The right tree in the right place but also the right reason
Spring-like weather is sure confusing to all of my trees and plants. It is more than likely going to get cold again in February and March which will be tough for plants that decide it is time to start flowering.
I am like the cotton farmer — I will not be fertilizing or encouraging new growth until we get past potential frosty nights.
I have been following the Tree and Shade Master Plan with interest and trepidation. As the study showed, Yuma used to have lots of trees, but for various reason many have been removed and many were planted by the city over the past 50 years I have lived here.
The first concern is whether the trees will be truly in the urban areas rather than within a mile of our agricultural fields. Food safety requirements are very strict concerning potential contamination by birds or other wildlife attracted to trees.
While the purchase cost and planting of trees on city- or county-owned lands will be paid for by the taxpayers, asking private individuals to buy, plant, nurture and maintain trees is another matter. The plan emphasizes the right tree in the right place for the best results. How many Yumans have come home to find a door hanger from APS or the City of Yuma telling us they will be cutting our trees or that we need to, due to interference with line of sight at intersections, branches hanging over the sidewalks or because the branches have grown into the powerlines?
There seems to be some emphasis on tall trees and bigger canopies which may affect trees planted near the military flight patterns. Just building an accessory building next to a house required me to sign a military disclaimer to get my building permits and I am in the center of urban housing.
I am all for turning the drainage basins in all subdivisions into miniparks and public space for the residents, but then the question becomes: who will maintain the areas? Folks are becoming very wary of homeowner groups simply because in the beginning, it is the people who own property there and believe in the developer’s plan. After 5 years, many of those folks are gone and the open space has become an eyesore. Just driving through new subdivisions with their one or two trees and three shrubs landscaping: it is obvious that not all buyers and most renters are not really all that concerned with trees.
A letter to the editor this week spoke of the extra water that will be needed to grow and maintain 100,000 trees. It is something to think about.
Lastly, trees are messy in one way or another. Blooms, leaves, fruit and bark are found anywhere there are trees and regular cleanup needed.
An example of my concerns can be seen in the “lifestyle” center mall landscaping. In the winter and spring, walking from store to store is somewhat practical. When it is 100plus degrees, it is not, and there are very few trees or shaded walks in the majority of the development or the parking areas.
I definitely believe in trees, but as was stated, the right tree in the right place for the right reason.
Bobbi Stevenson-McDermott is a retired soil and water conservationist. She can be reached at rjsm09@msn.com.