Managing Trees After a Massive Drought: 64th Annual Urban Forestry Conference
64th Annual Urban Forestry Conference
Managing Trees After a Massive Drought
May 22, 2024 – 9AM- 5PM
Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum
Ethnics Building
Mississippians are facing a huge challenge of how to manage, place value and replace massive amounts of dead trees and community canopies. Learn about many factors related to this situation including; identifying a dead tree, what trees to remove, pruning, who to call, removal process, value of your lost trees, insurance, food forests, mitigation of lost trees, replacement trees and much more. This is an important meeting for anyone having to manage trees, municipalities, land owners, business, and home owners.
Who Should Attend: Any one managing trees, municipalities, home and business owners, public works, supervisors, landscapers, foresters and others.
About Our Speakers: The speakers this year are experts and have spoken at forestry events around the world. Don't miss this opportunity to learn more about urban forestry and trees.
AGENDA
Wednesday, May 22, 2024
8:30 am Registration
9:00 am Welcome Donna Yowell
9:15 am Drought, IPS, Beetles and Recovery Stephen Dicke - Shady Arbor PLLC, ISA Certified Arborist and Registered Forester
10:00 am Food Forests for Yards and Municipalities Bob Brzuszek - Flatwoods Studio
10:45 am Methods of Arboriculture and i-Tree David Fulgham
12 - 1 Lunch on Your Own
1:00 pm Mississippi Urban Forestry Awards
1:30 pm How Drought Killed My Tree Malcolm Guidry
2:30 pm Insurance and Your Trees Fred Fellner, LSU
3:30 pm Ecological Design of Public/Private Spaces Robert Poore
Native Habitats, RLA, ASLA, CLARB
4:30 pm Close
Registration: Reserve Your Seat Today by text to Donna Yowell at (601) 672-0755 or dyowell@aol.com. Send your name and email.
Limited Seating.
Scenic Communities of Mississippi
To view a complete virtual listing of resources click the guide cover to the left To download a copy of Scenic Communities of Mississippi, click here
A Scenic Community is one that strives to manage land, water, landscapes and other natural resources in sustainable and attractive methods and includes the use of 'Best Management Practices' and policies.
Scenic Communities of Mississippi is a two part program.
PART ONE: The primary focus of the Scenic Communities of Mississippi program is to provide valuable resource information to Community Leaders and Citizens in Mississippi. This “Resource Guide” serves as a clearinghouse of information that can assist with a wide range of subjects including conservation, green infrastructure, sustainable practices, air and water pollution. It includes over (21) subject categories related to the natural environment and the management of natural resources. Over (295) agencies and/or programs are currently listed.
The guide will be helpful for community development and individual citizens. Groups such as homeowner associations, civic clubs, home and business sites, military bases, parks and backyards are eligible for these programs. We hope you find this document informative and helpful in your pursuit to learn more about the environment while enjoying the many resources available in our state.
The Mississippi Gulf Coast Chapter includes additional resources for coastal citizens. This is part of "ENVIRONMENTAL HARMONY- EDUCATE AND PARTICIPATE' campaign on the coast to provide more environmental education to more coastal citizens.
PART TWO: The second part of the project is an awards and community scoring element. Your community can complete the score card include in the resource guide on page 60-62. This score card will then be used to award communities as a Scenic Community of Mississippi and provide recognition to the communities selected as a Scenic Community of Mississippi. You may download your community score card here as well.
Submission Deadline for Score card each year is September 15.
Communities are welcome to complete the Score Card to qualify for Scenic Communities of Mississippi. You will find the score card and direction of entering your community here. Download your Score Card today! PDF click here. PDF Please see our sample below.
These model projects are good examples of how to revitalize a town, neighborhood or any community area with green infrastructure. These plans are very unique to the town and rare models of green infrastructure planning. This program provides training, educational material, technical tools and other resources to assist rural communities in revitalizing or enhancing local areas with community forestry. Through this project we worked with six (6) communities to establish local green projects to serve as a model for use by all communities. Training on Can-Vis (a virtual makeover program), i-Tree (places environmental and social services values on trees), MS Urban Forest Management Manual (a guide to develop a local comprehensive plan) plus where to find grants and other resources is provided as well as assisting citizens in developing a comprehensive urban forestry plan, sample planting project and a “green” strategy in each community. These model projects demonstrate how to implement a local sustainable community forestry program. The overall objectives of the project are to provide the tools needed for local citizens to enhance their community’s environment, community character, economic opportunities and quality of life.
Mississippi Urban Forest Council Sustainable Practices- Download the entire PDF (238 KB) click here.
If the governing body of a small community is to be sustainable, it must increase its tax base by providing job opportunities to its citizens living within its corporate limits. Sustainable practices can provide the framework to create opportunities for growth in the job market, increased tourism, and provide for a safe and healthy environment.
