regional forestry

'New and Improved' Urban and Community Forestry Funding Available from the National Tree Trust for 2003!

The National Tree Trust (NTT) is continuing to provide funding support through its established Partnership Enhancement Monetary Grant Program (PEP) for 2003 but with a few improvements. NTT created a new funding category for supporting Community Nurseries ($1,000 to $10,000 grants are available). The other four grant categories include Education/Training; Overhead/Administration; National/Regional Programs/Projects. Grants of up to $25,000 are available for 501 (c) 3 organizations.

Applications are available by calling 1-800-8733 or can be downloaded from our website at www.nationaltreetrust.org after August 12, 2002. The PEP application deadline is October 15, 2002.

David Flanigan
Director of the Community Tree Planting Program

National Tree Trust
1120 G St. Suite 770
Washington, DC 20005
phone: 202-628-8733 ext 12
fax: 202-628-8735

As of June 1st, I have officially taken Larry Schaapveld's place in the Ft. Worth region of the Texas Forest Service. The Dallas position is now being advertised on the TFS web site and will be filled as soon as an acceptable candidate is found. (see the posting at Treelink).

Until that position is filled I will continue to work both regions as I have done since Larry's retirement. Also, once there is someone in place in Dallas I will still be involved with various issues throughout the regions, both in Dallas and Ft. Worth, such as working with the Trinity Blacklands Urban Forestry Council or the City of Dallas' tree ordinance issues, etc.

My main email address will remain the same at cblevins@tfs.tamu.edu and the cell phone number will also remain the same at 817-229-2621 but the office number will now be 817-926-8203.

I ask for your continued patience when calling on me for assistance as I handle both areas. My 10+ years as forester for the Dallas region have been extremely rewarding for me and I do not intend to simply sever my ties with my many friends and associates I have come to know and respect. Thanks to each of you for helping me promote urban forestry in North Central Texas.

Sincerely,
Courtney Blevins, CF
Texas Forest Service, Ft. Worth

Tree Mitigation Program Implemented To Protect Mature Trees Within Irving

In an effort to address the loss of older trees due to road construction projects, the city has implemented a tree mitigation program through the Public Works Department. This innovative approach allows residents to specify a planting location and species of replacement trees on their property. The program also promotes ownership of the trees while the public benefits from the preservation of Irving�s urban forest. The city has issued nearly 176 vouchers for trees since the program was implemented.

The tree mitigation program was initiated to establish guidelines that protect the mature trees that have been planted within city rights of way. It also provides for the replacement of some trees that must be removed due to construction projects. When engineers determine that a mature tree must be removed during a road construction project, the city gives the adjacent property owner a voucher. Once the construction is completed, the property owner presents the voucher to the city�s tree vendor as payment. By issuing vouchers to property owners, construction contractors no longer are responsible for the replacement of trees that are removed during a road project.

The city protects or replaces trees that are self-supporting with a trunk diameter of six inches or more. The tree also must be one that has been designated by the Texas Forest Service as a quality species and natural habitat enhancement that is worthy of protection. There are approximately 35 approved species in this program. Prior to starting construction on a city project, a survey is conducted to locate all protected trees and determine their sizes and species. The city offers a voucher for each protected tree that is removed. There are guidelines for property owners and residents to follow when replacing the removed trees. For more information, call (972) 721-2611.

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Urban Tree Farm Provides Cleaner Air for Dallas

On March 23 2001, ground was broken on the first �Urban Tree Farm� in downtown Dallas. The Tree Farm is unique to Dallas and is made possible by a public/private partnership among the Dallas Trees and Parks Foundation, the Texas Department of Transportation, the Downtown Improvement District, the Uptown Improvement District, and Grandy Nursery.

