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Deadlines and Dates for upcoming events, awards, and grants!
January 9, 2019 |1:00-2:15pm ET
WEBINAR: Urban Forest Connections (USDA Forest Service)
More Than Good Looks: How trees influence urban stormwater management in green infrastructure practices. For more info go
HERE
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January 10, 2019
Deadline for Annual Oregon UCF conference
presentation proposals (see article at right)
To submit a proposal go
HERE
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January 17, 2019
11:00 am- Noon, plus up to 30 minutes Q&A
WEBINAR:
Emerging Insect Pests - threats to Oregon's Agriculture, Forests, and Plant Trade
Learn about the current status of these insects
in Oregon, how they get here, efforts to address the issues, and what you can do. Featuring ODF and ODA invasive species specialists Wyatt Williams, Meg Raabe, and Chris Hedstrom.
Webinar is free but you must register to attend.
HERE is where you should go for more info and to register.
Deadline: January 31, 2019
Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Grant Program 2019
Request for Proposals
seeks to develop community capacity to sustain local natural resources for future generations by providing modest financial assistance to diverse local partnerships focused on improving water quality, watersheds and the species and habitats they support. Potential projects include a variety of ecological improvements along with targeted community outreach, education and stewardship.
Projects should also increase access to the benefits of nature, reduce the impact of environmental hazards and engage local communities, particularly underserved communities, in project planning, outreach and implementation.
This program expects that applicants will represent a mixture of urban and rural communities.
For more information or questions about this RFP, please contact: Chloe Elberty, Coordinator, Community Stewardship,
Chloe.Elberty@nfwf.org or visit the website
HERE
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Nominate A Heritage Tree for the Oregon Heritage Tree Program
Heritage tree nominations are reviewed quarterly by the Oregon Heritage Tree Committee. If you know of a tree that has been a "witness" to Oregon history, and would like to nominate it, click
this link to learn more.
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February 12, 2019
Tree Fund
Webinar
"The Salt Dilemma: Growing Better Urban Trees in Northern Climates" For more info:
Deadline: February 15, 2019
Oregon Urban and Community Forestry Awards
(see article at left)
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Deadline: February 15, 2019
EPA Environmental Justice Small Grant Program
The Environmental Justice Small Grants (EJSG) program awards grants that support community-driven projects designed to engage, educate, and empower communities to better understand local environmental and public health issues and develop strategies for addressing those issues, building consensus in the community, and setting community priorities. The EJSG program will award approximately $1.5 million nationwide for this competitive opportunity. EPA anticipates awarding approximately 50 grants (5 per EPA region) of up to $30,000 each. These grants are for one-year projects.
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February 22, 2019
10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Young Street Tree Structural Pruning
Hood River, OR
Please join Tyler Roth, professional arborist in Hood River and Oregon Community Trees Director, for a comprehensive class on young tree pruning. The class will begin with a 1.75 hour Powerpoint presentation, followed by 2.75 hours applying what we learned in the field pruning young trees. All pruning materials will be provided for you. Tickets are $25. PNWISA CEUs applied-for. To register, go HERE
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2019 Municipal Forestry Institute
(Oregon Garden Resort, Silverton, OR)
Feb 24-Mar 5, 2019
(Although this training is now full, this date remains here for reference if needed.)
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Save the Date
Oregon Annual Urban and Community Forestry Conference
World Forestry Center
Portland, OR
June 6, 2019
To register for the conference, go HERE
(See article, right)
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Ongoing: PNW-ISA classes on tree care
For upcoming classes go
HERE
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Helpful Links and Information
Salt/Fertilizer Damage from UMaryland Extension
Utility Websites
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Kristin Ramstad
Urban & Community Forestry Program Manager
503-945-7390
Katie Lompa
Community Assistance Forester
541- 480-3790
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Community Tree Connections (CTC) is a periodic publication by the Oregon Department of Forestry, Urban and Community Forestry Assistance Program. Our mission is to help Oregonians improve their quality of life by promoting community investment in our urban forests. Subscriptions to this newsletter are free and available by contacting ODF. CTC is published in cooperation with the USDA Forest Service. The USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
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Hello Everybody!
Winter is here. After searching the Web for the perfect article to link you to for "winter tree care tips" and coming up short, we decided to write our own. See Things to
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| Leaves in early winter |
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Know about Trees in Winter, below.
Please consider nominating a person or an organizatio
n for an Oregon urban and community forestry award. The awards recognize inspirational individuals and organizations for promoting tree planting and quality tree care, engaging citizens, raising awareness and knowledge about urban trees and forests, and protecting Oregon's urban forests. See the OCT section below for more details.
