David V. Bloniarz Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service

1. Tree Inventories: Keeping it Simple & Affordable A Basic Primer – Tools, Techniques & Application David V. Bloniarz Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service

2. Key Topics for this Presentation Intro to Inventories The Planning Cycle Inventory Types Inventory Resources i-Tree Storm Damage Assessment Risk Tree Assessment

3. Inventory Overview • What is a tree inventory? • Why is a tree inventory important? • How is a tree inventory conducted? • What can we learn from a tree inventory? • What are the opportunities for tree inventory? • Commercial • Municipal • Private Residential • Recreation - Golf Course, Ski, Sports Facilities • Other Open Space

4. Why is a tree inventory important? • First step in effective landscape tree management • Creates the baseline for setting management objectives • Resource for creating plan to meet management objectives • Provides information to educate and persuade customers and constituents • Provides data to justify maintenance recommendations and contract estimates

5. Database Development – 1930’s

6. Database Development – 2010

7. Database Development – 2010

8. Specific Database Development – Hazard/Risk Inventory

9. Mapping Tools – early 20th Century

10. Mapping Development - 2010

11. Integrated Data Management

12. Web-Based/Cloud Computing

13. Web-Based/Cloud Computing

14. Interactive Web-Based Social Data Mining

15. Interactive Web-Based Social Data Mining

16. Management, Planning & Inventory Planning

17. Managing the Green • Methods are variable • Individual opportunities • Common concepts • Shifting priorities • Planning Guidelines ManagedLandscapes

18. Managed Landscapes ManagedLandscapes • Street Trees • Commercial Properties • Individual Residential Property • Recreation Areas – Golf, ski, sports facilities • ublic Facilities • Schools • Conservation Land • Other Open Space

19. Planning Steps • Step 1: Vision • Step 2: Assessment • Step 3: Strategic Planning • Step 4: Annual Work Plan • Step 5: Evaluation Results in a Successful and Sustainable Program

20. The Planning Process

21. Planning Steps • Step 1: Vision • Where You Want to Go • Includes Strategic Goal • May be a Mission Statement Step 1: Vision Step 2: Assessment Step 3: Strategic Planning Step 4: Annual Work Plan Step 5: Evaluation

22. Planning Steps • Step 2: Assessment • What We Have - The Inventory • Sample or Complete Type • Identifies and Quantifies the Resource Step 1: Vision Step 2: Assessment Step 3: Strategic Planning Step 4: Annual Work Plan Step 5: Evaluation

23. Planning Steps • Step 3: Strategic Planning • How to Close the Gap • Steps to Take • Prioritization of Efforts • Budgeting - Time & Resources Step 1: Vision Step 2: Assessment Step 3: Strategic Planning Step 4: Annual Work Plan Step 5: Evaluation

24. Planning Steps • Step 4: Annual Work Plan • Getting the Job Done • Tasks & Activities • Includes Partnerships, Education, Management and Planting • Budgeting - Staff and Resources Step 1: Vision Step 2: Assessment Step 3: Strategic Planning Step 4: Annual Work Plan Step 5: Evaluation

25. Planning Steps • Step 5: Evaluation • Did it get Done? • How Did You Do? • Justification for Increases - Funding, Staffing & Support • Important Step, but Often Not Completed Step 1: Vision Step 2: Assessment Step 3: Strategic Planning Step 4: Annual Work Plan Step 5: Evaluation

26. Key Component - An Inventory • Step 1: Vision • Step 2: Assessment • Step 3: Strategic Planning • Step 4: Annual Work Plan • Step 5: Evaluation Providing a Baseline

27. Inventory Planning • Determine the purpose of the tree inventory • Determine the data needed to meet that purpose • Determine the resources needed to collect the data

28. Types of Inventories

29. Specific Problem Inventory • Related to only one problem • Limited to one problem rather than broad management • Asian Longhorned Beetle • Dutch Elm Disease

30. Park and Natural Areas • Manicured Parks - Trees are individually inventoried • Natural Areas - Sampling, typing or grouping • Utilization of GIS, GPS and remote sensing

31. Recreation Areas • Golf Courses - Trees are individually inventoried • Ski Areas - Trees are individually inventoried • Hiking Trails, Campgrounds, Picnic Areas • Utilization of GIS, GPS and remote sensing

32. Landscaped Properties • Small Residential - Trees are individually inventoried • Estate - Sampling, typing or grouping • Corporate/Commercial Facilities - Utilization of GIS, GPS and remote sensing

33. Cover Type Survey • Utilizes aerial photos • Quantifies canopy extend • Monitoring of trends, patterns and changes • Useful for planning new construction - protection zones; energy savings potential

34. Sampling Method • Inexpensive and quick • Requires random sample • Assists in developing whole and accurate profiles of the population • May require stratification or grouping of land-use types

35. Windshield Survey • Gathers more info than the Specific Problem Inventory • Relatively inexpensive and quick to complete • Can be ongoing • Less precise than individual inspection • Ideal for inspection following storm events

36. Complete Inventory - Periodic • All trees are inventoried • Location is recorded by address, GPS or GIS • Detailed accounting of all trees • Time consuming and more costly • Most Accurate

37. Complete Inventory - Continuous • All trees are inventoried • Computer based, often linked to GIS and • Continuously maintained by updating • Filed work orders related to inventory database • Most expensive, but most effective management tool

38. Street Tree Inventories Tree City USA Bulletin #23 • National Arbor Day Foundation publication • Valuable summary and recap of key concepts

39. Key Uses of Inventory Data • Planning • Operational Planning • Strategic Planning • Hazard Identification • Prioritizing Tasks • Budgeting • Valuation • Monitoring • Education

40. Summarize the Data • Species Distribution • Age Class Distribution (Size) • Overall Condition • Management Needs • Structural Conditions - Weak forks, cavities • Planting Location • Utilities • Additional Information

41. Summarize the Findings Species Distribution Condition Pruning Type

42. Use Maps & Photos GIS Map Air Photo w/ canopy

43. Determining Priorities • Hazard removals • Pruning • Systematic maintenance • Planting • Community partnerships • Utility partnerships

44. Hazard Identification • Prioritized analysis • Scale of community-wide impacts • Cost of programmed response • Geographic location • Realistic cost estimate

45. Education • Public stakeholders • Policy makers • Community residents • Municipal managers • Neighborhood focus

46. Oh, No… not this again!

47. Strategic Planning • Long term strategies for your urban forest • Includes tree inventory info as one component of broad vision • Multi-disciplinary approach to action • New planting strategy • Where do you want to be in 3, 5, 10 years?

48. Operational Planning • Day-to-day operations • Work requests, scheduling and staging • Time management • Personnel, Equipment and coordination • Contract specifications • Programmed planting

49. Budgeting • Projected estimate of yearly operational expenses • Estimate of specific programming needs • Long-term funding strategies can be more clearly defined

50. Projected Budget Estimates Based on Inventory Data Crown Cleaning - 500 trees @ $100 each $50,000 Crown Lifting - 300 trees @ $55 each $16,500 Crown Reduction - 120 trees @ $95 each $11,400 Removal - 20 trees @ $400 each $8,000 Stumps - 45 stumps @ $175 each $7,875 Vacant planting sites 125 @ $350 each $43,750 TOTAL $137,525