HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-26-24 Public Comment - D. Carty - Urban Parks & Forestry Board priorities 2024-2026From:Daniel Carty
To:Agenda
Cc:Mitchell Overton
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Urban Parks & Forestry Board priorities 2024-2026
Date:Thursday, January 25, 2024 11:35:29 AM
Attachments:Dept_Priorities_Overview_2024-2026.pdf
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Date: Jan 25, 2024
Time: 11:40am
To: Urban Parks and Forestry Board (UPF)
Subject: UPF priorities for 2024-2026 and UPF's recommended priorities to the CityCommission
I am writing to comment on the UPF's internal priorities for 2024-2026 and to ask the UPF
to forward additional recommendations to the City Commission (CC)--recommendationsthat could then be incorporated into the CC's priorities for 2024-2026 at the CC's special
meeting on Jan 26. My comments and suggestions follow and are limited to the five forestry(FOR) priorities listed on page 2 of the UPF's Draft Internal P&R Priorities 2024-2026 (pdf
attached for reference).
All five of the FOR internal priorities listed in the draft are excellent ideas and will no doubtbenefit Bozeman's urban forest and the ecosystem services it provides to the community as
a whole. I would suggest, however, that for all five of the FOR priorities:
(1) Emphasis be placed on trees and shrubs native to MT and especially on trees andshrubs native to the Gallatin Valley. Such trees and shrubs would include, but not be limited
to, cottonwood trees, quaking aspen trees, willow trees, and chokecherry trees/shrubs.Combined, these trees/shrubs provide important wildlife habitat (e.g., native birds) in areas
extending from riparian to upland areas and provide a wide variety of ecosystem services tothe Bozeman community as a whole. ( https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-
Guide/Understanding-Conservation/Ecosystem-Services )
(2) Emphasis be placed on maintaining and protecting Bozeman's healthy and mature,native trees—while at the same time recognizing the additional value to wildlife (especially
native birds) provided by dying and dead trees.
(3) Finally, not only should forestry staff be more involved development-related processes,but the UPF board itself should be more involved. Such involvement by forestry staff and
the UPF board should include suggesting municipal code changes (e.g., UDC) to betterprotect trees and shrubs during development on private land.
Sincerely,
Daniel Carty213 N. Third Ave
Bozeman, MT 59715
dgc12@hotmail.com
406-548-2810