Colorado Tree Coalition 2014 Annual Report

2014 Annual Report

2

SPOTLIGHT ON THE PRESIDENT .................................................................................... 3

CTC LEADERSHIP ............................................................................................................. 6

COLORADO TREE COALITION BOARD OF DIRECTORS ..................................................................................................6

COLORADO TREE COALITION COMMITTEES .................................................................................................................7

CTC PROGRAMS ............................................................................................................... 9

FRONT RANGE URBAN FORESTRY COUNCIL ...............................................................................................................9

CHAMPION BIKE CLASSIC ........................................................................................................................................ 10

CHAMPION TREE PROGRAM .................................................................................................................................... 10

THE CTC TREE FINDER APP ................................................................................................................................... 11

$500 Reward: Bring Home the Blue ................................................................................................................. 11

NOTABLE TREE PROGRAM ...................................................................................................................................... 11

SELECT TREE EVALUATION PROGRAM (STEP) ........................................................................................................ 12

TREES ACROSS COLORADO .................................................................................................................................... 13

COLORADO ARBOR DAY FOUNDATION POSTER CONTEST ......................................................................................... 13

SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM ........................................................................................................................................ 14

TREE RISK ASSESSMENT PROGRAM ........................................................................................................................ 15

EMERALD ASH BORER COLORADO PUBLIC RELATIONS PROJECT .............................................................................. 15

THE NEW CO-TREEVIEW – COLORADO’S COMMUNITY TREE MAP ............................................................................ 15

CTC PROGRAM CONTACTS .................................................................................................................................... 16

2014 CTC GRANT PROGRAM ......................................................................................... 18

AWARDS SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................................ 18

GRANT RECIPIENT HIGHLIGHTS – RIVERVIEW ELEMENTARY IN DURANGO “PLANTS A RAINBOW” ................................. 19

GRANT RECIPIENT HIGHLIGHTS – MONTE VISTA HONORS VETERANS WITH NEW PARK .............................................. 19

GRANT RECIPIENT HIGHLIGHTS – EAGLE SCOUTS TRANSFORM ROADSIDE NEXT TO MIDDLE SCHOOL IN GOLDEN....... 20

GRANT RECIPIENT HIGHLIGHTS – LYONS RESTORES TREES TO FLOOD-DEVASTATED DOWNTOWN AREA ................... 20

GRANT RECIPIENT HIGHLIGHTS – PHOTO GALLERY .................................................................................................. 21

EVENTS AND OUTREACH ............................................................................................... 23

EASTERN COLORADO COMMUNITY FORESTRY CONFERENCE ................................................................................... 23

WESTERN COLORADO COMMUNITY FORESTRY CONFERENCE .................................................................................. 23

PROGREEN, WORKSHOPS, AND OTHER EVENTS ...................................................................................................... 23

SOCIAL MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS ..................................................................................................................................... 24

FINANCIALS ..................................................................................................................... 25

COLORADO TREE COALITION 2014 TREASURER'S REPORT SUBMITTED BY BECKY WEGNER ...................................... 25

COLORADO TREE COALITION 2014 STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES JANUARY 1, 2014 THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2014 ..... 25

PARTNERSHIPS ............................................................................................................... 28

Table of Contents

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An Interview with Outgoing CTC President David Flaig

David Flaig has been president of the Colorado Tree Coalition since 2012. As his final year

in that role comes to a close, Flaig describes the successes of the CTC of the past year and

takes a forward look at the organization's future.

CTC: Tell me about the background and mission of the Colorado Tree Coalition.

David Flaig: The CTC was started in the early ‘90s as a result of the Community Forestry

Assistance Act, and it was incorporated as a non-profit in 1995. Our mission is to lead

statewide efforts to preserve, renew, and enhance community forests, and I think we've been

very successful in doing that.

Over time, we've built really good relationships with Colorado Public Radio and the Colorado

Municipal League, and others. So we've been able to do an increasingly good job of reaching

out to areas in the state that don't have any sort of formal forestry organization.

Our programs have more or less stayed the same over time, but what's really expanded is our

partnerships, with groups like the Xcel Energy Foundation. We were fairly dependent on

Federal funding at the beginning, but now our funding comes from many different sources –

partners, grant programs, things like that.

That diversity gives us more freedom and more stability. And since we spend a minutely small

portion of that income on administration, we're able to focus our expenditures on education

and grant awards.

CTC: How did you get involved with the CTC?

Flaig: My background is in landscape architecture, and I was working for the City of Littleton

when I started going to meetings of what is now called the Front Range Urban Forestry

Council – the active chapter of the Colorado Tree Coalition – with other arborists in the Denver

metro area.

