State of the Forest 03-02-15

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CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA

STATE OF THE FOREST

Mike Branson

City ForesterMarch 2, 2015

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What Carmel’s Urban Forest Provides to Our Community

Upper canopy trees impart a distinctive ambiance and identity to the City.

Living in a pine forest with a mix of upper and lower canopy trees establishes

a powerful sense of place.

Trees establish visual harmony and continuity along City streets. The

pleasure of walking, a large part of the Carmel experience is enhancedby the sheltering canopy of trees over meandering streets.

Trees soften and screen urban development. Combined with good planning

and design, trees……blend diverse structures with a green unity that adds a

natural dimension to the City’s development over time.

Trees enhance people’s sense of connection to nature and history. Since

trees, like people, grow and change through time, we identify with them

and since they often live longer than us, they link us to times beyond our

own, spanning past and future generations.

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Forest Management Plan• First Plan completed in 1966

• Current Plan Adopted 2004

• Appendix to the Carmel-by-the-Sea General Plan• 2014 City Council Initiative for Implementation

G9-13 Preserve and enhance the City’s legacy of an urbanized

forest of predominantly Monterey pine, coast live oak and

Monterey cypress.

O9-35 Maintain a Forest and Beach Commission and a Forest, Parks and

Beach Department that have specific responsibility and

jurisdiction for the health and well being of the forest, parks and

beach.

P9-211 Maintain restore and enhance a predominantly indigenous forest

of native Monterey pines and coast live oaks.

O9-41Educate and involve the public in tree issues.

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CHALLENGES TO THE FOREST

• Development

• Space

• Age

• Climate

- short term

- long term• Pests and Diseases

• Attitudes

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MANAGING THE FORESTResources:

• Staff

• 1 - City Forester, Mike B.

• 1 - Tree Care Specialist, Kelley G.

• 1 - Forest Care Worker (half-time), Kimberly M.

• 1 - Public Services Worker (currently assigned), Mike F.

• Funding• General fund

• Deposit account

• Contractors

• Very useful and effective

• Specialized equipment

• Support Group & Volunteers

• Friends of Carmel Forest

• Grants

• Project oriented

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MANGING THE FOREST

Education/Outreach

• Staff Consultations

• Arbor Day

• Educational Flyers, Advertisements, and Documents

• Workshops

• City Web Site

• FOCF Events

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The Benefits of TreesTrees are a vital part of the Carmel-by-the-Sea community. They produce oxygen, reduce pollution

from soil erosion and runoff, add beauty, increase property value, give shade, and habitat for birds and

wildlife. Trees provide the following:

Absorb carbon dioxide, counteracting the global greenhouse effect. Photosynthesis “fixes” carbon in a tree where it stays aslong as the tree lives. An average tree captures nearly half a ton of carbon dioxide over the first 30 years of its life.

Reduce soil erosion and urban runoff pollutants from entering storm drains which lead straight to the bay.

Block wind. A grove of trees will cut a 20mph wind to 5mph.

Oxygen production for the planet which is vital for all living creatures.

Refuge and habitat for birds and other wildlife. Upper canopy trees shelter and protect the environmentof native understory trees and vegetation. Coastal fog condenses on the foliage and limbs of the upper canopy

trees and then drips to the ground providing moisture to the understory.

Diffuse noise. Dense foliage blocks the sound of traffic and neighborhoods.

Add visual harmony and a sense of connection to nature and lifetime. The pleasure of exploring Carmel is enhancedby the canopy of trees over the meandering streets and homes. Trees, like people, grow and change through

time and are often planted to mark significant milestones such as the birth of a child or the loss of a loved one.

Yards are improved and property value increases from 7 to 20 percent. Properly maintained trees are identifiedin California surveys as a desired amenity in home sales.

For more information go to: http://ci.carmel.ca.us/carmel/

UC Davis Integrated Pest Management: www.ipm.ucdavis.eduText: Mike Branson, City Forester & Maris Sidenstecker, Consultant Photo: Becky McFarland

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MANGING THE FOREST

Operations and Processes

• Tree Removals – public & private

• Replacement Tree Monitoring

• Stump Removals

• CBD issues

• Planting and Growing

• CBD issues, in-house tree propagation

• Watering and Care

• time to establishment and carryover

• Tree Pruning

• health, future, risk management, utilities

• Planning and Building

• tree protection, site assessments, plan checks,

project review and finals inspections

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Remove Tree –dead, hazard,

other

Remove Stump -

30 to 100 daysdepending on

location

Plant Tree – treetype, tree well,plant and stake

Water Tree –once a week, 15

to 20 minutes

Monitor Tree – ,watering, addressproblems, replace

if needed

Maintain Tree –pruning, other

care as required

Grow to Maturity – contribute to

the forest

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Forest Composition

• Forest Inventory Data

Collection since 1974

• City collected data until 2005

•

Friends of Carmel Forestvolunteers have collected data

since 2006

• Used for identifying trends


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43%

32%

8%

5%

1% 11%

PUBLIC FOREST COMPOSITION 1981-1984

PINE

OAK

ACACIA

CYPRESS

REDWOOD

OTHER


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PINE, 34%

OAK, 38%

ACACIA, 8%

CYPRESS, 4%

REDWOOD, 1%

OTHER, 14%

PUBLIC FOREST COMPOSITION 1993 - 1996


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PINE

34%

OAK

36%

ACACIA

6%

CYPRESS

7%

REDWOOD

2%

OTHER

15%

PUBLIC FOREST COMPOSITION 2001-2004


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PINE, 28%

OAK, 42%

ACACIA, 6%

CYPRESS, 7%

REDWOOD, 3%

OTHER, 14%

PUBLIC FOREST COMPOSITION 2009 - 2012


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43%

39% 39%

34% 35% 34%

30%28%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

PUBLIC PINES

1981-84

1985-88

1989-92

1993-96

1997-00

2001-04

2005-08

2009-12

402610314

387211097

30969153

26928881

PERCENTAGE OF PINES PER INVENTORY CYCLE

39589190

404310363

423012291

25138992


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0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

1" - 6" 7" - 12" 13" - 18" 19" - 24" 25" - 30" 31" - 36" 37" - 42" 43" +

2001 -04

2005 - 08

2009 - 12

PINE POPULATION BY DIAMETER CLASS



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GOALS FOR 2015 (and beyond)

• FMP Implementation• Increase Resources for FPB Programs:

• Additional Tree Care Specialist

• Forest Care Worker – full time

• Maintenance Worker for beach

•

Support Vehicles and Equipment• Planting 125 – 150 trees

• Data Collection and Evaluation

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• Increase Funding to Support:• Timely Removal of Dead Trees and

Stumps

• Increased Safety and StructuralPruning

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Review and Revise the City Tree List• Dedicated Funding Source

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• Enhance Outreach and Accessibility• Carmel City Web Site

• Advertisements / Flyers

• Workshops and Events

• Contractor Seminars

• Tree and Landscape

• Developers and Builders

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