Protecting, Sustaining, Advocacy
February 2020
CONNECTIONS:
COMMENTS FROM THE CHAIR
Greetings again NCUFC Members,
 
It’s already February in the Carolinas and what a great start to the year so far. It was refreshing seeing all that attended the Green and Growin’ show in Greensboro last month. Every year, I am amazed by the amount of plant material and the size of some of the trees that show up on display. Thank you to all who participated by presenting, speaking, managing, displaying and attending. As I write these comments, I’m sure many of you are hard at work recovering and assisting others with tree and debris cleanup due to the severe storms that swept across the state on Thursday, Feb. 6th. What an unseasonably warm first week we had this month, followed up by storms we expect to experience in the summer months. I hope everyone has survived the storm without much damage and are able to get back to normal quickly. 
 
Our focus for the month of February is Tree Care and how timely a topic when you think about so many trees that have been lost in just the past week. If those trees had received the care and attention they needed by a qualified arborist, they may have had intervention that could have saved them from being lost. Make sure you check out our next Carolina Canopy Workshop where you can learn more about the topic of Tree and Shrub Health . Also, be sure to check us out on social media this week, as we promote tree care through our Show A Tree Some Love campaign.
 
Jason Combs
Board Chair, NC Urban Forest Council
Division Vegetation Management Specialist, Duke Energy Progress, Inc. 
North Carolina
Urban Forest Council
P.O. Box 37416
Raleigh, NC 27627
 
Follow Us:
COUNCIL EVENTS
WORKSHOPS
Southeast Trees & the Law Symposium
February 13, 2020
8:00 am - 5:00 pm
McKimmon Center, Raleigh, NC
Carolina Canopy Workshop
Tree and Shrub Health- Soils, Insects, & Diseases in the Urban Landscape
February 17, 2020
8:30 am - 12:30 pm
Durham County Cooperative Ext., Durham, NC
WEBINARS
2020 NC Tree Board Webinar Series
SAVE THE DATES: Mar. 11, May 13th, July 8th, Oct. 14th 
12:00 - 1:00 pm
Free Webinar (online)

March 11th : Tree Inventories - Foundational Tools for Effective Forest Management
Eastern NC Certified Arborist Prep Course
Mar. 10-11, 2020
8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Exam offered on Mar. 12th (must register separately with ISA)
Greenville, NC
PARTNER EVENTS
NCFS Urban & Community Forestry Grant Proposal Webinar
hosted by NC Forest Service U&CF Program
March 3, 2020: 10-11 a.m. or 2-3 p.m.
OR
March 5, 2020: 10-11 a.m. or 2-3 p.m.
Free Webinar (online)
ISA Southern Chapter Annual Conference
April 18-21, 2020
Winston-Salem, NC
Southern Urban Wood Forum - Honoring the Tree
presented by the Southern Urban Wood Network
July 22-23, 2020
Charlotte, NC
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Wil Ortiz (front row, right) and the Union Power Cooperative IVM Team
FEBRUARY 2020 NCUFC MEMBER SPOTLIGHT:
Wil Ortiz
Union Power Cooperative
As the Manager of Vegetation Management, Wil Ortiz has the responsibility of full strategic planning, forecasting, budgeting, and implementation of the IVM program at Union Power Cooperative. Wil is an ISA Certified Arborist, a Certified Arborist Utility Specialist, and is ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualified. During an average work week, Wil's tasks include processing invoices for payment, returning calls from members, data management, meeting with vendors, inspecting service orders, setting up appointments to meet with “delay properties”, placing flags for planting agreed-upon replacement trees, marking encountered risk trees for cutting, marking boundaries for new construction work, closing service orders, gathering completed work data (on a span basis) from vendors, inspecting substation plantings and grounds, forecasting, and a myriad of other office functions. Whew! That is one busy week!

A member of the NC Urban Forest Council for over a decade, Wil says he enjoys the quality and variety of workshops and symposiums hosted by the Council, providing learning opportunities for the novice to the seasoned professional. Further, he adds that the topics are in tune with the membership. Wil’s favorite tip for others in his industry is –  " Don’t re-invent the wheel. Engage with industry counterparts who may be willing to share tools and ideas to help you manage your program more efficiently and effectively."

When asked about his favorite tree species, Wil Ortiz responds that he is partial to Liriodendron tulipifera. He enjoys this stately, majestic, beautiful tree planted wherever space allows and specifically loves the look of it for closet shelving projects.

You can get in touch with Wil Ortiz through the Union Power website at https://union-power.com/key-contacts/
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COUNCIL NEWS
CULTURAL PRACTICES HELP SUPPRESS PESTS
Maintaining plant health with sound cultural practices controls pest infestations. Proper pruning, soil health, correct mulching and timely irrigation are routine considerations to maintain healthy plants and prevent pest problems. Some of the most serious insect and disease problems include borers, bark beetles, cankers and root disease.

Cultural practices play an integral role in suppressing pest populations. Pruning and surgery are used to eliminate diseased and insect infested branches and plant tissue. Removing leaves at the end of the growing season reduces the potential of foliage diseases on susceptible species the following year. Eliminating fallen holly leaves effectively suppresses leafminer populations. Phytophthora root rot is largely controlled by good cultural practices. Phytophthora is discouraged by adequate amounts of soil organic matter to promote growth of antagonistic microorganisms.

Monitored irrigation also discourages the pathogen’s growth and spread. Maintaining a soil pH near neutral or above will inhibit the disease. But the most important cultural practice is the design and planting of a landscape. Selecting plants that are suited to the site is key. Spacing plants to allow for future growth reduces disease problems later on by allowing better light and air circulation. Many insect and disease problems in new landscapes result from poor attention to basic planting techniques. Common mistakes like planting too deep and excessive mulch on root flares cause future issues.

Modern pest management relies on integrated combination of sound cultural practices. Releasing beneficial insects like ladybugs when possible, applying timely chemical treatments as necessary and placing an emphasis on natural and organic products are all components of a good program of care. In landscape pest management, cultural practices form the cornerstones of the management program.


Jeff Kish
Assistant Southeast Division Manager
Bartlett Tree Experts
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REGIONAL NEWS
JOIN THE NC URBAN WOOD GROUP
The North Carolina Urban Wood Group is designed to connect producers and processors of urban wood. The way to increase utilization of urban wood is to take action on a local level to reduce the amount of urban wood in the waste stream, produce local sustainable lumber for municipal projects, reduce costs associated with removal and disposal of urban trees, and reduce the urban carbon footprint.

The NC Urban Wood Group works to connect all of the participants in the urban wood market.
  • Are you a municipality or arborist business looking to expand your urban wood removal services?
  • Are you a sawmill operator or urban wood supplier looking to fill a niche market need for consumers?
  • Are you a design professional working to fulfill client needs for environmentally-conscious, uniquely-crafted goods?

We are working to create an updated directory and regular source of communication for all participants in the urban wood chain. If you are interested in getting involved, please contact Mindy Hidenfelter at ncufc2@gmail.com .
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