The group talks about things like planting strategies, removal of hazardous trees, insects and

disease, the effects of our industry on wildlife – a really broad range of topics. It gives you a

good finger on the pulse as far as what's going on regionally, so you don't feel like you're

working in a vacuum, and you don't have to recreate the wheel every time something new

comes up. Our attendance has been pretty phenomenal. It's a tremendous collaboration, and

from the beginning I was always really impressed with it.

Spotlight on the President

4

I got involved as a CTC board member in the late ‘90s, and I became president in 2012. It's a

relatively unique thing here that our urban forest is made up mostly of trees that were planted

by people, except in riparian areas. We've created this forest, and it's our job to manage it, and

enhance it. It's a pretty fun task, and I've always enjoyed working with the wonderful group of

people that make up this industry.

CTC: In last year's report, you said you were stunned when you found out that the emerald ash

borer (EAB) had arrived in Boulder. What are your feelings about EAB now?

Flaig: We found EAB up in Boulder at the end of September in 2013. If you could pick a good

time to find EAB, I think this was; we had the winter to sort of digest what was going on. The

unfortunate thing was that that season was really a beautiful autumn, and if you knew trees,

you could drive around and pick out a lot of purple and green ash and realize that all of those

were threatened.

But even though EAB is pretty much burning through Boulder as we speak, I've realized over

the past year that it's probably going to be a much slower roll-out along the Front Range than

we originally thought. Hopefully it will take 5-10 years or even

more to reach the entire metro area. I went from being really

sad about the situation to thinking that this is actually a great

opportunity for us to improve the diversity and resiliency of our

urban forest by replanting thoughtfully.

CTC: The CTC has many beneficial programs, but what are a

few or your personal favorites.

Flaig: That's tough - it's kind of like asking a parent who their

favorite child is. But there are three I’ll talk about.

If you look at the Champion Tree program, that's something that a lot of people really love. We

have almost 1,000 trees listed in our state champion tree registry. These are the biggest trees

of their variety in the state, and it's amazing to see the size of these trees and the variety we

have statewide. They were planted by people just like us 50, 60, 70 or more years ago. Last

year, two of our state trees were recognized as national champions, and we've jumped that

total up to five this year.

Another favorite of mine is the grant program. We plant hundreds of trees statewide every year

through the program, including in many smaller cities. There's an educational component, and

I think it's really been successful in getting people excited about trees and tree care.

Last but not least: Trees Across Colorado. We're selling about 1,000 trees per year along the

Front Range, many of which are otherwise hard to find from local nurseries because of their

size or species. This allows homeowner groups, municipalities, and tree planting programs to

get low-cost trees that improve the diversity of our community forests.

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CTC: Tell me a little about one of last year's grant recipients.

Flaig: There's a school in Durango that got a 2014 grant that did a particularly great job. It was

a small project –they actually only planted seven trees – but if you look at pictures of the

students planting and the smiles on everyone's faces, you realize what it means to them.

There's an immediate success for the kids, who get to enjoy the trees in their school. And in 30

years, they can come back and tell their own kids: "I planted these when I was your age." It’s a

demonstration of how planting a tree is one of the most unselfish acts, in how it benefits future

generations.

CTC: As outgoing president, what advice do you have for CTC executives, volunteers, and

other supporters for making 2015 a successful year?

Flaig: Stay the course as far as the constant improvement we've made. And continue to use

social media to expand our reach. We also want to keep our administrative costs low, so I

encourage the great core group of volunteers we have to stay, and new people to come and

help.

Mike McGill, who's coming into this role in 2015, is also going to be a major contributor. I think

his passion for trees is similar to mine, and I've always really admired him. He's got a lot of

energy to bring into the organization, and he has the right skills to get things done. If we can

continue to rely on great people, I think we'll continue to be successful.

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Colorado Tree Coalition Board of Directors

The accomplishments of the Colorado Tree Coalition are due to the help and support of the Board of Directors and the hard-working program and committee members. The Board of Directors is the managing group of the organization. It is comprised of chapter members, invited representation from tree related organizations, and the immediate past president. The CTC’s current board structure follows:

Colorado Tree Coalition – Board of Directors

North Chapter Representative Wendy Ball

Northwest Chapter Representative David Hoefer

Front Range Urban Forestry Council

(Front Range Representatives)

Kyle Sylvester

Richard Thurau

Laurel Brabec

Chuck Gehringer

Josh Theobald**

Nancy Biekarck**

Executive CTC Administrator Keith Wood**

American Forests / Champion Trees Neal Bamesberger**

Colorado State Forest Service

Representative Vince Urbina

Community Development Representative Karen Scopel

Industry Liaison Representative (Tree

Company) Becky Wegner**

Industry Liaison Representative (Wood

Utilization) Dan Odell

CTC Leadership

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International Society of Arboriculture Rep. Mike McGill**

Society of American Foresters

Representative Phil Hoefer

Trees Across Colorado Representative Gertie Grant

ASLA Representative David Flaig**

ASCA Representative Scott Grimes**

CTC Historian Phil Hoefer

**Executive Committee

Colorado Tree Coalition Committees

Executive Committee Overview: The Executive Committee is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Colorado Tree Coalition and is selected by and from the Board of Directors.