Save the date for the 2019 Annual Urban and Community Forestry conference (June 6, Portland) - and perhaps consider being a local speaker or discussion facilitator?
Congratulations to all the Tree Cities, Tree Campuses, and Tree Line USA applicants, who were so good at getting their applications in on or close to the Dec 15th deadline this year! We REALLY appreciate it. If you have any questions, please contact us.
Best wishes from us in the ODF-U&CF program for a happy and safe holiday season. Hope to see you in 2019!
Kristin Ramstad and Katie Lompa
Urban and Community Forestry Assistance Program, Oregon Department of Forestry
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Save the Date for the 2019 Annual Oregon U&CF conference
Portland, June 6, 2019
 Making Space for Trees - Designing Tree-Friendly Infrastructure for Oregon Communities
is the theme for 2019's urban forestry conference. We have secured a great keynote speaker, and will be reviewing submissions for additional presenters in early January. We are looking for additional presenters with local expertise! If you would like to submit a presentation proposal, or simply to head up a discussion group topic, please check out the presentation proposal form HERE.
Deadline is January 10th.
Like the 2017 conference, we are planning longer detailed sessions, lightning rounds, small group discussions, and opportunities to network both pre-conference and post conference. Ready to commit? The EventBrite conference registration site is functional and able to take your registrations
HERE
. We will continue to polish and update the site as we schedule speakers and presentation topics.
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Oregon Community Trees
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| OCT Directors in Albany - Dec 2018 photo J Gersbach |
Oregon Community Trees (OCT) held its last quarterly meeting of 2018 on Dec 7th in Albany. The Directors toured Albany's new, multi-block downtown streetscape, and even got to take a spin on the city's fanciful carousel. M
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| Lori Schumacher from Albany talks trees -- photo J Gersbach |
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any thanks to
Lori Schumacher, a civil engineer with Albany's Public Works Dept. and Emily Day, Albany's
Natural Resources Specialist, for facilitating such an interesting walking tour.
Outgoing president, Eric DeBord, and the rest of the OCT Board welcomed in-coming president, Samantha Wolf, and in-coming Vice-President, Teresa Gustafson. Jennifer Killian will be continuing as the amazing Conference
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Eric DeBord handing the gavel to Samantha Wolf photo J Gersbach |
Chair.
The Directors bid a sad farewell to former OCT president Ruth Williams, (who promised she will return when her life is less hectic), Adam Airoldi, Brian French, and John Wolinski. Thank you all for your time and service with OCT! The OCT Directors also voted in a few new members who will be announced in the next issue of this newsletter, once they have accepted their positions.
Oregon Urban and Community Forestry Awards!
OCT's awards committee announced that it is looking for people to receive urban and community awards in 2019.
For over 20 years, this awards program has recognized people and groups who do the often 'unsung' work of making our communities better places to live due to their community forestry efforts. OCT needs your eyes and ears to help find next year's recipients.
There are 2 categories: Individual and Organization. The nomination form can be found HERE.
All award nominations must include:
- Name of the individual or organization being nominated, and contact information
- Name and contact information of the nominator
- A brief (250-words or less) description of the accomplishments and reason for the nomination
Nominations must be received by Feb. 15, 2018.
The mission of Oregon Community Trees is to promote healthy urban and community forests through leadership, education, awareness, and advocacy. For more information about Oregon Community Trees visit its website HERE
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Things to Know about Trees in Winter
Best management practices (BMPs) for a city's urban forest include routinely inspecting trees for risk, and caring for them properly. Dr. Ed Gilman at the University of Florida has empirically sh own that trees withstand wind/snow/hurricanes better if they are trained to a central leader.
Rain-saturated soils, snow and icy conditions, strong winds, tree disease and defects can increase a tree's risk of failure, but it is important to remember that MOST trees remain standing, and that older trees have been through many winter storms.
Usually when trees fail in the winter, there is a reason. Don't be afraid of a tree just because it is large - instead inform yourself about the tree's condition. (This does not simply apply to your trees, but also trees in parks, or along hiking trails - look around and become aware.) Here are some indicators for your concern:
- Damaged roots
- Little rivulets running by a tree, and eroding the soil, when there is a heavy rain
- A significant lean toward a "target"
- Soil heaving at the base from lifted roots
- Mushrooms on the trunk, or near the base of the tree, that may indicate decay
- Tree has been topped in the past, making the branches poorly attached to the main structure
- Vertical limbs tightly pressed against each other. (As these leaders increase in diameter, the bark pressed between them may thwart the growth of tissue that will support the increasing weight of the limbs.)
