HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-08-26 Public Comment - E. Darrow - Heritage Trees UFMP & Citizen ScienceFrom:Elizabeth Darrow
To:Bozeman Public Comment; Natalie Meyer
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Heritage Trees UFMP & Citizen Science
Date:Wednesday, April 8, 2026 11:39:59 AM
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Hello Sustainability Board; Staff Liaison Meyer (please distribute before meeting)
We write in strong support to encourage incorporating the Historic
Preservation Board’s proposed Heritage Tree Program into the Urban
Forest Management Plan, with a defined commitment to Citizen Science
that includes I-SEA TREE App as one core tool for data collection and
increased public engagement.
The Heritage Tree Program as envisioned in part of the UFMP offers a
practical, interdisciplinary approach to advancing both planning &
development and educational community engagement goals. It strengthens
processes around new plantings, development review, and construction
impacts while improving the City’s ability to identify, document, and protect
historically and culturally significant trees in all neighborhoods of the city.
Heritage trees are more than landscape features—they are living records of
Bozeman’s history and essential component of both emotional, aesthetic
and practical assets of a resilient urban environment in a time of growing
climate change. Their preservation requires better data, broader
participation by the public and coordination across departments for now and
our future.
Citizen Science is a collaborative approach where everyday people—not
just professional scientists—collect data, monitor trends, and contribute to
research. It is essentially "crowdsourcing" discovery, allowing scientists to
gather massive amounts of information that would be impossible to collect
alone and widely utilized and applied. It has enabled people of all ages to
participate in mapping, monitoring, and documenting all aspects of our
natural environment including trees.
The I-SEA TREE app significantly enhances this effort. It allows users to:
Map and inventory trees in real time
Measure environmental benefits, including carbon storage, air quality
improvement, and water impacts, using U.S. Forest Service tools
Utilize built-in features, including AI-assisted species identification,
to ensure accessible and accurate data collection
Incorporating this program into the Urban Forest Management Plan is a
forward-looking step that aligns environmental sustainability with historic
preservation of our city. It ensures that growth is informed, balanced, and
respectful of living systems that define Bozeman’s character.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Darrow & Jim Walseth
Bozeman