DCist: D.C. Plants New, Tries to Save Existing Trees

HCE

Thu, 01 May 2008 09:12:04 -0500

Thanks for the information, sophiagrrl. I'll try contacting the UFA.

sophiagrrl

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:00:29 -0500

HCE: For street trees (which is what I assume you are describing), you should go through the Urban Forestry Admin. They are under DDOT, but they are foresters. On their site you can request a replacement tree or request a permit to plant your own tree. Tree boxes are funky public/private partnerships - the city puts in the tree and has the responsibility to prune/remove the tree, but it's up to the neighbors to keep it alive and healthy. Don't get me started on where Pepco fits into this (tree hacking is their forte) but UFA is earnest in trying to keep the street trees alive and well. UFA: http://ufa.ddot.dc.gov

HCE

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 11:02:27 -0500

Thanks, hillrat.

hillrat

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 10:39:52 -0500

Does anyone know if I'm allowed to plant a new one there? Good question. The person that coordinated the tree planting in our neighborhood is an urban forestry ranger or something like that. I'll ask her about it the next time I see her and get back to you.

HCE

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 10:29:20 -0500

I live in a large apartment building, where a dead tree was recently removed from one of the tree boxes along the street out front, and hasn't been replaced. Does anyone know if I'm allowed to plant a new one there?

ibc

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 17:24:11 -0500

Anyone want the 70 foot female ginkgo that lives in front of my house? Free, but you'll have to come and pick it up...

erincarly

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 17:20:26 -0500

i love trees. really, i do. new baby trees make me happy. old, tall trees warm my heart. when i see newly cleared sections of land for [ugh] more mcmansions, i just want to find the developer and shake some sense into them. (and then laugh when all their soil gets washed away and their grass dies from lack of shade.) but trees, can't you love me too? why do you have to go and give me allergies after 25 blissful allergy-free years? /sigh

TimmyTucker

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:47:28 -0500

Speaking of the Arboretum, the Bonsai Festival is being held there this weekend. If you've never been there before for this event, it's definitely worth checking out. Plus, the word bonsai is just fun to say!

hillrat

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:36:40 -0500

@flapjack Really? Thanks a million! I think WifeRat got a couple of pix while the young trees were in full bloom. If so, I'll try to post some in the next few days.

smperk

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:36:15 -0500

school shooting in NorthEast. The Excels school?

flapjack

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:19:30 -0500

hillrat - I think I helped you plant those trees, since I've been to practically every Casey Trees community planting in the last 3 years :)

IMGoph

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:18:57 -0500

just a head's up, heather, it's the urban forestry administration and it's a division of DDOT, not the federal DOT.

drew in adams morgan

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:16:49 -0500

There are definitely certain areas of the city where this needs to be expanded. Some of the streets in Adams Morgan/Columbia Heights could use some thickening of trees.

Krisa

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:15:36 -0500

Reid, it could have something to do with staffing, since the weekends and late night on weekdays are the hardest to get people to work without offering incentives like overtime pay. Or that the folks working those hours rack up the hours all week long to be in the time and a half zone. I have no idea how they pay, but just musing...

hillrat

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:05:13 -0500

@Reid I live in a condo building that has an unusually large yard.

Reid

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:03:01 -0500

"We planted a dozen plus trees at the Rat's Nest" Damn. A dozen plus trees? What sort of a huge estate do you live on?

OldPosterKnownAsCranky

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:02:01 -0500

Reid

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:00:24 -0500

I saw that a few days ago. I noticed that they were talking about cutting hours on the weekends, despite the fact that weekends are their most popular hours. Am I the only one that gets suspicious that organizations that have funding problems adopt a strategy of threatening to cut services in a way most painful to their patrons so that they'll be more likely to argue for more funding (or pitch in money themselves)? I've seen other organizations do this. Like Metro. I love the Arboretum, and I hope it gets its funding restored. But if that's not going to happen, I hope they find a way to stay open on the weekends, even if it's not the most strategic choice to make.

hillrat

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:56:53 -0500

Casey Trees also has opportunities for neighborhoods to get together and green up their streets, through their Community Tree Planting Program, which gives out trees, tools, and other assistance to folks who will plant a minimum of ten trees. This is a fantastic program for anyone who is interested. We planted a dozen plus trees at the Rat's Nest last Fall and I can't say enough about how wonderful Casey Trees was!!!

monkeyrotica

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:53:47 -0500

There's already a golf course next to the arboretum. They should turn that into a go-cart track with a topless skeet shooting range.

McGillicuddy

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:48:13 -0500

i'm all for trees. and Ooze Tubes. it's sad that they want to cut funding for the arboretum. it's a great place to visit that seems to be very neglected. maybe they should turn it into a golf course.