Putting down roots for a new forest canopy in Chico
CHICO » Hundreds of new trees will take root in Chico’s urban landscape as twice a year for the next three years, the city collaborates with Butte Environmental Council planting new trees to add to the urban forest.
BEC is partnering with Chico’s Urban Forest Manager Richie Bamlet in the Cal Fire grant project to revitalize the city’s urban forest. The partnership aims to increase the number of Chico street trees by 700 by March 2022.
BEC General Manager Danielle Baxter said she and Bamlet discussed the project in 2019 about using the connections of the group to help meet the grant’s high goals, as the environmental group has over 1,000 active members and volunteers. They designed a strategy for spring and fall planting events with community members invited to either volunteer in planting or register to see if they could qualify to have a free tree planted near their residence.
Bamlet said the Cal Fire grant specifies $425,000 for
new street trees, and as a greenhouse gas reduction grant, it is focused on climate change and on investing in state-recognized disadvantaged areas — which, he said, is 70% of Chico.
The first tree planting event took place in May as part of a “50 trees for 50 years of Earth Day” initiative. Baxter said due to the high number of responses from the community for trees, the event doubled the original number of trees to be planted, and 118 trees took root in the community as a result.
Baxter’s team helps select the best sites for planting trees and is focused on the positive impacts for overall reducing CO2 emissions and and increasing other positive environmental impacts “during periods of climate vulnerability.” Trees not only provide more shade and natural beauty, but create natural habitats for wildlife and plant diversity and help reduce energy costs and help control flood and erosion.
“We know the city of Chico is getting hotter and drier,” Aaron Kust, chair of the BEC board of directors, added. “When there’s only the largest (trees) left and no small trees in spots where they have the ability to grow, that’s when they’re left with those gaps of trees. We need to do more moving forward to create green spaces around houses so we have
that shade and a cooler climate.”
“Each tree represents an opportunity for citizen involvement, and an opportunity for people to personally connect with the environment,” Baxter said. “It’s about maximizing where we can put a tree and have it in the right place at the right time to increase the canopy.”
With over 35,000 trees in neighborhoods and municipal areas of the city, the project is focused on adding more trees in any areas that are depleted or lacking shade, particularly in less developed areas on the city’s outskirts, Kust said.
Bamlet has mentioned the importance of a diverse canopy to battle the effects of climate change, including drought and rising temperatures. Climate change will also disproportionately affect lower income members of the community where there is less investment in parks and shade, Baxter said. Offering free trees to these areas of the city can help change that.
“By increasing the number of trees starting in low income areas, we are starting to take a step for in the right direction for local climate and social justice,” she said.
“People take for granted the trees providing that feel of a cool, walkable community,” Kust added. “When that’s not the case in neighborhoods that aren’t as economically developed, it’s important to bring the resource of trees to the communities.”
Kust said he hopes homeowners, landlords and tenants will consider exploring together how more trees could be planted near their residences using this project.
In addition, Bamlet said the city is choosing species based on types of leaves and resistance to weather, including cork, blue, black and holly oak, red maples and decorative tupelo along with mixed black walnut and English walnut trees. To help with watering efforts, his team is fitting irrigation devices to some trees while urging people to commit to water the tree, the biggest obstacle.
The city is also assessing trees going into the city database, contracting the company West Coast Arborist to maintain or remove older trees in the canopy, while also planting new trees to diversify the canopy.
Community planting
For the next three years, community events each spring and fall will take place to plant a variety of trees. The next planting event takes place the first weekend of December.
Anyone interested who lives in an area eligible for trees can download a pdf of Chico’s street tree map at https:// bit. ly/33CH5U4 to see if their address qualifies or register to receive a tree for a private yard in the fall, by emailing urbanforest@becnet. org along with committing to volunteer at an upcoming event.
For more information, community members can check the website at bec. net.