Manufactured goods and services flowing into a community and cash flowing out weakens a community, leading to poverty and a decay of environmental services. Cycling goods and services within a community keeps the cash flow within the community’s economy giving citizens control of their own destiny, and lessening the effects of outside economic fluctuations.
Mound Bayou Model Project : Greening the Jewel of the Delta - The City of Mound Bayou, MS was the first community to participate in the program in 2010. This document will provide you with a complete plan and includes details related to ‘green planning’ for the entire city. Resources to assist you are listed below and throughout or web site.
The Mississippi Urban Forest council offers your city the opportunity to create a green infrastructure plan to revitalize your community. For more information contact Donna Yowell at (601) 672-0755.
You will find many features of this model project easy to replicate in your community.
7 Model Projects for Community Revitalization with Trees:
Mississippi Arboretum Certification Program -Download the entire PDF (116 KB) click here.
The Mississippi Urban Forestry Council (MUFC) certifies Arboreta throughout the state of Mississippi. The purpose of the certification program is to define what the words Arboreta means in Mississippi and set standards for what can be called an Arboreta.
Edible Forests of Mississippi
The Edible Forests of Mississippi is an orchard program developed and administered though the Mississippi Urban Forest Council. You may visit our first model project at the Jesse Gates Edible Forest on Bailey Avenue in Jackson, MS. MUFC with it's sponsors and local partners have established 16 community orchards statewide. We hope this model project will inspire you to plant fruit trees in your community.
If you would like to plant an orchard in your community please contact us for more information. The Edible Forest Toolkit on this page offers resources and basic information for planting an orchard.
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if (PLATFORM.EventMan) PLATFORM.EventMan.triggerEvent('WNStoryRelatedBoxdone'); JACKSON, MS (WLBT) - Description: http://wlbt.images.worldnow.com/images/15324278_BG1.jpgBecause of the heat this summer, Loy Moncrief's been busy watering and weeding the community garden known as the "Edible Forest of Mississippi."
"We're getting ready to plant Fall things like lettuce and broccoli and collard greens and turnip greens," Moncrief said.
The Edible Forest is a collaboration between the Wells United Methodist church, the Mississippi Urban Forest Council and several other organizations. "We're doing surveys with this project and we hope that this project will inspire other groups as well as other individuals to grow," said Donna Yowell, the Executive Director of the Mississippi Urban Forest Council.
Most of the summer crops in the Edible Forest have been harvested, but you can still find green peppers, tomatoes, watermelon and cantaloupe.
Rolanda Alexander from "Operation Shoestring" says the garden is teaching local children how to grow and save money.
"If money is tight in a household you get out there and you plant some things, that way you know your family is going to eat," Alexander said.Description: http://wlbt.images.worldnow.com/images/15324278_BG2.jpg
Herbs like Basil and Rosemary could cost $5 to $6 for a bundle at the grocery store.
However, if you grow your own you could have these herbs for about 8 months out of the year.
The plants to actually grow Rosemary and Basil only cost about $1.
"It could contribute significantly to your family meal and dinner table and lower costs," Yowell said.
The Edible Forest is entirely organic.
Moncrief says locally grown produce is healthiest because you can eat it soon after it's picked. Description: http://wlbt.images.worldnow.com/images/15324278_BG3.jpg
"If you can go out that day ad pick an apple off the tree it's much healthier than one that's been picked in Washington and transported to Mississippi," Moncrief says.
Everything is the Edible Forest is free to the public.
The garden is located near the intersection of Bailey Avenue and Idlewild Street in Jackson.
For more information on the garden, contact the Wells United Methodist Church at 601-353-0658.
Also, check out the Mississippi Urban Forest Council's website for upcoming information about starting your own garden. http://www.msurbanforest.com/
Trees provide many benefits, economically, socially and environmentally to our communities. Trees can also have a significant impact as mitigation from storm damage or they can increase property damage and delay recovery and response. The attached Storm Mitigation and Preparedness plans outline best management practices and strategies to address these issues. The purpose of the plan is to help prepare for the next storm, reduce damage, save money, reduce debris removal, conserve utilities, improve local coordination and labor, speed up response and recovery time, while stabilizing the tree canopy and its related benefits. The best management practices will also outline ways to use trees to optimize mitigating storm damage. These plans and strategies are designed to be customized by any local community.
An urban forest storm plan is a program to prepare a community to deal with damage to city trees and the urban forest of the community. A program such as this involves both public trees and trees on private property. There are specific responsibilities for the public sector dealing with health, safety and welfare issues and specific responsibility for property owners. This outline is primarily focused on the public sector keeping in mind that public trees occur along streets, in parks, on public property. Private trees, known as ‘boundary line trees’ overhang property lines, walkways, streets, underground utilities and below overhead lines. Boundary trees are also a public concern. With boundary line trees, the public and the property owner must work together on those trees in regard to storm damage.
