[Durham INC] Durham Managing Urban Forest by Removing Street Trees in Declining Health

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[Title: City of Durham logo]


CITY OF DURHAM
Office of Public Affairs
101 City Hall Plaza
Durham, NC 27701

News Release


News Media Contact:
Amy Blalock
Sr. Public Affairs Specialist
(919) 560-4123 x 11253
(919) 475-7735 (cell)
Amy.Blalock at DurhamNC.gov<mailto:Amy.Blalock at DurhamNC.gov>
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For Immediate Release: June 29, 2017


Share! #Durham to remove approximately 40 street trees in declining health scattered throughout neighborhoods to maintain healthy urban forest http://bit.ly/2tpBRsW


Durham Managing Urban Forest by Removing Street Trees in Declining Health
Process Soon Underway in Neighborhoods throughout Durham

DURHAM, N.C. - Over the next six months neighborhoods throughout Durham will see street trees in declining health removed as the City of Durham works to proactively manage its urban forest.

The City's General Services Department has contracted with Baxley Corporation<http://www.baxleycorp.com/> to remove approximately 40 street trees<http://durhamnc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/15866> scattered throughout neighborhoods in Durham. These trees were selected for removal due to a combination of condition, size and location factors as well as their particular susceptibility to decay, insects, diseases and severe weather.

The department identified these declining trees through a recent street tree inventory conducted last year with the results<http://cityordinances.durhamnc.gov/OnBaseAgendaOnline/Documents/ViewDocument/WS-Published%20Attachment%20-%2011696%20-%20PRESENTATION%20-%20URBAN%20TREE%20CANOPY%20ASSESSMENT%20.pdf?meetingId=188&documentType=Agenda&itemId=3970&publishId=13962&isSection=false> presented to the City Council in March 2017. The inventory covered 3,460 willow and water oak trees in the city's urban neighborhoods, and identified 200 declining trees and 30 dead trees within the area. The report also called for the immediate removal of an additional 101 trees due their advanced state of disease and/or the trees were already dead. These 101 trees have already been removed by the City's Urban Forestry Division.

"This tree removal work is part of our ongoing efforts to maintain a healthy and safe urban tree canopy," said Assistant Director Chris Boyer with the City's General Services Department. "It allows our crews to keep up with resident requests for tree maintenance while also addressing additional safety needs identified by our staff."

Residents and property owners in the immediate vicinity of the tree removal work will be contacted by U.S. mail and/or with door hangers about the project. If travel lanes are impacted, traffic control and alternate routes will be provided by the City's contractor.

According to Boyer, some of the trees that are removed will be replaced next planting season with a tree species more appropriate for thriving in an urban environment.

For additional information regarding this tree removal work, residents should contact Urban Forestry Manager Alex Johnson at (919) 560-4197, ext. 21275 or by email<mailto:Alexander.Johnson at durhamnc.gov>.


About the City of Durham General Services Department
The General Services Department<http://durhamnc.gov/733/General-Services> creates, manages and maintains City properties to provide best value to the Durham community. The core business functions include: Administration/Business Services, Facilities Operations, Landscape Services, Urban Forestry, Real Estate, Project Management, Cemeteries, and Keep Durham Beautiful. As guided by the City's Strategic Plan<http://durhamnc.gov/183/Strategic-Plan>, General Services serves as a steward of the City's physical and environmental assets. Through annual and long-range facility planning activities, the department plans, provides, and maintains the City's facilities infrastructure, which supports the community's quality of life and serves as a foundation of a healthy economy.

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