TheBurg

20 | theburgnews.com | 04.18 T rees have lives of their own, far outlasting ours, says Harrisburg Parks Maintenance Director Ronald Taylor. "A tree goes from a seed to a sapling to a tree to dying," he said. "Once it's merged in the earth, it becomes carbon fuel, so it can become coal, so it can also become a diamond." Trees bring lots of good stuff to cities. ey soak up carbon dioxide. ey break up the urban hardscape. ey provide shade that cools people and homes. "Studies have shown that people buy more and tend to be happier in communities where there are more trees," said Taylor. "e more green covering, the better." Happy trees, happy community. at's why Harrisburg public officials and private citizens are pushing to revive the tree canopy citywide. In 2018, the city expects to plant some 200 trees, with help from volunteers from United Way, Deloitte and neighborhood groups. Currently, Harrisburg's 6,826 street trees—those that line streets in public rights-of- way—create a canopy that cover less than 30 percent of city streets, well short of the 47 percent goal set by the U.S. Forest Service. Moreover, about 800 dead or sick trees in Harrisburg "need to come down," said Taylor. Planting 200 in one year won't close the gap, but with 300 slated for planting next year and more to come, the plan puts the city on target to full canopy in 10 years, he said. tree-uP Harrisburg, like most old cities, has a legacy tree problem. Trees are aging, falling over, dying and, until relatively recently, little consideration was given to what makes a good replacement. So, towering oaks, elms and other species that need a lot of room for their roots and canopies were stuffed into little tree boxes, surrounded by concrete and asphalt. at was bad for the tree, the street and the sidewalk. "Right tree, right spot," asserted Specialist Ellen Roane of the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Urban Forestry Program In other words, indiscriminate plantings often lead to complications later. Indeed, some trees are better equipped to handle the stress of urban environments, and more specifically, each tree has its own microenvironment to deal with. Power lines are a big problem, limiting a tree's maximum height. e once-popular Callery pear species, including the ubiquitous Bradford pear, has turned out to be prone to splitting, and it's invasive. e city's tree-up plan increases the diversity as well as the number of trees. Another 50 pin oaks, given by an anonymous donor, will be planted along Front Street and Riverfront Park, where many existing trees "need some care," said Taylor. Many others there must come down because "they have been, shall we say, sick for some time and are not in the best of health." is is a fight with no end. Victory comes through maintenance and vigilance, tree experts said. Everyone gets a feel-good rush from planting trees, but maintenance in the early years is crucial to assuring survival. Urban trees need a little nudging and pruning to assure they grow straight and have a single growth "leader," instead of multiple leaders that grow simultaneously and make the tree prone to splitting. "A large, mature shade tree's potential lifespan is 80 to 100 years if it's in a good location and properly cared for," said Roane. "We're trying to get (municipalities) to think about planting every year, and even more, pruning trees they've got and removing some. ey don't live forever." cLeAr wInner Some municipalities have Shade Tree Commissions— state-sanctioned citizen panels that monitor and encourage tree affairs—but Harrisburg has a Tree Advisory Committee, a group of volunteers focused on urban forestry. GRoWtH stRateGy Onward and upward (mostly upward) for Harrisburg's tree-planting efforts. bY m. DIAne mccormIcK Recent tree plantings in Harrisburg.

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