NEWS PHOTO Fernando Moreno-Prado
Newly planted tress at Echo Dale by the Fishing Lake on Monday August. They are part of the first wave of trees to replace many of the fallen trees from last year's wind storm.
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant
Arborists will give Medicine Hat’s urban forest a check-up this fall with an aerial survey of tree canopy throughout the city.
The computer-driven process will use laser light to map public and private trees and determine the overall state of health, managers with the parks department told members of council’s public services committee on Monday.
It is continuing work toward improving and increasing the amount of tree cover in the city that was started in 2012.
That year the department began work on 15 recommendations laid out in an urban forest management plan.
This year, it is also monitoring 119 species of trees planted at locations throughout the city to determine suitability for soil type and climate in partnership with Medicine Hat College.
They will also promote proper care for all saplings and maintain more than 24,000 trees that are pruned on a seven-year rotating cycle.
Flights over the city this fall will evaluate and record number, size and health of trees from foliage.
Current estimates state that 60 per cent of trees in the city are in good shape and 22 per cent are fair. Just six per cent are excellent, while 10 per cent are either in poor shape or considered dead.
The new survey will determine the level of work on high-maintenance areas.
Over the next two years, administrators will also consider taking part in federal and provincial tree planting grant programs, but that will come with reporting requirements and regimented care programming.
The city will also:
– Develop educational material for use in the school systems;
– Implement five-year monitoring program for new public trees;
– Continue and look to expand the adopt-a-tree program that had 27 Hatters take part last year;
– Further a community orchard proposal;
That could add cross-department work with the HatSmart Energy conservation program to provide rain barrels to residents.
Staff said that while the city has entered watering restrictions due to drought, they will continue to monitor trees in city parks and potentially favour trees over grass when watering.
Specific to Echo Dale, crews have only planted about one-quarter of the proposed 120 new trees to replace those lost in the 2022 wind storm. That’s due to availability, but the department hopes to have the work completed in 2023.