- Obvious holes, or gaping wounds in the bark?
- Dead or partially attached limbs hung-up in higher branches that could blow out of the tree and cause damage
- The trees are propped up by another tree
- Trees touching electrical wires
Of particular concern in the winter are trees that have been  topped in the past. Topping makes trees hazardous by causing the resulting regrowth to be weakly attached, so it may break out easily in ice and snow and strong winds.
(Fungal) hoof-like conks higher up on the trunk of a Doug-fir tree do not necessarily mean that the tree needs to be removed. However, mushrooms or hardened conks on the base of most trees are cause for concern. Please call an ISA-Certified arborist to inspect your tree.
Mulch is a great winter treatment for younger trees since it reduces soil erosion and soil-held nutrient escape by protecting soil from rain. A "donut" of wood chip mulch, out to the dripline of the tree, 2-3" thick, around the base of younger trees is best -- keeping the mulch 3"-4" away from the base of the tree. If you put the mulch next to the trunk, sometimes mice and other critters will nest there and gnaw on the bark. (Remove leaves from building up around tree trunks to discourage critters from snuggling there.)
Make sure the ground is not frozen when you add mulch, because mulch will "insulate the cold in," and keep the conditions frigid around the roots longer. Also make sure that the ground is not dry under the mulch, because mulch can act to keep the rain OUT of the root zone, especially if the "rain" is mostly in the form of drizzle.
Water. It is hard to imagine plants needing supplemental water in winter, and most of them do not. However, if you have small potted tree or shrubs under a barn/home overhang, or if you live in dry areas east of the Cascades, check them and water them every 6-8 weeks if they are dry. Note that potted plants can freeze more easily over winter than those in the ground...
Winter wind parch (aka Parch Blight) is sometimes observed in dry windy areas such as along the Columbia Gorge. When the soil is frozen, dry winter winds can desiccate and kill entire stands of trees --the wind sucks moisture out of the leaves, and the cold soil reduces the roots' ability to absorb enough soil moisture to replace the moisture lost through the leaves.
Mulch and moisture protect trees against winter sunscald. When the sun shines brightly on a cold winter day, it may heat up the bark of a tree to a temperature that stimulates cellular activity. As soon as the sun's rays are blocked, the bark temperature drops quickly, rupturing and killing active cells. This causes winter sunscald, the symptoms of which are elongated, sunken, dried or cracked cells of dead bark, generally on the south side of the tree. Wrapping or painting the trunk used to be recommended to combat sunscald in all but the coldest areas of the state, but was deemed to be both ineffective and possibly causing more problems than it solved. In the coldest areas of Oregon, however, it is probably still best to do what they do as recommended by Univ. of Minnesota Extension, especially for thin barked and young trees: "Wrap the trunk with white guards to reflect the sun and keep the bark at a more constant temperature. Use a white commercial tree wrap or plastic tree guards. Do not use brown paper tree wrap or black colored tree guards as they will absorb heat from the sun. Wrap newly planted trees for at least two winters and thin-barked species up to five winters or more. Most important: put the wrap on in the fall and remove it in the spring after the last frost." Generally speaking, though, keeping mulch around the base of the tree and monitoring soil moisture are probably the best defenses against sunscald.
Salt /De-icing chemicals used for de-icing streets and sidewalks are very injurious to trees. After reading-up on the articles about de-icing (see left column),  consider communicating to business owners what type of product they should use, the amount to use, and to request not piling contaminated snow/slush into the planters, around tree wells, and planting strips. If salt/chemicals do get in the area of your tree the best course of action is to flush the area with large amounts of water in the spring. This is an appropriate action to include on your annual tree maintenance plan.
Christmas lights - See link in sidebar to view the City Portland's guidelines for stringing lights in city trees.
The best way to prepare trees for the onslaught of winter is to keep them healthy all year round - by making sure they are properly pruned and, particularly with younger trees, replenishing the mulch around their trunks. Do not over-fertilize during the spring or summer.
A good task for a city tree board is to help inform city residents of these winter tree care details, along with tree removal regulations, and tree permitting requirements. If your city lacks a tree board, this would be a job for the city tree manager.
If you have questions or concerns, please hire an ISA-Certified arborist to discuss your concerns. Find an ISA-Certified arborist HERE.
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Your "Click of Trees" *
Your "reward" for reading all the way down... a link to an interesting tree feature(s) on the web.
- Even if you don't celebrate Christmas, these YouTube links may be of interest..
The Capitol Christmas Tree Arrives in Washington
*Credit to OPB's online newsletter and "Click of Zen" feature.
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