The following are considerations for creating an Urban Forest Storm Plan for any community of any size. A small community will adapt this plan in a way that meets their budget, personnel, need and capability. Medium size or large communities will adopt it accordingly.
Finally, the purpose of a Storm Plan is to allow a community to prepare for, manage and recover from damage to their urban forest following any type of storm inflicted by nature. Potential damage as a result of wind, fire, flooding, ice, hurricane, tornado, insect blight or disease can be minimized by having a management program in place. ___________________________________ ____________________________________ What is in the Storm Preparedness and Mitigation Plan and Strategies?
Sections on details regarding management, purpose, budget, duties, staffing, and developing plans and policies, plus the items listed below. We suggest that your town select several of these topics to start with to determine how you will prepare and handle the next storm.
Table of Contents:
Planning For Storms in the Urban Forest 5 Storms in the Urban Forest 6 The Urban Forest 8 Benefits of the Urban Forest 8 Community Tree Canopy 10 Calculating Canopy 13 Significant Trees 19 Hurricane Resistant Urban Forests 21 A Sustainable Urban Forest 24 Storms Over the Urban Forest 26 Best Practices for Emergency Storm Response 31 Planning 32 Management 34 Risk Reduction 35 Response 39 Recovery (Re-greening) 45 Codes And Standards 51 Summary of Best Management Practices 58 Appendix A Planning 61 Appendix B Management 62 Appendix C Risk Reduction 63 Appendix D Response 67 Appendix E Recovery 69 Appendix F Definitions 71 Appendix G Storm Response Directory 77 Appendix H Model Enactment Ordinance 79 Appendix I Storm Resistant Trees 80 Appendix J Sample Management Budget 80 Appendix K Storm Debris 83 Appendix L Sample Damage Report 85 Outline to the Model Ordinance 86 Suggestions For Property Owners 102 List of Figures Figure 1. Mississippi, The Magnolia State 4 Figure 2. Inland Coastal Wetlands Are Storm Barriers 6 Figure 3. Town Center Urban Forestry Canopy 7 Figure 4. Minimum Canopy Standard, Single Family Districts 10 Figure 5. A Community of Significant Architecture and Trees 18 Figure 6. Ocean Springs Street Tree Canopy 19 Figure 7. A Community Subject to Coastal Storms 20 Figure 8. Wind Damage Within the Fall Zone 21 Figure 9. Wind Damage in the Urban Forest 24 Figure 10. Katrina’s Damage in the Urban Forest, 2005 25 Figure 11. Tub Grinder Recycles Downed Trees 26 Figure 13. Storm Damage in Ocean Springs 27 Figure 14. Post Storm Clean Up Activities 28 Figure 15. Felling and Removal 28 Figure 16. A Tree Crew Stands Ready for a Storm 29 Figure 17. Planning Prepares a Community for Future Storms 30 Figure 18. Management Requires that Someone is in Charge 32 Figure 19. Management of Public or Private Tree Crews 33 Figure 20. Management Requires Equipment to be Available and Ready 33 Figure 21. Pre-storm Reduction Cuts 34 Figure 22. Structural Pruning 35 Figure 23. Thinning and Training Operations 36 Figure 24. In The Trees 41 Table 12. Damage Report Outline 42 Figure 25 Lift Boom in Action 43 Figure 26. Recovery By Tree Planting Operations 44 Figure 27. Planting For the Future 45 Figure 27. Restoration Pruning 45 Figure 28. Planting A New Forest 48 Figure 29. Community Tree Planting Activities 49 Figure 30 Restoration Begins in the Ground 50 Figure 31. Landscape Code Administrator 52 Figure 32. Planting To Code Standards 55 Figure 33. Young Trees Become Ancient Trees and Shade Our Cities 57 Figure 34. Trees Form the Backdrop to This Place 59 Figure 35. Structural Similarity 63 List of Tables Table 1. American Forests Canopy Standards 9 Table 2. Site Specific Canopy Standards 10 Table 3. Typical Office of Forestry Storm Duties 28 Table 4. Management Tasks for Storm Trees 33 Table 5. Tree Staff for a Large Forestry Office 33 Table 6. Storm Training of Trees 35 Table 7. Arboricultural Activities Associated with Trees 36 Table 8. Call Record Log 38 Table 9 . Response Stage Activities 39 Table 10. Priority of Tree Damage 40 Table 11. Essential Arborist Decisions 40 Table 13. Response on Private Property 44 Table 14. Tree Take Down Necessary 46 Table 15. Chainsaw Use 48 Table 16. Tree Ordinance Regulations 52 Table 17. Landscape Code Regulations 53 Table 18. Storm Responsive Regulations 55 Table 19. The Florida Principles 60
Community forestry training is available throughout the state. All training is open to the general public and anyone can participate in training events. People who may be interested in attending these training events include citizens, homeowners, professionals, elected officials, city/county workers and others.
