Tree Inventories Pre-Project Considerations Project Setup Getting It Done Example: Georgia Perimeter College

1. Assessing Community Trees Tree Inventories • Pre-Project Considerations • Project Setup • Getting It Done • Example: Georgia Perimeter College Shirley Trier, Davey Resource Group Sharon Topping, Georgia Perimeter College

2. A tree inventory is… • A database • A maintenance tool • A management tool A tree inventory provides information about individual trees; collectively, the data can provide information about a tree population.

3. data should give you: • Individual tree locations using GIS and/or GPS • Information about tree characteristics • Information about tree condition • Recommendations for actions on individual trees Tree inventory

4. Individual Tree Attributes Common Name: black walnut Botanical Name: Juglans nigra Condition: Poor Location: Borderline DBH: 32” Risk Assessment Failure Defect Target Other = Rating 3 2 3 1 9 Risk Rating: 9

5. What did we say… Photograph 8. This black walnut (Juglans nigra), located at 123 South Main Street, was recommended as a Removal with a Risk Rating of 9 (Severe Risk). The large main leader (yellow arrow) of this tree is severely decayed and could impact this heavily traveled portion of South Main Street if it fails. All Severe and High Risk Removals should be performed as soon as possible to reduce the level of risk in public tree populations.

6. Franklin, TN Central Character Area Tree Condition Franklin’s Street Tree Maintenance Recommendations Maintenance Number of Trees Percentage Priority 1 Removal 46 2.86 Priority 2 Removal 67 4.16 Priority 3 Removal 57 3.54 Priority 1 Prune 214 13.28 Priority 2 Prune 212 13.16 Large Tree Routine Prune 409 25.39 Small Tree Routine Prune 263 16.33 Training Prune 343 21.29 Totals 1,611 100 Tree Populations Franklin’s tree inventory conducted by Davey Resource Group 2009

7. Population of Trees in Franklin, TN Central Character Area: Distribution of Trees by Genus Franklin’s tree inventory conducted by Davey Resource Group 2009

8. Population of Trees in Franklin, TN Central Character Area: Percent of Trees by DBH Class

9. Estimated maintenance costs over time Dahlonega, GA inventory and management and planting plan by Davey Resource Group, 2009

10. Project Setup Determining the 5 W’s is critical to a successful and useful tree inventory project. For all tree inventories, project setup is similar… It’s the why, what, where, when and who.

11. Why a tree inventory? • You need tree locations for some reason (probably individual tree maintenance or pre-storm documentation). • You need to streamline operations by prioritizing tasks. • You need to reduce risk. • You need to plant trees. • You need to improve the composition of your urban forest. • You need to document work performed. • You need to estimate your future needs. To Put It Simply…

12. to plant trees? REALLY Do I Need a Tree Inventory ?

13. to plant trees? REALLY Do I Need a Tree Inventory Tree inventory conducted by Davey Resource Group 2009

14. Tree planting in 2006 and 2007 • In 2009 DRG inventoried 1,153 street/park trees. • The 2009 oak population was 458 trees (40%). • 100 trees were planted in 2006-2007. 68 were live oaks, 20 bald cypress, 6 magnolias, and 6 crape myrtles. Also, about 30 trees were removed; approximately 50% were oaks. • Assumed street/park tree population in 2006-2007: 1,068 trees (1,153-100+15). Assumed oak street/park tree population at that time was 405 (458-68+15) trees (38%). • Tree planting increased the percentage of publicly managed oaks by 2 %. Davey’s inventory of Crescent City’s publicly managed trees includes 1,153 trees, 599 available planting sites, and 53 stumps for a total of 1,805 sites.

15. What data… do you need to collect?

16. Typical Tree Inventory Data Fields • GIS/GPS • Blockside • Identification • Diameter (DBH) • Condition • Maintenance Recommendation • Conflicts

17. COLLECT More Than Just Trees • Benches • Poles • Memorials • Signs • Utilities • Drains Make YOUR tree inventory a cross departmental tool. Make IT an asset inventory.

18. Need • Funding • Time Where – Define your study area.

19. When? • Deadline • Planning to be done or revised? • Resources—either more or less

20. Who? • In-house: investment of time and some money • Out-source: investment of money, less time • Volunteer: investment of time and less money

21. Tree Inventory Considerations

22. What’s cool is that with a basic street tree inventory you can put a dollar value on tree benefits using i-Tree.

23. i-Tree Streets Carbon dioxide sequestered Carbon dioxide stored Air quality improved Energy saved Property value increased Stormwater

24. Perform a complete area or segment sample inventory OR • You have an existing tree inventory that contains at least these three fields: • DBH • Condition • Species FOR i-Tree Streets FOR i-Tree Streets From www.itreetools.org Within i-Tree, street tree populations are assessed using Streets (formerly STRATUM). Streets is a street tree management and analysis tool for urban forest managers that uses tree inventory data to quantify the dollar value of annual environmental and aesthetic benefits

25. Education Public

26. Benefit Analysis i-Tree Streets STRATUM Analysis Results of the Annual Benefits Value for Historic Springfield Public Tree Inventory Project completed by Davey Resource Group in 2007

27. Georgia Perimeter College GPC Sharon Topping: • Grounds Manager, GPC Davey Resource Group: • ISA Certified Arborists • Biologists • In-house GIS specialist • In-house software development and support • Former facility managers and municipal workers on staff

28. Deliverables GIS-based tree inventory data collection • Inventory of 2,655 trees and stumps at Dunwoody, Decatur, Clarkston, and Newton campuses. Inventory of approximately 1 mile of nature trail at the Newton campus; significant trees with targets only. Buffer zone GIS canopy coverage • GIS canopy coverage analyses of approximately 25 acres of buffer zone/natural area at Dunwoody, Decatur, Clarkston, and Newton campuses. Asset Manager 4.0 tree management software Software training and support • On-site training (one-day). One year of unlimited phone. Custom management plan • Management plan to include tree management program for each campus and large-format wall maps of each campus. Nature trail workbook and small map.

29. College-wide Tree Removals Figure 4. Georgia Perimeter College’s Tree Removals by Diameter Size Class

30. Clarkston Campus Figure 5. Clarkston Campus’ Distribution of Trees by Genus

31. Clarkston Campus Figure 6. Diameter Size Class Distribution of Clarkston Campus’ Inventoried Tree Population

32. CLARKSTON CAMPUS Figure 7. Clarkston Campus’ Tree Conditions

33. Clarkston Campus Figure 8. Clarkston Campus’ Tree Removals by Diameter Size Class

34. Clarkston Campus Maintenance Required Number Percentage of Trees of Trees Priority 1 Removal 23 2.44 Priority 2 Removal 19 2.01 Priority 3 Removal 3 0.32 Priority 1 Prune 37 3.92 Priority 2 Prune 68 7.21 Large Tree Routine Prune 381 40.40 Small Tree Routine Prune 263 27.89 Training Prune 133 14.10 Stump Removal 16 1.70 Totals 943 100

35. Determine the five W’s: • In most cases, start chipping away at data collection—could take several phases. • Think about how you will update the database. • Think about database management (software). • Then, after data collection of the area is complete, think about a management plan. It is best to write management plans on complete data sets. why, what, where, when and who In Summary

36. Thank You Shirley Trier Davey Resource Group 904-803-0557 shirley.trier@davey.com Sharon Topping Georgia Perimeter College