City looking for tree lovers

From City Staff Reports

Do you remember some of your favorite trees? Your first tree house? That tree in the park that marked the perfect picnic spot? Your absolute favorite tree? Show how much you cherish our urban forests and sign up today for the City of Dallas Academy to become a Citizen Forester. 

What is the Citizen Forester Academy? Students will learn basic tree physiology, tree ID, proper planting and maintenance and so much more. Registration is currently underway (registration deadline is August 27). Classes begin in September. Visit bit.ly/DallasForestry to register.

The City of Dallas has a vast urban forest, including the approximately 6,000-acre Great Trinity Forest. City staff maintain existing trees, plant new trees and provide trees to citizens to plant in their yards or along their street. Per American Forests, over 140 million acres of America’s forests are in cities and towns. Urban forestry is defined as the protection, planting and care of trees in an urban and suburban environment. 

Urban forestry involves both the planning and management of the urban forest, because the right tree, planted in the right place, in the right way helps to promote the many benefits trees to people, wildlife and the climate. 

In addition to the overall improved health and well-being of residents, tree benefits also include improved academic performance, fewer illnesses and instances of death caused by extreme heat and poor air quality. As we seek remedies for the climate crisis, urban forestry will continue to be a key component to any strategy looking to maximize the benefits that trees provide.

A City-wide Tree Task Force was formed that includes multi-disciplined forestry, wildlife and management staff from the City Manager’s Office, Dallas Water Utilities, Park and Recreation, Public Works, Aviation and Sustainable Development & Construction. The task force continues working with local, state and federal agencies to better manage our urban forest.

The year 2021 has brought about two priorities for the task force: The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) and a tree inventory for all public lands. 

In April 2021, monitoring was initiated in Dallas County with the support of the Texas A&M Forest Service (TFS). Twenty traps across Dallas County, with eight specifically in the City of Dallas have been placed. The task force continues to work on multiple media outreach programs, locations and numbers of ash trees on public land.

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