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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-26-2020 Public Comment - J. DiMarco - Non-native Species TreesFrom: jerrydimarco@mail.com To: Alex Nordquest Cc: Agenda Subject: Re: Non-native Tree Species Date: Wednesday, February 26, 2020 2:29:11 PM Hi Alex, I found a booklet (online) at MSU Extension Service titled Trees Native to Montana that shows maybe 9 deciduous species and 3 conifer species native to this area. The green ash is not one of them, so it would be okay with me if those trees disappeared. Dealing with this issue in the past, I was told that there were many linden trees around town, none of which were doing well. When I checked a manual of Climax Species in Montana(?), it noted that linden trees are streambank trees. So that's probably why they weren't doing so well. Don't know how many of them remain, but it appears they are not native either. The list of trees being offered does not include any Montana trees. We may not be able to keep residents from planting non-native species, but I don't think it is a good idea for city government to be doing it and encouraging it. You apparently want to buffer our community from pest or disease outbreaks, weather, maybe climate change, but if we all plant all species all over America, we allow the possibility of nationwide extermination events. Given that we should be planting trees to soak up CO2 in the atmosphere anyway, we have to expect that tree replacement will be an ongoing expense. What is hardy now, may not be in the future. It may be better to start with what has been here all along and see what migrates this way. Do we want every place to look the same? In recent planning events, having/keeping a sense of place was identified as an important issue to residents. This was meant in reference to the Northern Rockies and the Gallatin Valley. Every place is different because the land and climate are different. If we homogenize the country, we not only lose the uniqueness of each area, but we further mess with the native ecosystems - at our own risk. So current Forestry Dept policy seems to be ignoring the desire of citizens to retain a sense of place. I hope the Forestry Dept reconsiders its current policy, and Commissioners incorporate the sense of place issue into all planning policies that affect our native ecosystems. Thank you for your time. Jerry DiMarco Bozeman Sent: Tuesday, February 25, 2020 at 1:57 PM From: "Alex Nordquest" <ANordquest@BOZEMAN.NET> To: "'jerrydimarco@mail.com'" <jerrydimarco@mail.com> Subject: Non-native Tree Species Hello Jerry, Thanks for sharing your concerns with our planting programs. Since Bozeman has such a limited palette for hardy trees, we have an urgent need for species diversity. For example, one major concern is our over-reliance on Green Ash. Just this one species accounts for 31% of our park and boulevard trees. Virtually every one of these native trees will be susceptible to Emerald Ash Borer’s arrival in Montana. We’re actively planting both native and non-native trees to buffer our community from any one issue – pest/disease outbreaks, severe weather, etc. When considering non-natives, we look for species that are proven as reliable urban trees in other communities in the Rocky Mountain West. One example would be Kentucky coffeetree – obviously, native to Kentucky, but planted across the country as a hardy street tree, with little to no pest/disease issues. One more point of clarification is that non-natives aren’t inherently invasive. We strongly discourage plants with invasive traits, such as Russian olive (not approved for city planting). I’m happy to discuss this further over the phone. Please contact me with any other questions or concerns. Alex Nordquest City Forester (o) 406-582-3225 (c) 406-579-1721 Page 1 Need Help? Use our online form for questions and requests. Our staff will be happy to assist you. Your Information First Name Jerry Last Name DiMarco Email Address jerrydimarco@mail.com Phone Number (406) 586-2904 Comments/Questions Why are you planting nonnative tree species? Not only is this bad for local ecosystems, but it encourages citizens to do the same on their property. What are the long term consequences of adding to our problems with invasive species? City of Bozeman emails are subject to the Right to Know provisions of Montana’s Constitution (Art. II, Sect. 9) and may be considered a “public record” pursuant to Title 2, Chpt. 6, Montana Code Annotated. As such, this email, its sender and receiver, and the contents may be available for public disclosure and will be retained pursuant to the City’s record retention policies. Emails that contain confidential information such as information related to individual privacy may be protected from disclosure under law.