Executive Committee 2015 Officers

Member Name Committee Position

Mike McGill [email protected]

President

Scott Grimes Vice President

Nancy Biekarck Secretary

Becky Wegner Treasurer

David Flaig Past president

Josh Theobald At-Large

Neal Bamesberger At-Large

Keith Wood Executive Administrator

Board Development Committee

Overview: Continue the task of building and maintaining a diverse board of directors as a regular assessment; to analyze and revise chapter representation; to begin to develop a job description for a paid Executive Director; and conduct succession planning for replacement board members/committee members/etc.

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Members: Mike McGill [email protected] – Town of Erie Becky Wegner – Mountain High Tree Service Keith Wood – Colorado State Forest Service

Marketing and Outreach Committee Overview: Determine the needs of committees/programs to market their activities. Telling the CTC story, getting branded, and getting the CTC “out there.” Members: Mike McGill [email protected] – Town of Erie Gertie Grant – Trees Across Colorado Keith Wood – Colorado State Forest Service Tom Wells – City and County of Broomfield Vince Urbina – Colorado State Forest Service Dan Odell – TC Woods

Funding Committee Overview: Create funding database to track potential sponsors; attract and maintain membership base. Members: Scott Grimes – [email protected] - Colorado Tree Consultants Karen Scopel – City of Greeley Keith Wood – Colorado State Forest Service Neal Bamesberger – Koon Landscape and Design Vince Urbina – Colorado State Forest Service

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Front Range Urban Forestry Council

The Front Range Urban Forestry Council (FRUFC), an active chapter of the Colorado Tree Coalition (CTC), held six meetings and programs in 2014. Attendees at meetings this year included state and municipal forestry employees, agency, independent and non-profit representatives, Parks and Recreation District staff, tree company staff, landscape architects, wood-workers, and interested public. Meetings included committee update information on insects and diseases, tree risk assessment information, select tree evaluations, and partnership updates with the U.S. Forest Service, CTC, the Mile High Million Tree Planting Initiative, and the International Society of Arboriculture-Rocky Mountain Chapter. Organization representatives in attendance were also encouraged to give updates on community forestry-related activities going on in their communities at each meeting. The first meeting of the year was held in Brighton January 16th. Information was presented by Kyle Sylvester, City of Brighton and CTC’s 5th Grade Poster Contest Coordinator, on the 2014 Poster Contest details. Information was also presented on environmental education opportunities in Colorado through the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education’s Katie Navin and Project Learning Tree’s Shawna Crocker. On March 20th, the group met in Englewood to discuss tree inventory software and hardware options. Demonstrations from Davey Tree, Plan-It Geo, and the cities of Englewood, Broomfield, and Thornton highlighted this information-packed session. On May 15th Aims Community College in Greeley hosted the meeting. The group heard from Pat McDonald of the University of Northern Colorado about their tree care program, campus tree walks, and notable trees, and their involvement with the Tree Campus USA program. Emerald ash borer updates and projects were detailed to finish out the meeting. The July 17th meeting in Boulder was hosted by the City of Boulder and included a thank-you barbecue for all the assistance and efforts around EAB detection in Boulder since September 2013. The group also heard presentations from Boulder and Longmont representatives on community impacts of the devastating floods of September 2013 and recovery efforts going on. The next meeting was held in conjunction with the South Platte Urban Waters Partnership at Barr Lake State Park near Brighton on September 18th. Attendees were treated to a full day of riparian restoration topics and included van tours to look at the Russian-olive eradication and new tree planting and vegetation efforts underway. The last meeting of the year was held on November 20th at the new Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) building in Broomfield and featured updates on emerald ash borer (EAB) management activities from communities in attendance, and an EAB biological control presentation by CDA’s John Kaltenbach.

CTC Programs

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All in all, it was another good year of meetings and programs for the Front Range Urban Forestry Council, and the group looks forward to visiting six new sites in 2015 with a new array of programs and presenters!

