INC NEWS - dead tree inventory now online

[RW Pickle]

I think my presentation to City Council today (at their work session) on
the growing numbers of dead trees in our parks was a wake up call. It was
obvious that no one in the room was aware that there were as many as I
photographed; 297 dead trees (in easy access of viewing and not buried in
a forest) in the 22 parks I visited (one third of our parks). Some parks
like Burch Ave. Park had no dead trees in it but the neighborhood wants
trees cut to allow for more light. Others like Trinity Park and Westover
Park had very little trees to start with and needed very little attention.

But as you can see from the PowerPoint slide show, Northgate Park,
Lakewood Park, Forest Hills Park, Duke Park, and especially  Cornwallis
Rd. Park had a number of dead trees in them. Some looming over picnic
shelters, playground equipment and sidewalks that citizens use every day.
You can now see what Council viewed at:

www.fhnanews.com/pickle/

Just click on the presentation and give it a chance to load. Pass this
along to your neighborhoods so they can see what is out there. The Parks
of Durham are a great resource to the citizens. They are where our
children play. When these trees fall, and they will, gravity dictates they
will fall down and not up. Let's just hope our children aren't playing
there when they do.

Park trees (even the dead ones) are the lowest priority of this City. We
need to change that if we wish to continue to have safe places for
recreation. As you look at these photos of the dead trees in our parks,
and if you feel that safety should be a priority in all that this City
does, then send Council an email and let them know (council at durhamnc.gov).
Maybe if they hear from others they will work to fix this growing (but
really they are dead...) problem before someone gets hurt. Dead trees will
not get better and there will only be more...

It was suggested that the dead trees be marked (which makes sense to me
since in Oct. they will all look dead). But General Services did not want
that to happen because it would bring unwanted attention to the sheer
numbers that there are. I think if they were marked, it would be alarming
to everyone that could visually see just how many there really are. 297 in
22 parks; more than a 1000 across the City. And it's just going to get
worse. At least with my proposal to Council, a contractor could come in
and begin to get this mess straightened out. The numbers are so large,
Urban Forestry (and the 5 guys who actually do the work) can never catch
up. Momentum is already ahead of us. And with additional drought
conditions, it just compounds.

RWP
27 Beverly