The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About03-10-25 Public Comment - Bozeman Tree Coalition - Fowler Avenue ConnectionFrom:BozemanTreeCoalition To:Terry Cunningham; Joey Morrison; Jennifer Madgic; Douglas Fischer; Emma Bode; Mitchell Overton; Addi Jadin;Alex Nordquest; Nicholas Ross Cc:Bozeman Public Comment Subject:[EXTERNAL]Fowler Avenue Connection Date:Monday, March 10, 2025 10:17:48 AM Attachments:BTC_FAC_Pre-60%_Final.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or openattachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Greetings, Attached please find Bozeman Tree Coalition pre-60% Fowler Avenue Connection (FAC) designcomments. We request they be included in the FAC folder and shared with the Transportation Advisory Board. Thank you,BTC Bozeman Tree Coalition Public Comment on Fowler Ave Connection Road Project Monday, March 10, 2025 Page 1 of 6 To: Bozeman City Commission; Nick Ross, Director of Transportation and Engineering; Mitch Overton, Director of Forestry, Parks, Recreation, and Cemetery; Alex Nordquest, City Forester; Addi Jadin, Parks Planner and Development Manager; and Transportation Advisory Board. From: Bozeman Tree Coalition, co-founders Daniel Carty, Angie Kociolek, Marcia Kaveney, April Craighead, Lara Schulz, Chris McQueary Subj: Fowler Ave Connection (FAC), public comment in advance of FAC 60% design Introduction Bozeman’s urban forest—the sum of all trees on public and private property—is ecologically important and provides a wide variety of ecosystem services to the Bozeman community as a whole. Moreover, publicly owned trees are the only City of Bozeman (City)-owned infrastructure that increases in economic value over time. Arguably, the City has a responsibility—as a land steward—to maximize protection of publicly owned trees during the construction of the Fowler Ave Connection (FAC) road project between Oak Street and Huffine Lane. To that end, the Bozeman Tree Coalition (BTC) offers the following public comment before the FAC 60% design is released. Bozeman Tree Coalition Comments (1) The BTC agrees with and incorporates by reference the public comment submitted by Friends of Fowler Connector (FFC) on March 3, 2025, regarding the: (a) FOWLER AVENUE CONNECTION (FAC), and (b) LINEAR PARK CONCEPT ALONG [the FAC] RIPARIAN CORRIDOR. https://weblink.bozeman.net/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=296903&dbid=0&repo=BOZEMAN BOZEMANTREECOALITION@GMAIL.COM Bozeman Tree Coalition Public Comment on Fowler Ave Connection Road Project Monday, March 10, 2025 Page 2 of 6 (2) The BTC recommends the City’s Transportation and Engineering Department partner with the City’s Forestry Division and the Western Transportation Institute Road Ecology Team to maximize protection of publicly owned trees and maximize the protection of the riparian area along the Section Line irrigation ditch (aka Farmers Canal aka Fowler “Creek”) during the construction of the FAC road project. For a tree-protection example, see the City of Whitefish, MT, guide titled Planning for Public Tree Protection, Excavation and Construction Guidelines Around Public Trees. https://www.cityofwhitefish.gov/DocumentCenter/View/2881/Excavation- and-Construction-Guidelines-Around-a-Public-Tree-PDF (3) The BTC recommends including a buffer zone around protected trees during construction and in perpetuity. Among other benefits, buffer zones protect waterways, increase habitat diversity, and reduce human impacts on the natural resources being protected. For example, see https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2021-11/bmp-riparian-forested-buffer.pdf and Appendix 1. (4) The BTC recommends that, before construction begins, the City select and protect some dead and dying trees (aka snags, Appendix 2) throughout the FAC corridor—including all areas designated as City parkland. Protecting some snags will benefit cavity-nesting birds and raptors that use the area.1 (5) The BTC recommends the City ensure that road-construction activity and tree removal do not occur during bird-nesting season. In other words, the City should abide by the U.S. Migratory Bird Treaty Act and MCA 87-5-201. - Protection of wild birds and their nests and eggs. https://archive.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0870/chapter_0050/part_0020/section_0010/0870-0050- 0020-0010.html (6) Finally, the BTC recommends the City develop a Tree Removal Plan for all trees to be removed within the FAC corridor. Such a plan would include, but not be limited to: (a) Mark all trees to be removed for transparency and public education purposes, and then inventory all of these trees by species, DBH, and height. The reason for completing such a detailed inventory of trees to be removed is that the City needs to begin quantifying the loss of carbon storage, carbon sequestration, tree canopy cover, and wildlife habitat associated with all projects in which publicly-owned trees are removed. (b) For trees to be removed, strive to re-purpose the wood for natural playgrounds, benches, and the like. Alternatively, explicitly state the end-use of all trees to be removed, e.g., lumber, firewood, mulch, or landfill. Bozeman Tree Coalition Public Comment on Fowler Ave Connection Road Project Monday, March 10, 2025 Page 3 of 6 Conclusion The construction of the FAC between Oak Street and Huffine Lane will result in significant, long- term damage to the ecological function of Bozeman’s urban forest and significantly reduce the ecosystem services this forest provides to the Bozeman community as a whole. As such, the City has a responsibility—as a land steward—to maximize the protection of publicly owned trees during all phases of the construction of the FAC. Thank you for the opportunity to comment. Sincerely, Bozeman Tree Coalition co-founders (all Bozeman residents), Danel Carty Angie Kociolek Marcia Kaveney April Craighead Lara Schulz Chris McQueary cc: comments@bozeman.net for the Fowler Ave Connection folder Footnote 1 The BTC incorporates by reference the FAC public comment (i.e., a bird species list) submitted by Freya Ross on September 14, 2022. https://weblink.bozeman.net/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=265064&dbid=0&repo=BOZEMAN Bozeman Tree Coalition Public Comment on Fowler Ave Connection Road Project Monday, March 10, 2025 Page 4 of 6 Appendix 1 Additional References to Inform the Fowler Avenue Connection Road Project: Values of Urban Forests S Borelli, M Conigliaro, F Pineda – Unasylva. 