Champion Bike Classic

The 15th annual CTC Bike ride “Tour de Poudre” was a wonderful success! We had more than 30 riders pedal nearly 1,400 miles and raise nearly $2,500 on a fine morning June 29th, 2014. Ten riders went from Swingle Tree in Fort Collins to Rover Run Dog Park in Greeley and back while 21 folks rode to Eastman Park in Windsor and back to Fort Collins.

Thanks to our donations, and our host sponsor Swingle Tree, a light breakfast, lunch, and trail snacks kept the riders and volunteers nourished and refreshed. Little Valley Nursery and Phelan Gardens provided additional cash donations to help cover expenses and Arbor Valley Nursery provided a beautiful Plains Cottonwood which the Greeley forestry team planted at Rover Run Park. For the first time, donations covered all the expenses, and the riders’ registration fees will all go towards community forestry. The support team included CTC Board Members Gertie Grant and Wendy Ball as well as Alison O’Connor, Ken Kawamura, Eric Dixon, Danielle Grimes, and Susan Hardin. These folks really made a great impression on the riders with their encouragement, smiles, and the

award-winning banana bread Alison provided in Windsor. Without the many volunteer hours these folks give, we would not have this great fundraising ride. Thanks to all of you! We’re already talking about the 16th annual CTC ride and want to hear from anyone with ideas on improving upon this year’s success or wanting to help or ride with us. See you next year.

Champion Tree Program

Among the many programs of the CTC is the Champion

Tree Program. A list of the largest trees in Colorado is

updated each year to reflect new nominations from

citizens, public, and private entities. In addition to the

Bristlecone Pine and Singleleaf Ash, our Scotch Pine,

Utah Juniper, and co-champion Narrowleaf Cottonwood

(shown at right) qualified as national champions this fall.

Champions are determined by a formula which includes

the circumference, height, and crown spread.

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Twice yearly American Forests issues their National Register of Big Trees to foster an interest

in and appreciation of the largest and most significant trees in the country. Since 1940, the

National Big Tree Program has been a testament to American Forests’ legacy of leadership in

recognizing the beauty and critical ecosystem benefits provided by our biggest and oldest

trees, and there are more than 750 documented champions. More information about our

national and state champs and other programs can be found at http://www.coloradotrees.org/.

$500 Reward: Bring Home the Blue

The Colorado Tree Coalition is offering a $500 reward to the

individual responsible for “Bringing Home the Blue.” This

fantastic reward is available to whoever finds a large enough

Colorado Blue Spruce (Picea pungens) to dethrone the current

National Champion growing in Utah.

To claim the reward, you must find a blue spruce with

measurements that score higher than the 328 points of the Utah

interloper: the Utah tree is 127’ tall with a circumference of 190”

and an average crown spread of 43’.

The current Colorado champion blue spruce is growing in the

San Juan National forest and scores 289 points: Colorado’s

Champion is 153’ tall with a circumference of 129” and an

average crown spread of 26’. Colorado is certainly capable of

growing the largest blue spruce in the nation and it’s likely

growing here and just waiting for some “big tree hunter” to find it

and claim the prize. Get your boots on, your tape measure out,

and your camera in hand and go out there and “Bring Home the

Blue” and you could claim the $500 reward.

Notable Tree Program

A notable tree is one that is remarkable or distinguishable in

some way, or related to a famous or historical person, place, or

event. A tree may also be notable if the surrounding community

accepts it as being special based upon its species, uniqueness,

or contribution to the community. Many of the trees in Notable

Tree tours are notable because they are among the largest of their species in Colorado and

are called Champion Trees.

The following Notable Tree Tours are available in pdf format at

http://www.coloradotrees.org/programs.php#notable:

Boulder

The CTC

Tree Finder

App

Many notable and

champion tree

locations in

Colorado are now

accessible on your

smart phone. You

can download the

app for free by

going to the

Google Play store

for android, or the

Apple app store

for iPhone. Just

type in "CTC tree

finder" or "CTC

treefinder" (with

no spaces) and

download it for

free.

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Colorado Springs

Fort Collins

Select Tree Evaluation Program (STEP)

The Select Tree Evaluation Program was established in 2001 with the goal of increasing the

overall diversity of Colorado’s urban forests. Each year, a potential tree species that has not

been widely planted in Colorado is selected for planting in local communities to evaluate its

potential suitability for broader planting in the state. The program aims to further diversify the

list of species communities have available to choose from when planting, making it easier to

plant diversely.

The Purple Beech (Fagus sylvatica “Dawyck Purple”) was

selected as the evaluation species for 2014. The communities of

Lakewood, Broomfield, Greeley, and Loveland became the new

homes for 12 Purple Beeches (three in each community).

