parks, golf courses, ballfields, cemeteries, and the Greenway using a 44      inch diameter, trailer mounted, hydraulic tree spade.
  For every tree removed we planted 1.5 trees.
  
  
• 8 Trees were Removed: vandalism, vehicle damage, wind damage, or other damage.
  Using an internationally recognized formula to determine tree value, the dollar value of trees lost for the year 2007, in Cheyenne, was $15,917.
       One large tree was lost because of a water main break:  Valued at  $10,859.
       Four trees lost from high winds:  Valued at  $3,905.
       Three trees lost from damage caused by vehicles:  Valued at  $1,153.
  
  

• Tree Watering Events: 9,926   (Trees are hand-watered several times throughout the year)
  The calendar year 2007, was a near normal precipitation year, .61 inches below normal, a normal year is 15.45 inches of precipitation.  Watering trees by hand was less critical last year.
  
  Trees watered by hand are located in non-irrigated areas, including the Greenway, North Cheyenne Community Park, Downtown core area, and parts of Lions Park.   All conifer trees (e.g., pine, spruce, fir and juniper) require supplemental hand watering water during the late fall and winter.  The amount of water used in 2007 for hand watering trees was 1.29 acre feet or 419,950 gallons.  An acre foot of water is the amount of water needed to cover one acre (43,560 square feet) to a depth of one foot of water, 325,851 gallons. Most of the water used to water the trees, 80%, was taken out of Absarraca Lake, which is untreated water, also known as raw water.  We recycled 14,000 gallons of water out of Johnson Pool at the end of summer.
  
  
                                         
  Drafting water out of Absarraca Lake into a 350-gallon water tank, for hand watering trees.  The tank is hauled in the bed of a one-ton pickup truck or dump truck.  Nine trees can be watered with each full tank of water.  Depending on the distance from the lake to the trees, 6 to 10 tanks of water can be filled each day, watering 54 to 90 trees per day per vehicle.  We have 6 tanks, 350 gallons each, for hauling water.  We also have a 4500 gallon tanker that we use to flood irrigate trees and to water 500+ trees in the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) area.  The tanker is also used as a "reservoir on wheels" to supply water for several 350 gallon/pickup truck units working in the same area.
  
  

•  Special Projects:  (Landscaping, Tree work for city projects along city streets - 360 personnel hours).
  - Planting trees, shrubs, and ornamental plants and installation of rock mulch at the Spray Park in Lions Park.
  - Installing weed barrier fabric, plants, and mulch in E. 8th Avenue median island in front of the Airport Terminal.
  - Installing weed barrier fabric, plants, and mulch along the Greenway at the E. 4th Avenue cul-de-sac at Evans.
  - Installing metal edging in the Buffalo Soldier Triangle on Randall Ave. and W. 32nd St.
  - Pruning and removing trees and shrubs in the public right-of-way for:  Installation of sewer lines, ADA accessible sidewalks, curb        and gutter replacement, and storm water drainage conflicts.
  - Moving, removing, and pruning trees at Kingham Prairie View Golf Course for reuse water irrigation line installation.
  

  ---

  Chart of Forestry Division Crew Activities 2001 - 2007:
  
                              
  
  

  ---

  
  
• Park Tree Inventory and Evaluation
  
  A good informational Website on the value of trees is:  Colorado Tree Coalition.
  

Tree Maintenance Photos

Using a crane to place a larger blue spruce in the Depot Plaza

                           
Most of our tree pruning is done during the late fall and winter months.  We can drive large maintenance vehicles on the frozen soil without damaging the grass and soil too much.  There is less chance of spreading tree diseases during the winter months. Without leaves the overall structure of the tree and problem limbs are easily seen.  It is safer to do tree maintenance with fewer park visitors.

      
Initial tree decline is usually due to drought or root damage, culminating in the final blow of insect or disease attack causing tree mortality.  Trees left standing in poor health are open to insect attack, which increases the chance of mortality causing insects increasing in population.  In mass, insects can successfully attack healthy trees.  Spruce Ips bark beetles typically cause tree mortality beginning at the top of the tree and moving downward.  All spruce trees in the cemeteries were sprayed in late Summer 2006, Spring 2007, and will be sprayed again in Spring 2008.

Cheyenne Community Forestry Committee  

The Cheyenne Community Forestry Committee (CCFC) was formed in January 2007. A resolution authorizing creation of the Cheyenne Community Forestry Committee (resolution #4932) was signed by Mayor Jack Spiker on April 9, 2007. See a copy of the By-Laws.

The mission statement of the Committee is:

"The Community Forestry Committee recognizes that trees are vital to the health and well-being of our community. The Committee is dedicated to the preservation, protection, and enhancement of our community forest through professional efforts in planning, planting and the maintenance of trees for the enrichment of our residents and future generations to come. The Committee will strive to build an effective and positive partnership among citizens, industry, local government, schools and volunteers."

Drought and Trees brochure developed by the CCFC

The Committee members are:

Don Bainter
Clint Bassett - Vice Chairperson
Jim Cochran
Jim Lambert - Secretary
Jeff Marsolek
Diane McKillip
Steve Roseberry - Chairperson
Lisa Olson
Jane Darnell

CCFC Meeting Minutes: January 2007,  February 2007,  March 2007,  April 2007,  May 2007,  June 2007,  July 2007,  August 2007,  September 2007,  October 2007,  November & December 2007,  January 2008, April 2008.