yard by yard: replanting after asian longhorned beetle

Yard by Yard: Replanting After Asian Longhorned Beetle

Mollie FreilicherMassachusetts Department of Conservation

and RecreationUrban & Community Forestry Program

Acknowledgements• Eric Seaborn, former Program

Coordinator, DCR Urban and Community Forestry

• Peter Church, Director of Forest Stewardship, DCR

• Julie Coop and Mary Cardwell, DCR, ALB Cooperative Eradication Program

• Clint McFarland, USDA-APHIS, ALB Cooperative Eradication Program

• John Parry and Bill Frament, U.S. Forest Service

• Peggy Middaugh, Worcester Tree Initiative• Arbor Day Foundation

The Setting

0 10 20 30 405Miles

Legend

ALB Quarantine, Worcester County (10/17/11)

Worcester County

¯

Maples in Worcester

Discovery of ALB in 2008

Cutting

Granville Ave Before

Photo by Ken Law USDA-APHIS

Granville Ave After

Photo by Ken Law USDA-APHIS

Worcester Tree Initiative

StateCity/Towns

Phases of Replanting

• 2009-2010: Phase 1 - USDA funds • 2010-2012: Phase 2 - ARRA funds• 2013-2015: Phase 3 - USDA & state funds

First public meeting, August 2008

In the Beginning

Improve diversity Collect data

Ensure proper planting Utilize property owner support Local partnerships

• Assist Worcester Tree Initiative

• Assist City of Worcester

Phase 1: USDA-APHIS

• $500,000 from USDA APHIS• Phase 1 Model

– DCR staff conduct site visits with property owners

– Collect GPS data on new trees

– Contractor plants trees with heavy equipment

Phase 2: ARRA

Replanting Foresters Site Visits

Planting by Seasonal

Crews

$4.487 Million

The ARRA Model

1 Replanting Forester

Supervisor

8 Field Replanting Foresters

40 Seasonal Laborers

15,000 Trees

UCF Program Coordinator

1 Data/Logistics Replanting Forester

1 Forestry Assistant (Logistics)

The ARRA Crews

2 Replanting Foresters

10 Seasonal Laborers

Approximately 65 Trees/Week

X 4

• Four Panasonic toughbooks

• “Sketchmapping” software

• External GPS • Plot trees• Enter data

Collecting Data

• 23 fields of data• Address• Species• Location• Notes• Access• Drop-down

menus & text entry

Collecting Data

• 1.0-1.5 in. caliper• Large shade trees &

ornamental trees• Non-host species• Container stock• Some balled & burlapped• Delivered weekly• Stored at the DCR chip

dump

The Trees

Lots needed!

• Transportation– Trucks

• Rack• Dump• Pick-up

– Vans– Trailers– Watering tank

• Hand Tools– From shovels to pruners

• Safety Equipment• Computers

– Laptops and desktops– Printers

• Arbor tie• Stakes• Hoses

The Equipment

Staffing levels supported• Planting• Appointments• Data• Scheduling

ARRA Planting

Seasonality

Spring, Fall Planting SeasonOrganize Planting ScheduleContact DigSafeManage CrewsPlant TreesSchedule Appointments to Site TreesTrack Data

Winter, Summer

“Off” Season

Schedule Appointments to Site Trees

Post-Planting Inspection and Data Collection

Conduct Other Analyses

Water Trees (summer)

Track Data

Program Model• Tree Giveaways• Neighborhood Outreach• Tree Steward Program• Educational workshops• Young Adult Foresters

Worcester Tree Initiative

Photos courtesy of the Worcester Tree Initiative

City Planting

• Planting Partnerships--DCR, WTI, and the City of Worcester

• Street Trees• School Plantings• Park Plantings

– Dodge Park

• Caring for New Trees

Working Together

Trees for Tracks

• 2011 and 2012• CSX, ACTrees & Worcester

Tree Initiative– And DCR and City of

Worcester– Dodge Park

Exciting Projects

Sweetgum

Ginkgo

Swamp white oak

Littleleaf lindenWhite oakRed oak

Pin oak

Dawn redwood

Honeylocust

Photos are from the University of Connecticut Plant Database. Swamp White Oak insets: Paul Wray, Iowa State University, Bugwood.org.

Trees for Replanting

Blackgum

Crabapple

White firKousa dogwood

How to Continue Planting?

• $3 million in federal and state funding

• Scaled-back program

Phase 3: The Post-ARRA Era

The Post-ARRA Era

3 Replanting Foresters

20 Seasonal Laborers

7,000 Trees

UCF Program Coordinator

3 Long-term Seasonal Laborers

1 Long-term Forestry

Assistant

Direct Grants to

Municipalities

April 2013

• 12-week planting season• 1,229 trees• New yard at a city facility

The Post-ARRA Era

Planting

American arborvitae

Fir, White

Dogwood

Japanese tree lilac

Spruce, Colorado

Cherry, SargentServiceberryHoneylocust

Cherry

Sweetgum

Dawn redwood

Blackgum

Linden

Oak, Red

Crabapple

TuliptreeBeech

Pine, Eastern White

Oak, PinGinkgo

Oak, Swamp White

Oak, White

Species as a Percent of Total Trees Planted 2009-2013

Plantings by Tree Type

Conifer Ornamental Shade Tree0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

39%

32%29%

Perc

ent

Shade Tree Preferences

Oak, EnglishCucumber magnolia

OakKentucky coffee tree

ZelkovaOak, ScarletOak, White

Oak, Swamp WhiteHophornbeam

GinkgoOak, Pin

HornbeamBeech

TuliptreeOak, Red

LindenBlackgum

SweetgumHoneylocust

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16

Percent of Shade Trees

Challenges

Where we are Today• 7th planting season• Over 26,000 trees

planted– DCR– Worcester Tree Initiative– Towns and Cities

Where We’ve Applied the Model

Contact

Mollie FreilicherCommunity Action Forester

DCR Urban and Community Forestrymollie.freilicher@state.ma.us