Friday April 26, 2024
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Photo: Louisville Metro Parks and Recreation
Metro Parks and Recreation will be celebrating Arbor Day during the entire month of April. We know you love trees as much as we do!
Our city’s tree canopy includes approximately 270 species of trees found in the nearly 7,000 acres at Jefferson Memorial Forest and throughout 6,600 acres in 120 parks and six Olmsted-designed parkways.
We’ll be sharing interesting facts about trees throughout the month at our blog, Common Ground, where we’ve asked staff from our Forestry division to share their thoughts on trees and even asked them for their favorites. That’s where you come in! During the month of April, we’re also asking the public to share pictures of their favorite trees at our Instagram page (@loumetroparks). Those who do so can drop by our administrative offices afterwards at Joe Creason Park and pick up a free Tree Identification Poster, beginning at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, April 5.
We’ll make the posters available until 5 p.m. Friday, April 28 – but you must participate (and share your picture/handle with us when you pick up). Also, only one poster per participant, please.
For more information, visit Common Ground here, and be sure to share your pics on Instagram.
Metro Councilmembers Bill Hollander (D-9) and Cheri Bryant-Hamilton (D-5) announced today that they have introduced an ordinance relating to Louisville Metro trees.
Adoption of such an ordinance was the very first of 41 recommendations in the 2015 Louisville Urban Tree Canopy Assessment. It was also recommended by the Louisville Metro Tree Advisory Commission, after a lengthy review of ordinances in dozens of other cities, including several in Kentucky.
“We have seen a significant loss in tree canopy in Louisville Metro and this ordinance will help focus attention on the issue, protect the trees we have and reduce the possibility of more losses,” Councilman Hollander said. “It recognizes that trees are important to quality of life and to our health”.
“Our community needs more trees, desperately. Studies have shown that it makes a difference and it will reduce the temperature in the City,” said Councilwoman Hamilton. “We need to do a better job of getting people to connect the dots between our environment and our health and this ordinance will help.”
The proposed ordinance covers “public trees”, which includes trees located on Metro Government owned or controlled land or in public right-of-way areas, except for parks and parkways under the jurisdiction of Louisville Metro Parks.
It consolidates Louisville’s tree efforts into the Metro Division of Community Forestry, to provide oversight and comprehensive coordination for tree and forestation issues. Among other things, the Division will create a management plan to outline goals and concerns regarding trees, tree canopy and forestation.
A new Louisville Metro Tree Advisory Committee — appointed by the Mayor and approved by Metro Council — would assist in those efforts.
The ordinance also establishes policies and standards for public trees, clarifying and replacing the provisions of several existing ordinances. For example, the ordinance includes a common sense provision that new trees that grow to a height of more than 25 feet not be planted within 15 feet of an overheard utility line. Currently required tree removal permits would be conditioned on replacement of the public tree, unless a waiver is granted.
“A healthy tree canopy contributes mightily to a healthy community, improving air and water quality, reducing the urban heat island effect, and providing a more pleasant place to live, work, learn, and play,” Cindi Sullivan, Executive Director of the non-profit TreesLouisville, said. “To improve our community tree canopy, we must protect our existing trees and plant new trees.”
The ordinance would also create a Community Forestry Escrow Fund, which would establish and maintain a landowner assistance program, intended to help defray the cost of mandated tree removal or remedial action on behalf of indigent property owners. The fund would receive all monetary penalties related to trees and could also accept donations from the public.
Property owners could voluntarily protect historic and specimen trees on private property. The only other provision which affects trees on private property deals with trees that are a public nuisance or a threat of the spread of disease or infestation to other trees.
Hollander noted that the ordinance is just part of the effort to increase Louisville Metro’s tree canopy. Metro Council has recently made changes in the Land Development Code which protect trees in proposed Conservation Subdivisions. Other changes in the Land Development Code are under consideration, including as part of the adoption of a new Comprehensive Plan.
The ordinance will be assigned to a Metro Council committee and be considered early next year.
Mayor Greg Fischer, TreesLouisville and the Community Foundation of Louisville announced today that an anonymous donor has contributed $1 million for tree planting throughout the city, and the community is launching an effort to match that donation.
“That’s an ambitious goal, but we know that trees are very important for our environment, our economy and civic pride, and if all citizens participate, we can get it done,” Mayor Fischer said.
Susan Barry, president and CEO of the Community Foundation, said her agency will accept donations to match the $1 million. TreesLouisville will manage the outreach and focus of the initiative.
“Now is the time for all of us to get fired up about planting and caring for trees,” said TreesLouisville Executive Director Cindi Sullivan, “We need trees if we want to have a healthy place to live, learn, work and play. So the question is: have you planted a tree today?”
While the city will continue planting trees on public land through city agencies such as Brightside, the Division of Community Forestry and Metro Parks, the Mayor stressed that the city also needs more trees on private land.
And to reach the city’s goal of a 45 percent tree canopy, he urged residents and businesses to plant trees in their yards and community greenspaces. (Louisville’s tree canopy is currently about 37 percent.)
“I’m asking residents and businesses to recommit themselves in growing our tree canopy by contributing their funds to this effort to buy trees, or their time to plant and maintain them,” the Mayor said. “I am grateful to the private and corporate citizens who have started this effort, and ask the community to match the contribution and more.”
Adding trees has many benefits for a community. Economically, the shade trees provide can lower energy costs and, because they are aesthetically pleasing, trees increase property values and attract business to the neighborhood. Environmentally, trees provide better air quality, a reduction in our city’s heat island effect and a habitat for wildlife. Trees also put more pride into neighborhoods and promote the beauty of city streets.
Local advertising agency Red7e has provided creative services for this initiative.
To donate to the tree planting initiative, please visit https://treeslouisville.org/