2018. Value of Urban and peri-urban forests in sustainability and climate mitigation. Urban forests in the global context. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324331284_Urban_forests_in_the_global_context Lauren E. O’Brien, Rachael E. Urbanek, and James D. Gregory. 2022. Ecological functions and human benefits of urban forests. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, Volume 75. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1618866722002503 CONSERVATION BUFFERS AND PLANNING Bentrup, G. 2008. Conservation buffers: design guidelines for buffers, corridors, and greenways. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-109. Asheville, NC. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 110. pp. https://www.fs.usda.gov/nac/buffers/docs/conservation_buffers.pdf OPEN SPACES AND BIODIVERSITY Lurdes Barrico, Helena Castro, António Pereira Coutinho, Maria Teresa Gonçalves, Helena Freitas, Paula Castro. 2018. Plant and microbial biodiversity in urban forests and public gardens: Insights for cities’ sustainable development, Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, Volume 29. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1618866717302650 Charles J Fausold, Robert J. Lilieholm, The economic value of open space: a review and synthesis. Environmental Management, 23(3): 307-320. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9950694/ BIRDS AND ROADS Kociolek, A., C. Grilo, and S. Jacobson. 2015. Flight Doesn’t Solve Everything: Mitigation of Road Impacts to Birds. Handbook of Road Ecology. Ch. 33. https://www.fs.usda.gov/psw/publications/jacobson/psw_2015_jacobson001_kociolek.pdf HABITAT MANAGEMENT for POLLINATORS FHWA Roadside Best Management Practices that Benefit Pollinators https://www.environment.fhwa.dot.gov/env_topics/ecosystems/Pollinators_Roadsides/BMPs_pol linators_landscapes.pdf Bozeman Tree Coalition Public Comment on Fowler Ave Connection Road Project Monday, March 10, 2025 Page 5 of 6 BTS Pollinators and Roadsides: Best Management Practices for Managers and Decision Makers Pollinators and Roadsides: Best Management Practices for ...Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) https://www.environment.fhwa.dot.gov/env_topics/ecosystems/Pollinators_Roadsides/BMPs_pol linators_roadsides.aspx FHWA Ecosystems and Vegetation Management https://www.environment.fhwa.dot.gov/env_topics/ecosystems_vegetation.aspx USDOT Roadside Rights-of-Way As Pollinator Habitat: A Literature Review https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/62729 WILDLIFE IN GENERAL Ameliorating the Effects of Roads. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2005. Assessing and Managing the Ecological Impacts of Paved Roads. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/11535/chapter/6 Keeping it Simple: Easy Ways to Help Wildlife Along Roads. National Academies of Sciences. https://trid.trb.org/view/790940 Riley, Seth P. D., Justin L. Brown, Jeff A. Sikich, Catherine M. Schoonmaker, and Erin E. Boydston. 2014. Wildlife friendly roads: the impacts of roads on wildlife in urban areas and potential remedies. USGS. https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/70154765 Appendix 1 compiled by Angie Kociolek and April Craighead Bozeman Tree Coalition Public Comment on Fowler Ave Connection Road Project Monday, March 10, 2025 Page 6 of 6 Appendix 2 Importance of Dying and Dead Trees (aka Snags) in Urban Forests In urban forests, the ecological importance of dying and dead trees—aka “snags”—is well-known.1 For example, the decaying wood of dying and dead trees makes it easier for cavity-nesting birds to excavate.2 Snags also provide important perching and nesting habitat for birds of prey. Interestingly, the Virginia Cooperative Extension promotes saving dead trees as snags in city parks and on private property.3 By keeping snags, one northern Virginia condominium association saved approximately $2,000 per tree while adding important and desirable bird habitat. In addition to snags, trees and limbs lying on the ground provide cover for small mammals, and decaying wood provides food for insects, which are eaten by birds.1, 2, 3 Decomposing trees release nutrients into and enrich the soil. The diverse range of organisms that inhabit dying and dead trees, e.g., fungi, lichens, insects and other invertebrates, help maintain and enhance biodiversity in urban-suburban environments. Not to forget the roots of dying and dead trees help anchor the banks of waterways, such as the irrigation ditch in the Fowler Ave Connection road-project corridor. The BTC acknowledges there can be safety concerns with dying and dead trees in areas of high human traffic.2 However, rather than removing dying and dead trees in the FAC, the Bozeman Tree Coalition (BTC) recommends leaving some of them, designing trails with a wide buffer zone, and only pruning a limb or removing a tree when necessary. Doing this will enhance the interest and beauty of FAC trails and also save the City money and time. References 1 Girardi, P. 2022. The destiny of dead trees. Urban Forest Dweller. https://www.urbanforestdweller.com/the-destiny-of-dead-trees/ 2 National Wildlife Federation. 2025. Turning deadwood into homes for wildlife. https://www.nwf.org/Magazines/National-Wildlife/1998/Turning-Deadwood-into-Lively-Homes- for-Wildlife 3 Cameron, L. 2024. Keep that dead wood around! Snags, dead branches, and stumps add habitat and natural beauty, too. Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia and Virginia Cooperative Extension. https://mgnv.org/best-management-practices/keep-that-dead-wood-around-snags-dead- branches-and-stumps-add-habitat-and-natural-beauty-too/ Appendix 2 written by Daniel Carty, Angie Kociolek, and Marcia Kaveney