TREEscapes - Friends of the Urban Forest

TREE
scapes
Summer 2016
From Dan’s Desk
Time to fix this mess...
The urban forest we should have
A solution is headed for the November ballot
Imagine San Francisco covered in healthy trees and sidewalk
gardens. Everywhere you go in the City you see green, and hear
the gentle rustle of leaves, and enjoy the scent of seasonal blooms.
An environmentally progressive city should have an urban forest
like that.
But over the last 30 years, the City has cut its urban forestry budget
so deeply that our urban forest is in crisis. Our tree population
is dwindling, the City’s practice of transferring responsibility for street tree maintenance to
property owners has been wildly unpopular, and the City has badly neglected the trees it’s
still responsible for. We’re all endangered by falling trees and limbs.
Meanwhile, tree roots have broken some sidewalks, and many property owners either don’t
realize the city holds them responsible for repairs, or they
lack the resources or desire to make them. They face sizable
Our urban forest
bills, and liability for trip-and-fall lawsuits. And seniors and
is in crisis
people with disabilities face mobility hazards.
Fortunately, a solution is finally at hand. The Board of Supervisors is considering placing a proposal -- crafted largely by Friends of the Urban Forest -- on the November ballot.
Under the proposal, the City would take back responsibility for maintaining all street trees,
fix all tree-related sidewalk damage, assume liability for trip-and-fall lawsuits, and support
the care of trees in public schoolyards.
This program would cost $19M annually — $8M from the general fund (based on the City’s
current average tree/sidewalk budget) and $11M from a uniquely structured parcel tax with
a progressive rate, based on linear frontage at the curb:
The Proposal—By the Numbers
6,000 sidewalks are currently broken
and need repairs
50,000 new trees could be planted
and cared for under the proposal
71% of voters feel the city should be
responsible for maintaining street trees
69% of voters support the proposal
as written
76% of parcels would pay less than
$43 per year
$500,000 per year would be allocated
for public school greening
www.fuf.net
415-561-6890
•
$29.50 per condo, yearly
•
$35.50 per year for typical single family home (25 linear feet)
•
$1.42 per linear foot for properties up to 150 feet of frontage
•
$2 per linear foot for larger properties over 150 feet (fewer than 1% of parcels)
To become law, the proposal must win at least two thirds of the vote, because it includes a
tax. This will be a steep hill to climb, but polling conducted this spring showed it’s
possible with a well-run and well-funded campaign. And it would be a giant step toward
the model urban forest we imagine for San Francisco.
Your support will be vital. I’ll continue to keep you informed!
Warmly,
Make a Lasting Contribution to FUF
Executive Director
Remember: By including Friends of the Urban Forest as a
beneficiary of your will, trust, or other estate plan, you’ll be
providing a gift that ensures the preservation and expansion
of San Francisco’s urban forest for generations to come.
Learn more about planned giving options by contacting Dan
Flanagan, Executive Director, at (415) 268-0779 or [email protected].
“Trees and stones will
teach you that which
you can never learn
from
masters.”
Recently FUF’ed
~ St. Bernard de Clairvaux
On March 17 and 18, FUF installed new sidewalk
gardens in the Visitacion Valley neighborhood
with volunteers from the Ornamedibles Garden.
Upcoming Events
For event updates, details, and info about
how to participate, see: www.fuf.net/calendar
If you want a tree, or want to help organize a
tree planting in your neighborhood, see:
www.fuf.net/treeplanting
FUF was recognized as the “2016
Community Partner of the Year” by
The Arc of San Francisco on March 10.
Congratulations also to our volunteer
Dmitry Kuvshinov, recognized as
“Volunteer of the Year.”
In partnership with Supervisor Katy Tang, FUF
installed subsidized sidewalk gardens in front of
homes in the Sunset neighborhood on March 31
and April 1.
If you want a sidewalk garden, see:
www.fuf.net/sidewalkgarden
June 22, 24, 29—Tree Care
June 24–25—Sidewalk Landscape
Project, Portola
June 25—Pruning Workshop & Workday,
Portola & Visitacion Valley
June 25—Tree Planting, Portola
& Visitacion Valley
July 1, 6, 8, 13, 15, 20, 22, 27, 29—
Tree Care
July 9—Pruning Workshop & Workday,
Bernal Heights
July 9—Tree Planting, Bernal Heights
July 23—Pruning Workshop & Workday,
Inner Sunset
July 23—Tree Planting, Inner Sunset
July 24—Tree Tour, Castro
August 3, 5, 10, 12, 17, 19, 24, 26, 31—
Tree Care
August 4-6—Sidewalk Landscape Project,
Bayview
August 6—Pruning Workshop & Workday,
West Portal
August 6—Tree Planting, West Portal
August 25-27—Sidewalk Landscape Project,
Dogpatch
August 27—Pruning Workshop & Workday,
Potrero Hill & Dogpatch
August 27—Tree Planting, Potrero Hill &
Dogpatch
September 2, 7, 9, 14, 16, 21, 23—Tree
Care
September 10—Pruning Workshop & Workday, Sunnyside & Glen Park
September 10—Tree Planting, Sunnyside &
Glen Park
On April 16, leaders from the Boys & Girls
Club of San Francisco took the Green
Teens to Muir Woods to learn about
redwoods and stress management.
