INC NEWS - Dependence on Government and money to solve our problems?

[RW Pickle]

We did just what Mike suggested this past Sunday as four of us (we did use
a chain saw to cut up limbs that were to large to handle) finished a job I
started the week after July 4th. We had 19 piles of debris that were
collected from the storm, consolidated for easy pickup, all from the east
side of Forest Hills Park. And Mike's right, we can do a lot and we did.

Forest Hills was the first neighborhood to join the Adopt-A-Park program.
We were already doing a great deal in our park when the program started
and the City came to us. We have a number of roadside flower beds that are
maintained by "adopt-a-bed" gardeners now. The "Park Patron" program is an
option for neighbors who pay a yearly fee that is used to improve the park
we live around. Not just for us (since we have to see every day), but for
all who would come and use the park to enjoy. The Adopt-A-Park program
itself... it's difficult to see how the program has helped us at all. Yes,
the City says it covers citizens working in the park under their liability
insurance should they get hurt. But I have never known this to even be
tested to know if it's true. Any sort of power equipment use is not
allowed. So you can garden, that's about it. We seemed more productive
before the program when we just did what we had to do to get the work
done. One time even using a Bobcat to move stuff around with. Sometimes
it's easier to appologise than it is to get permission...

But the trees I mentioned are big trees, not fallen branches as was most
of the stuff we just removed (and the stuff Mike removed as well). Some
standing, some down; all require large equipment and chain saws and skills
typical citizens just do not have. Just today in one stop at Northgate
Park, I took photos of as many as five standing trees that were dead (as
well as three that had fallen and been there more than a month). This all
from just from one spot. There's not much we as citizens can do to deal
with those. And there's not much any department can when the sheer volume
across this City outnumbers the manpower to deal with it. There's just too
much of it. I likened it to a natural disaster today, but there's not
enough of it to actually classify it as such. But it comes from three  of
the last five years with a lack of water. Plus, some of the trees are just
old and it's their time to go... Then there was a freak storm. It's no
ones fault we are where we are today with all of this.If you're looking
for blame, blame it on Mother Nature. The problem is though that she's
doing very little to help us out in resolving the problem.

It's not a matter of having to look for the funding for this. I have
already found it. I did this prior to ever beginning to talk about this
because I didn't want funding to be an issue. The money is there to start
as soon as we can get target areas planned and contract prices negotiated.

As a citizenry, we have to start thinking about our older green
infrastructure. The trees planted across this town in the 1930's are
getting past their prime for living with us and we're going to see a
number of them coming down in the next ten years. It's just a fact. And
when they have to come down (or fall on their own or through storms),
they'll just have to be replanted with new ones. They will be smaller and
grow into the trees we are lucky to have today. It would be wise for every
neighborhood to begin to discuss this as the longer it waits, the more it
may come as a surprise one day that they are all gone. We have a lot of
"woody" neighborhoods; this is a very big deal.

