In San Francisco it IS the responsibility of the residents to take
care of the tree in front of their house. When I lived there seven
years ago you could apply for a tree and, I think it was a
non-profit agency along with public works, would come and break
concrete to plant your tree, They'd give you a pamphlet of
instructions, and then it's up to you. Businesses, renters, and new
owners just don't know (or care) that their tree is their
responsibility. I think even the liability is with the owner of the
property. I drive around the city and dream of the day when
hydrogen motors will actually help these trees with moisture instead
of the pollution their forced to suck up now.
In My Garden Blog
June 5, 2008
Northern California Coastal & Inland Valleys
By
Kim Haworth,
San Bruno, CA
Dead branches eventually present a danger to pedestrians.
Street Smart About Trees
The street trees in San Francisco are in deplorable condition. Some have broken limbs, some have great gouges in the trunk, some are staked incorrectly, and many are just doornail dead. Street trees say a lot about a city and the people who live there. The residents of New York City cherish their street trees, and it's not uncommon for neighborhood gardeners to plant colorful annuals in the basins. Paris is renown for its beautiful, shady boulevards. The lyrics "springtime in Paris, chestnuts in blossom" evoke a vivid mental image. What could be said about Van Ness Avenue? "Bleeding bark, buggy branches, oh baby!"
When I was a beginning gardener working for the city of Napa, we planted and maintained street trees all over town. The Magnolia grandiflora trees that adorn the 6-mile-long boulevard on Soscol Avenue are my babies. We dug all those holes, planted the trees from 5-gallon cans, and then every week throughout the summer months for two years we ran hundreds of feet of hose from quick couplers in the ground to water them. If there were weeds growing in the basins, we pulled them. If there was a broken branch, we removed it, the same with broken stakes and ties.
I understand that city coffers are not what they once were before the days of Proposition 13. However, that doesn't mean the street trees deserve to be neglected. It's not enough for the city to just plant a tree on the sidewalk and then walk away. All young trees require water until they become established. They need the lower limbs pruned to encourage the canopy to grow above the height of the tallest semitrailer. Young trees need staking for the first year, then the stakes have to be removed or the ties will girdle and strangle the tree.
Citizen Tree Stewards
City governments no longer have the financial reserves to support a park department in maintaining street trees. They can barely keep the doors to the police and fire departments open. What I propose is for the home, and business, owners to maintain the street trees once they have been planted. The city could provide and plant the trees as in the past. But once planted, a tree becomes the responsibility of the property owner. If you are a landlord, you will be responsible. If you are a business owner, the trees along the street that grace your property will be dependent on you for their lives.
One idea is to set up neighborhood tree committees and give local residents some sort of an incentive to maintain the trees on their block. For example, each neighbor could be responsible one week per month to water, pull weeds, and do minor pruning. I know this sounds corny, but it would give urban residents a chance to meet their neighbors as well as beautify their city.
Trees shade us in the summer and improve the very air we breathe. The least we can do is give them the care they need to survive our urban environment.
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Comments on Street Smart About Trees
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Liz
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kimmie Haworth
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And I thought I was the only one who noticed the sorry condition of
the city trees. Thank you for your supporting comments.
I have hope that the school garden programs will encourage the next
generations of stewards to have respect for the green life that
surround and supports us.
I recently saw an advertisement in the Atlantic Monthly for a
hydrogen powered bus for to be used public transportation. As a MUNI
rider, I endorse the use of bio diesel, hybrid and hydrogen
technology for moving the public. Now, all we need to do is to find
a way to fund our cause.
Go Green Team!
may
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It's a heck of a lot better now than pre-70s San Francisco! There
were no trees on the streets of SF that I can recall other than
Dolores St. palms, and Pacific Heights, etc. where people "knew" how
to beautify their neighborhoods.
If everyone would only realize how gratifying it is to tend to a
tree and sidewalk outside their residence or business and the
benefit to their neighborhood's appearance and value, and if
everyone would do their own small part,we'd have a really beautiful
urban environment.
kimmie haworth
I don't know if it's because I'm in the gardening industry, but when
I look around all I see are dead and dying trees. THIS IS NOT A GOOD
THING! Even in the country, Sudden Oak Death and the Pine Beetle are
taking their toll on our trees. I know that something must be done,
but I'm not sure where to start.
There was a little tree near the CalTrain station on 4th and
Townsend that had blown over in a storm. It was flopping around in
the wind, so I found a plastic bag in the gutter and used it to
secure the little tree to it's stake. It only took two minutes. That
was last winter, and that darned plastic bag is STILL holding that
tree in place.
I know that people care about how the city looks, but I don't know
how to educate or motivate them to action.
Suggestions?