On March 25, FUF Tree Care Manager Allegra
Mautner adjusted the arbor ties on a street tree
during one of FUF’s “No Frown Friday” roving
tree care expeditions.
Factoid: Greener surroundings, longer life
In a new study, women who lived near greenery had a lower
mortality rate than women who did not. The lead author cited
four main factors in greener areas: less air pollution, more physical
activity, more social engagement, and better mental health.
“We found the associations within urban areas as well as rural
areas,” he said. “Any increased vegetation—more street trees,
for example—seems to decrease mortality rates.”
Source: James P, Hart JE, Banay RF, Laden F. Exposure to Greenness and Mortality in a
Nationwide Prospective Cohort Study of Women. Environmental Health Perspectives
[Online 14 Apr 2016]
A sampling of some of our many recent events
On April 23, FUF partnered with People Organizing
to Demand Environmental and Economic Rights
for a tree planting in the Excelsior, Crocker Amazon, and Lakeview neighborhoods. Participants
bicycled or walked, in honor of Earth Day.
On May 29, FUF hosted a free walking tour of
the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park.
The tour was led by Steven Pitsenbarger, an
authority on the garden’s greenery and history.
On May 11, FUF staff member
Madalyn Watkins and others learned
tree climbing techniques from Deva
Braden of Arbor MD.
On March 5, FUF led a street tree
planting in the Marina and Cow
Hollow neighborhoods.
On April 23, at the Earth Day San Francisco festival, FUF
honored the “Tenderloin Greening Project” with the fourth
annual Most Greenified Block award. Representatives of UC
Hastings College of the Law and the Tenderloin Neighborhood
Development Corporation accepted the award on behalf of
everyone who planted trees and sidewalk gardens on McAllister
Street between Larkin and Leavenworth streets.
Thanks to our funders
We’re grateful to:
• craigslist Charitable Fund for a gift of $50,000
• Wells Fargo for a $17,000 grant in support of our educational programs
• Genstar Capital for a gift of $10,000
• Cornerstone Research for adopting our Richmond neighborhood tree planting
at the “Strawberry Tree” level
• The Wallis Foundation for a gift of $5,000
We also appreciate the matching gifts we’ve received from these companies and
their employees: Adobe, Apple, Chevron, Genentech, and Microsoft. FUF donors,
double your donations—ask your employer about its matching gift program.
On March 19, FUF’s Green Teens
participated in San Francisco’s
annual Arbor Day event. Some got
a ride in a bucket truck to see what
it’s like to prune tall trees.
Nonprofit
Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
San Francisco, CA
Permit No. 13997
Presidio of San Francisco
P.O. Box 29456
San Francisco, CA 94129-0456
Address Service Requested
facebook.com/FriendsOfTheUrbanForest
@SFUrbanForester
Friends of the Urban Forest is a
non-profit organization, founded in
1981, that offers financial, technical
and practical assistance to individuals and neighborhood groups who
wish to plant and care for street
trees and sidewalk gardens in
San Francisco.
Board of Directors
Jon Braslaw, Chair
Laura Tam, Vice Chair
Tamara Patterson, Secretary
Doug Case
John Farnham
Sean Flynn
Noah Goldberg
Kent Jonas
Dawn Kamalanathan
Kerry Lange
Dave Steer
Patricia Wilson
Executive Director
Dan Flanagan
Editor: Ben Carlson
Layout: Mari Ann Donnelly
Printed on recycled paper.
If you’d prefer to receive
Treescapes electronically,
please email [email protected]
TREE
scapes
Summer 2016
The Biophile
Controlling pests the natural way
By Madalyn Watkins
A gardener’s knee-jerk reaction to pests (whether animal,
insect, OR plant) is usually “kill it!” or “pull it!”—but is there a
better alternative? Rather than pest eradication let’s talk about
pest management—specifically “integrated pest management” (IPM).
IPM is a proactive system that strives to use a variety of pest
control methods with ecosystem sustainability as the main
priority. Chemical controls (pesticides, whether inorganic or
organic) are seen as the last resort, while preemptive biological
The most
ecologically
sound system
and cultural controls take the forefront.
For example, you can control aphids (destructive plant-eaters) naturally with beneficial
insects: just plant Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), which attracts parasitic wasps (tiny and not
dangerous to humans) and lady bugs, both of which feed on aphids.
IPM is the most ecologically sound system for controlling pests, and there are hundreds
of strategies that can be employed before picking up that bottle of pesticide. Learn more
by searching for “Integrated Pest Management” on the EPA’s website.