HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-22-25 Public Comment - A. Kociolek - In honor of Arbor Day...From:Angela Kociolek
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]In honor of Arbor Day...
Date:Monday, April 21, 2025 1:16:09 PM
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Dear Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and Commissioners -
In the two years since I sent the attached public comment letter, Bozeman's trees and urban forest have been elevated in ourcollective conscience. In practice, however, there is still a lot of work to do - or not, if the City would make a practice offollowing its code to allow trees on development sites to age in place.
My hope is that the City of Bozeman starts embodying the true intention of the Arbor Day Foundation. That is, to activelynurture and celebrate trees (in addition to planting new ones) as a matter of course from this day forward.
The Value of Trees
arborday.org
"Trees play a critical role in creating healthier, safer, and more connected communities. They clean our air, filter our water, and even slowstorm surge and flooding in our cities. Trees also provide shade and cool our cities by up to 10 degrees, which can help prevent heat-relateddeaths in urban areas.
Even as social and economic issues fracture our society, trees continue to connect communities, cultures, and generations. Neighborhoodtrees have shown the ability to reduce stress, improve overall health and development in children, and encourage physical activity. And ahealthy community-wide tree canopy fosters economic advantages as well as an increase in civic pride among residents.”
Let’s back up proclamations with wise decisions at all levels of City government.
Thanks,
Angie Kociolek
Begin forwarded message:
From: Angela Kociolek <dangie@me.com>
Subject: In honor of Arbor Day...Date: April 26, 2023 at 3:02:03 PM MDTTo: City of Bozeman <agenda@bozeman.net>, Jon Henderson
<Jon.Henderson@bozeman.net>, Mitchell Overton <MOverton@BOZEMAN.NET>, Sullivan
Greg <gsullivan@bozeman.net>
Bozeman City Commissioners, (cc: City Attorney, Director of Strategic Services, Director of Parks andForestry)
I watched the April 18, 2023 City Commission Meeting today.
During the discussion of the Canyon Gate Preliminary Plat agenda item, almost all of you, admirably,addressed the applicant’s proposed removal of more than 100 trees. To my dismay, however, none of
you suggested to use the commission’s authority to hold the developers to the standard outlined inBozeman’s own Code of Ordinances.
Instead it seemed that you applauded the applicant for not having deviations/variances and that was
enough for you to go along with whatever they proposed. To say that this application has no deviations or
variances may be accurate, however, this proposed plan clearly does not follow the code as anyreasonable person would interpret it (1, see below).
I believe the City Commission is not following the City’s own rules for development or its stated goals forbeing good stewards of nature, or taking logical steps towards climate resiliency, or using its influence to
uphold the values that most of us share.
Even after a member of the public cited the pertinent piece of the code, none of you did your due
diligence. You asked a lot of questions of staff and then took whatever answers you received even if theanswer did not, in fact, answer your original question. You followed Ms. Montana’s lead that destroying
cottonwood stands somehow is justifiable because it might help solve the workforce/affordable housingproblem and that’s how the plan is already drawn after all - as if it was set in stone and could not be
redrawn. The word “must” is the operative word in the code, not the phrase “to the extent possible.”Redrawing and coming up with a different site plan is possible. It’s up to you as our elected officials torequire it.
In my view, the commission as a whole selectively chose which goals and priorities to uphold during thispreliminary plat discussion while neglecting some of the most fundamental ones that truly benefit us all
beyond this single subdivision.
Words like “heartbreaking” and “compromise” were used, when instead, one simply had to look at the
City's own Climate Plan (2) and Sensitive Lands Protection Plan (3) to see what the logical, right thingwould be to do in this case. I fully understand that the latter has no teeth yet but why even embark on
such a venture if you don’t even believe in the most basic of basic logic of protecting existing native trees,and more than a 100 of them at a pop? How can Bozeman calls itself a 'Tree City’ and make decisions
like this? How can I attend the Arbor Day event on Friday to plant new trees with a straight face when thesame City is saying it’s ok to deforest part of a decades’ or century's old urban forest that already exists?
This is not just about whether someone likes trees, or likes birds who like trees, or has planted trees inthe past as the Landscape Designer said. This is about way more than that and I provide some resources
below to help you better understand the true value of trees, cottonwoods in particular, and the commonsense, most cost-efficient way to ensure we have them here in Bozeman and across the region. (4, 5, 6)
The Parks Dept is working on the PRAT plan (7) which calls out the importance of preserving morenatural areas. The idea is to give credit for natural areas as well as what we think of as traditional parks.
This would not only make us better stewards of nature and be more climate resilient, but would also allowwater to flow freely as opposed to being artificially channelized, save money, and reduce the burden on
maintenance staff. I believe this site is large enough to support a natural area as well as the connectingtrails between Bridger Creek and Story Mill Park/path to the M. The existing cottonwood stand would be
an amazing and unique addition to Bozeman’s public urban forest and is exactly what the people ofBozeman desire. (8)
Finally, ask yourselves how it is that you can honor Indigenous People in an authentic way and sit backand let the removal of these trees happen? How can you reconcile putting tepees up on Peet’s Hill and
then chopping down whole stands of trees sacred to many of the same people? (9,10)
Please take a moment to read the information I’ve linked to below.
It is not too late for the City Commission to require the applicant team to adhere to the general standard
regarding Natural Environment. I look forward to your reply on this matter.
Sincerely,Angie Kociolek
P.S. Disclosure: I am the Chair of Bozeman's Urban Parks and Forestry Board. I have not spoken withany fellow board members or liaisons. These words are solely my own.
P.P.S. Please also add this to the public comment record for this project.
From Bozeman https://library.municode.com/mt/bozeman/ordinances/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=2020(1) DIVISION 38.410. - COMMUNITY DESIGN AND ELEMENTS
Sec. 38.410.010. - General sandards.
B. Natural environment. The design and development of all land uses mus be properly related to topography,
and mus, to the extent possible, preserve the natural terrain, natural drainage, exising topsoil, trees and
other exising vegetation.
(2)
Regenerative Greenspace, Food
Systems, & Natural Environment |
Bozeman Climate Plan Dashboard
bozemanclimateplan.clearpointstrategy.com
(3)
Gallatin Valley SVS Report
gallatinvalleyplan.bozeman.net
(4)
getRepositoryFile
PDF Document · 3 MB
(5)
About Cottonwoods
mtaudubon.org
(6)
What Insects and Plants? / Doug Tallamy
homegrownnationalpark.org
(7) legistarweb-production.s3.amazonaws.com
A Never-Ending Story: Grappling with
Growth in Bozeman - Trust for Public
(8)
Land
tpl.org
(9)
The Importance of a Cottonwood Twig
montananaturalist.org
(10)
Elizabeth Cook-Lynn: Tribes maintain sacred
relationship with cottonwood trees
indianz.com