05-06-2025 PK Agenda - Laserfiche WebLink

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Davey Resource Group, Inc. Tree Inventory Analysis & Maintenance Strategy Page iii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The City of Orono’s Tree Inventory Analysis & Maintenance Strategy, prepared by Davey Resource Group, Inc. (DRG), focuses on analyzing inventory data, quantifying the benefits provided by the community’s inventoried trees, and identifying their maintenance needs. DRG received street and park tree inventory data from Orono that was collected by an outside contractor in 2019, 2020, and 2022. DRG’s staff then analyzed the inventory data to understand the structure of the City’s inventoried tree resource and provide recommendations on priority and routine maintenance programs for future tree care. The data was also analyzed using i-Tree Eco to calculate the economic value of the community’s inventoried public trees and their environmental benefits (i.e., stormwater, carbon, and air pollution). The City of Orono’s inventoried trees have an estimated replacement value of over $3.05 million and provide $18,679 annually in stormwater, air quality, and carbon benefits each year. Supporting and funding proactive maintenance of Orono’s public trees is a sound long-term investment that will maximize tree benefits, reduce tree care costs over time, and increase the value of the urban forest. While other municipal infrastructure loses value over time depreciates, the value of public trees increases (appreciates). High priority tree removal and pruning, while initially requiring a significant portion of the Year 1 budget in the five-year schedule as depicted in Table 7, bring valuable benefits. As this essential work is accomplished, budgets are anticipated to decrease and become more stable. This shift marks the progression of tree management that focuses on a proactive maintenance strategy. Notably, this proactive approach plays a crucial role in increasing tree benefits and diminishing the emergence of new elevated risk trees over time by preventing minor tree defects from deterioration. Calculating Tree Benefits The benefits of Orono’s inventoried trees presented in this Plan are calculated using i-Tree Eco. i-Tree is the industry recognized suite of tools used to measure and quantify the ecosystem benefits that trees provide. i-Tree is a partnership between the USDA Forest Service, The Davey Tree Expert Company, the Arbor Day Foundation, the International Society of Arboriculture, Society of Municipal Arborists, Casey Trees, and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. It was released in 2006 and its models are updated regularly based on the latest science and research. REPLACEMENT VALUE $3.05 million AIR POLLUTION REMOVAL 2,280 pounds $3,251 CARBON SEQUESTRATION 27 tons $11,854 AVOIDED STORMWATER RUNOFF 399,990 gallons $3,574 10