RWP
27 Beverly

> While I agree with Randy that fallen trees and those trees in danger of
> falling or losing their limbs is a threat that needs immediate attention,
> could we try to find a solution that just doesn't rely on the city finding
> more money to solve it?
>
> Is there a way for us as citizens to play a part in working with the city
> (and/or it's contractor) to help out in some way to solve this problem?
>
> In Randy's posting he mentions taking the initiative of moving a fallen
> limb
> that was blocking a driveway into a park.
>
> Is there a way that citizens,  under direction or training with the city
> could coordinate some small brush or limb removal using volunteers?
>
> Something like a city wide,  "Get Out and Help Our Parks Day" real soon?
>
> Years ago, Parks and Recreation in cooperation with General Services
> instituted an "Adopt a Park" program for residents to participate in
> policing their parks for trash, debris and light plantings.
>
> At Northgate Park,  we've also removed the suckers from the bases of the
> Crepe Myrtles,  lowered overgrown bushes and 'limbed' up some of the low
> hanging tree limbs implementing CPTED (Crime Prevention Through
> Environmental Design) to not only make the park cleaner but also safer by
> creating a visual field of view for visitors.   This enables a parent to
> see
> from one side of the park clear over to another which children definitely
> appreciated.   Parents got a more secure feeling as they strolled thru it.
>
> This 3 to 7 foot clearance zone also removed a number of potential eye
> injuries for not only visitors but also the lawn mowers who regularly cut
> the grass on riding mowers.
>
> Besides picking up trash,  we also took care to drag some of the dead and
> fallen limbs out to a designated area for later pick up by city workers
> during prescheduled (every third month) 'events'.
>
> None of this involve power tools or chain saws.
>
> I'm suggesting that the city consider further encouragement of the Adopt A
> Park program and in this time of urgent need,  to ask those volunteers who
> want to help out to work with Urban Forestry (and their contractors) in a
> well thought out mitigation plan, together.
>
> While I'm all for resolving the dangerous situations immediately,  I'm not
> so sure that throwing money at it is the best long term solution.
>
> City Hall can't do it all,  nor should we expect them to.
>
> Is there a chance for a partnership here?
>
> Mike Shiflett
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "RW Pickle" <randy at 27beverly.com>
> To: <inc-list at durhaminc.org>
> Cc: <fhna-list at fhnanews.com>
> Sent: Friday, July 18, 2008 2:31 PM
> Subject: INC NEWS - Our Green Infrastructure Needs Help
>
>
>> Please excuse the last TWO emails as I struggle with the Dell because my
>> Mac is in the shop. It has a mind of its own...
>>
>> In the last email where I said I had discovered a serious problem that
>> required immediate attention, well it got worse today.
>>
>> Today, a Durham park has been closed because of the dangerous and dead
>> trees. If you recall, I mentioned the small storm we had on the evening
>> of
>> July 4th had shown that this City is not able to take care of the
>> problems
>> as they occur, much less maintain the status quo. Urban Forestry is
>> doing
>> all they can do to keep up with our dead and dieing trees. The drought,
>> freak storms, DOT and other factors have them so far behind that it is
>> impossible for them to catch up. They need some help!
>>
>> After the July 4th storm, that weekend (and into the evenings) they
>> responded to 74 calls of downed trees blocking roads. Only 4 of the were
>> from City owned property. The rest, were homeowners trees that had
>> fallen.
>> They'll work all week and then come in Sunday and work just to try to
>> make
>> a dent. This is dangerous work and you can't expect them tthem to
>> continue
>> this at this pace.
>>
>> Today, Shady Oaks Park was closed. The pine beetle infestation
>> (suspected)
>> has destroyed a substantial number of pines. So much so , that it was
>> dangerous to allow the public to use the park. Our parks have taken a
>> beating from the drought as well. Within 300 yards of where I sit
>> writing
>> this email, there are three downed hickorys and several dead standing
>> oaks. I have looked at four fallen trees in Northgate Park (I go to the
>> dog park there daily) for more than a month. I finally took the time
>> this
>> week to remove a 20' branch from the road where we had been driving
>> around
>> it for a week. And the list goes on. Morehead Hills Park has dead and
>> fallen trees. Rockwood Park looks like a bomb went off in it. A member
>> of
>> Urban Forestry told me today that one needs to be wearing a hard hat
>> when
>> they go there. Yet moms and dads will take their kids there today to
>> enjoy
>> the playground.
>>
>> Since January, there have been two cars totaled from falling dead tree
>> debris and another incident where it broke a windshield. How long will
>> it
>> be before one of these hits a child and causes serious injury or even
>> death? What do you guess that would cost?
>>
>> I am proposing that the City of Durham immdiantly prepare a work
>> contract
>> for helping Urban Forestry catch up to the mess three of the last years
>> of
>> drought have caused. A contract for $29,975 could be executed in less
>> than
>> three days and next week we could begin dealing with this problem that
>> only seems to increase in monemtum. In the mean time work toward a
>> $400,000  contract to get us caught up. I have already found the money
>> to
>> make this happen. Because of the large number for dollars amount needed
>> for this work, it'll be Oct. before Council has the opportunity to sign
>> off on it. In the mean time, we're dealing with a problem that is only
>> getting larger and will eventually (and could really) get more
>> expensive.
>>
>> Please support this initiative for the immediate influx of cash to fix
>> our
>> green infrastructure. It's in serious trouble and needs help. If you
>> live
>> on or use a park frequently, send me the photos of the dead and downed
>> trees and tell me in what park they are in. We have 65 of them and I
>> can't
>> get around to see them all. Help me help our citizens create a friendly
>> and safe environment in our park system for our kids to play. It's no
>> ones
>> fault that this has happened. But it will be ours if we don't do
>> something
>> about it right now. Pass this along to your neighborhoods so everyone
>> knows we need their support to fix this growing (well, it really isn't
>> growing, it's a dead) problem.
>>
>> RWP
>> 27 Beverly
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> INC-list mailing list
>> INC-list at rtpnet.org
>> http://lists.deltaforce.net/mailman/listinfo/inc-list
>>
>
> _______________________________________________
> INC-list mailing list
> INC-list at rtpnet.org
> http://lists.deltaforce.net/mailman/listinfo/inc-list
>


====================================================================
This e-mail, and any attachments to it, contains PRIVILEGED AND
CONFIDENTIAL information intended only for the use of the addressee(s) or
entity named on the e-mail. If you are not the intended recipient of this
e-mail, or the employee or agent responsible for delivering it to the
intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any reading,
dissemination or copying of this e-mail in error is strictly prohibited.
If you have received this electronic  transmission in error, please notify
me by telephone (919-489-0576) or by electronic mail (pickle at patriot.net)
immediately.
=====================================================================