2020-54 - Council Budget Priorities FY2021

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Few Lakewood's ash tree inventory was at 398 trees in 2012 and due to EAB infestation that total has been reduced to 160 trees in 2019. When the last ash tree was planted in Lakewood in 2007, the ash tree inventory at that time constituted 4.2% of the total tree inventory for the city. As of October 2019, the ash tree population in Lakewood is only 1.2% of our total tree inventory. The city is treating its remaining ash tree population once every three years with trunk insecticide injections to retain our remaining mature ash tree canopy longer and slow mortality rates as replacement trees continue to grow. Much has been made of the recent hazard tree removals on Clifton Boulevard the past seven years. The fact is that at the conclusion of the fall planting season, there will have been a net gain of 77 trees on Clifton Boulevard from 2013 to 2019 ➢ Clifton Blvd. 2013 to 2019 net gain 77 trees; 224 trees planted versus the removal of 147 hazard trees removed as many posed a great risk to public safety due to their very poor condition. ➢ The tree species diversity on Clifton has risen from just five tree species in 2012 to 18 different tree species today to make the long-term future canopy growth of Clifton Boulevard more resilient and avoiding the dynamic when all the trees age and decline at the same time. ➢ Nearly 39% of the canopy loss on public (city) property and 9% of the citywide total canopy loss (approximately 17 acres) has taken place on Clifton Boulevard since 2011, in which largely a single tree species (Pin Oak) was planted along the entire street 90-115 years ago and they are now declining at close to the same rate. The city is managing that decline by balancing the need for public safety with those trees that are in decline (some very serious that pose great potential risk) and that the need and strategy to removal is well thought out and measured. We do not remove healthy large trees. We identify larger trees with structural defects that can be pruned to make safe and retain ecological services citywide on a more consistent basis than removals. In addition, much of Northeast Ohio has seen a significant increase in Norway Maple tree mortality the past six years. Approximately 8-10% of canopy loss on public property in Lakewood is due to the mortality rate of Norway maple trees. Many of you may have noticed that nearly every Norway maple in Lakewood has what is called tar spotting (black dots) or Maple tar spot on leaves this year due in large part to the very wet and cool spring we had earlier this year. 95% of the time the tar spotting is only an unsightly cosmetic issue that can cause early onset defoliation, premature browning or leaf curl — but it does not harm or kill the tree. It occurs more frequently with wet spring conditions and often does not appear again (or is diminished) the following year if the spring/early summer weather is closer to normal. However, some Norway maple trees in Lakewood have been impacted with a more serious fungal infection - Verticillium wilt. We have confirmed some infection present within several of the Norway maples we have had to remove that had been suffering significant canopy dieback the past few years. Verticillium wilt is very difficult to control because it persists in the soil indefinitely and treatments/sprays are not effective. Sometimes infected trees can "outgrow" the fungus — which we have seen take place. We frequently prune off dead branches first to help the overall tree vigor. If a tree has lost more than a 1/3 of its canopy — the decline cannot be stopped at that point and the tree should be removed. In addition, trees already weakened by Verticillium can be more prone to tar spotting and these two fungi issues can overwhelm a tree to where it gets the tar spotting for several years in a row and the leaf canopy