We provide classes each year at various locations throughout Mississippi. You may obtain a schedule of upcoming classes by visiting current events on this site or requesting information from executive director of MUFC, Donna Yowell at dyowell@msurbanforest.com or (601) 672-0755.
We encourage training participants to enroll in the Urban Forest Masters program which consist of a series of training hours and volunteer opportunities. To receive your Urban Forest Masters certification you must complete 10 hours of training and 15 hours of volunteer service. As a participant you will receive free seeds, trees and other resources as available. It’s important to let us know about your work. When you do volunteer activities let us know by sending us an email or note with photos and description of your work. For every 15 hours of activities you report, we will send you a gift of seeds, trees or educational items as available.
Use this attached “Volunteer Form” to turn in your volunteer hours and return the form to Donna Yowell at dyowell@msurbanforest.com or 164 Trace Cove drive, Madison, MS 39110.
For questions and other information about Urban and Community Forestry Training contact Donna Yowell for current training seminars. dyowell@msurbanforest.com or (601) 672-0755.
Jackson County Shade Tree Program
Jackson County Shade Tree Program
Anyone who has ever sat under a tree on a hot summer day has appreciated the cooling ability of trees but trees can do more than just provide shade for a picnic. Trees cool our neighborhoods in the summer and save us money on energy costs and related water usage and air pollution. The Jackson County project will estimate the energy conservation benefits of trees from direct shading of residential and public buildings. In a study released by the USDA Forest Service, trees strategically planted for shade can reduce utility bills significantly. As a result, local ower plants are not required to produce as much electricity and thus emit less pollution, including carbon.
Jackson County Shade Tree Program
“Trees properly placed around buildings can reduce air conditioning needs by 30% and can save 20%-50% in energy used for heating.” U.S. Forest Service
“The net cooling effect of a young healthy tree is equivalent to ten room size air conditioners operating 20hours a day.” U.S. Department of Agriculture
Mississippi Gulf Coast Programs
Mississippi Gulf Coast Programs - Download the entire PDF (154 KB) click here.
MS Gulf Coast Urban Forest Council - Monthly event and educational meetings.
Public Tree Give-Aways – Times vary
Free Master Urban Forestry Training – We will provide 25 hours of free training.
Local Tree Incubators - Tree seedlings will be donated to any city or county impacted by Katrina for growing out to supply trees for local planting when needed. Companies or organizations outside of Mississippi are encourage to donate seedlings , containers and soils to help accomplish this important activity that will help releasing efforts and inspire new growth in these impacted areas. 10 established to date.
“ If Trees Could Talk” Along the Mississippi Gulf Coast - story telling tape about the history of the coast under the canopies of the ancient trees. Free with $25 donation or membership. Free to coastal citizens.
Ribbons of Green
Ribbons of Green Program
Coming soon, for more information contact the Mississippi Urban Forest Council, Donna Yowell at (601) 672-0755 or dyowell@msurbanforest.com
Mississippi Arboretum and Tree Registry
Mississippi’s Tree Registry - Download Form PDF (339 KB) click here.
“A way to recognize trees that are notable and impacting our lives while honoring special people.”
Everyone is invited to join the search for Mississippi’s trees with historic importance, interesting stories, planted in honor of an event or person, or simply big and beautiful. You may also name the tree for a special person of your choosing when you submit the listing. We will list this tree on our web site and you can link to our site and we will mail a registration certificate to you.
The Mississippi Urban Forest Council has been certifying arboretum since 1997. If your community or group has a site that you would like state certification please contact us. Your site will be included on the Mississippi Arboretum Trail.
Benefits of having a certified Arboreta in your community.
Encourages more visitors and helps increase tax revenue
Promotes being a healthy community and it's citizen's quality of life
Provides more agri-tourism and eco-tourism
Provide many social and environmental benefits
Provides a space for festivals and other activities such as trails and exercise
A nature connection for enjoyment and education
One more reason for people to visit your town
Shows community pride and supports community volunteers
To view a complete virtual listing of resources click the guide cover to the left
A Green Plan for the City of Aberdeen, MS
A Green Plan for the Alcorn State University, MS
A Green Plan for the City of Columbus, MS
A Green Plan for the City of Pass Christian, MS
A Green Plan for the Town of Terry, MS
A Green Plan for the City of Waveland, MS
Certified Urban Forests & Arboretums
Forests.
Mississippi’s Tree Registry - Download Form PDF (339 KB) click here.
Encourages more visitors and helps increase tax revenue