The Urban Tree Farm will allow the Dallas Trees and Parks Foundation to grow much-needed trees, while providing cleaner air for Dallas. Because the trees will filter the air and sequester carbon from the atmosphere naturally, it is appropriate that the Urban Tree Farm is located in the heart of the Woodall Rogers Freeway and Central Expressway (Hwy 75) interchange. On March 31 the planting of the Urban Tree Farm took place when as many as 90 volunteers planted more than 900 five-gallon trees on site. There are 10 varieties of trees, including Bur Oak, Cedar Elm, Desert Willow, Live Oak, Shumard Red Oak, Lacebark Elm, Chinese Pistachio, Bald Cypress and Native Pecan.

The five-gallon trees will mature into ten-gallon containers during one growing season and will be harvested in October and November. Then new five-gallon trees will be planted in their place. Once harvested, the trees will be used for public tree planting projects under the Foundation�s Trees for Dallas program. This program provides trees to area neighborhood associations, schools, and for other public open space projects in a counties surrounding Dallas.

Oak Wilt is considered to be one of the most destructive tree diseases in the United States. Over 10,000 trees have already died of oak wilt in the Austin area alone.

This disease affects live oaks and red oaks (a group of several oaks) in our state but not oaks in the white oak family.� As we have increased in our knowledge of this disease, we have become increasingly aware of its presence in the Dallas area.�For comprehensive PowerPoint presentation, please access the The Cooperative Oak Wilt Suppression Project web page. Additional information is found at the Oak Wilt at Texas A & M Dallas Research Extension Center.

The linked map below shows the locations of all the known and confirmed oak wilt centers in the immediate Dallas area.� There are certainly other "spots" that have not been reported yet. As they are confirmed, we will add them to the map.

-Courtney Blevins, TFS Dallas

By the time the newsletter is mailed out in July (1998), at least 30 new Oak Wilt infection centers will be detected since March 1st of this year and added to the previous list of over 150 documented cases in Tarrant and Dallas Counties. An Oak Wilt "center" may only be one tree or a grouping of oak trees. That makes the actual number of trees lost this year just in these two counties very substantial, ...especially to those homeowners and the neighborhoods around them that have lost trees.

Oak Wilt is a fungus that clogs up the part of the tree where water travels from the root system to the leaves. Except for the fruiting part of the fungus which occurs on red oak trees in the spring, you cannot "see" the fungus, only the symptoms of the fungus. Live oak trees and red oak trees (blackjack, Spanish, and Shumard oaks) are the trees that are susceptible to this disease. Oak trees in the white oak family such as post oaks and bur oaks do not die from the disease in our area. Insects spread the disease in the spring from infected red oaks to wounds on healthy trees. It is also spread tree to tree by connected or grafted root systems which is an often occurrence on these species.

When a live oak tree has Oak Wilt it may die in 3-6 months. Some of the leaves on the tree and those shedding on the ground will have a pattern where the veins are highlighted a different color from the leaf. They will look as if they have a halo or as if you tried to inject a die into the veins. When red oak trees have Oak Wilt, they may die in 1-3 months. Their leaves actually go through a stage of looking wilted on the tree (which began on May 1st of this year in our area), then to a color of bronzy green then brownish-red hanging on the tree awhile before they eventually fall. Also, laboratory tests can confirm the existence of the disease.

Prevention of the disease includes minimizing wounds on trees (especially from February 1 to June 1), painting fresh wounds as they occur, and covering fresh cut firewood with a clear plastic or buying seasoned firewood. Suppression of the disease once a center is started may mean removing infected red oaks, trenching to cut connecting root systems to isolate the disease from surrounding trees, and injecting highest value trees with the fungicide Alamo. Alamo can protect individual trees but the disease will continue to spread to connected and unprotected trees.

If you suspect you may have Oak Wilt or if you have further questions, please call the Texas Forest Service, Texas Agricultural Extension Service, or your local city forester for help.

Jan Davis
Staff Forester
Texas Forest Service

Oak Wilt Map

Common Questions About Oak Wilt Texas Forest Service site.



			Serving the Urban Forestry needs of Dallas County and surrounding region.