In past years, STEP has evaluated the following trees:

2001: Chinquapin Oak, White Spruce, and Shumard Oak

2002: Frontier Elm

2003: Lacebark Pine

2004: Burgundy Ussurian Pear

2006: Canyon Maple

2010: Pacific Sunset Maple

2011: Sensation Boxelder

2012: Wavy leaf Oak

2013: Expresso Coffeetree

2014: Purple Beech ‘Dawyck Purple’

Diverse planting helps to protect Colorado’s community forests from the impact of insects and

disease. The Colorado State Forest Service recommends that no one type of tree should make

up more than 10 percent of a planted landscape. For a list of recommended tree species, visit

http://www.coloradotrees.org.

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Trees Across Colorado

For the twelfth year this past April, Trees Across Colorado (TAC) provided shade trees to

communities to involve volunteers in tree planting. Communities that participate in TAC have

the opportunity to receive information about the benefits of trees, good species selection, and

proper tree planting and maintenance practices.

This year, in spite of the recession and budget cut-backs, twelve communities picked up nearly

700 shade trees on Tuesday, April 15th, including bare root, balled and burlaped and container

trees grown in a patented root-pruning pot. The groups came to Windsor, Arvada, or Littleton

to get their trees. The groups from Colorado Springs took their trees home from Littleton in a

U-Haul.

Many of the trees distributed through this program are low water-demand and, at 5-12 feet tall

and 1 to 1.5 inches in caliper, are a good size for volunteers to plant. Low water-demand trees

offered this year included “Hot Wings” Tatarian Maple, Skyline Honeylocust, Catalpa, Bur Oak,

Goldenraintree and Turkish Filbert. Less common trees included Bigtooth Maple and Ginkgo.

Organizers included city arborists, tree boards, and neighborhood organizations.

Trees Across Colorado continues to be a successful program in distributing low-cost, high-

quality trees to communities and groups all over Colorado and has been a successful

fundraiser for CTC as well, bringing in almost $7,000 in 2014, thanks to volunteer time

contributed to the CTC! For information about the Trees Across Colorado program, please call

CTC’s Trees Across Colorado Coordinator Gertie Grant at 303-744-3882 or email her

at [email protected].

Colorado Arbor Day Foundation Poster Contest

Jissel Silva, a fifth grader from Parkview

Elementary, in Lamar, CO, was selected

as the winner of the 2014 Colorado Arbor

Day Poster Contest. Jissel’s poster, which

depicts the importance of trees and how

they benefit our community, was on

display at the state capitol from April 24th

to April 30th, along with the posters of the

other 48 state finalists. A panel of judges

from the Colorado Tree Coalition selected

the winning poster from entries submitted

by fifth graders throughout Colorado.

Jissel was recognized on Monday, April 28th at 9:00 a.m. in a presentation near the display of

the state finalists’ posters in the North Foyer of the state capitol. Additionally, Jissel was

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recognized by State Representative Timothy Dore from District 64. In attendance was Jissel’s

mother Corina, Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS) Community Forestry Program Manager

Keith Wood, CSFS State District Forester Donna Davis, Colorado Tree Coalition Committee

Member Michael McGill, Colorado Arbor Day Poster Contest Coordinator Kyle Sylvester, and

Colorado Arbor Day Poster Contest Committee Member Doug Schoch.

The Colorado Arbor Day Poster Contest is sponsored by Arborscape Services, the Colorado

Tree Coalition, and the Colorado State Forest Service.

Scholarship Program

The Colorado Tree Coalition provides scholarships to eligible members of the CTC to promote

its mission of preserving, renewing, and enhancing community forests.

The CTC has a limited amount of funds to assist people with registering to attend conferences

and workshops throughout the year. Because of the limited dollars available, it is required of all

who request assistance to follow these guidelines:

1. Must be an individual, family, or patron CTC member in good standing. Memberships

available at http://www.coloradotrees.org/ctc_store.php.

2. Scholarship requests will be limited to a maximum of $300, and can only be applied to

cover registration costs of the event.

3. To request a scholarship, submit the form on the CTC website at

http://www.coloradotrees.org/programs.php#awards. At a minimum, the request should contain

the name and location of the conference and what is hoped to be learned at the event, how it

will be applied in your current position, and how it benefits the mission of the CTC.

4. Requests will also be limited to one person per community/group/organization per

workshop or conference. Many workshops and conferences now offer concurrent sessions and

there is a value to sending more than one person. However, the CTC will not be able to fund

more than one person.

5. Scholarship requests will be reviewed and approved by a majority vote of the Executive

Committee of CTC.

6. Those receiving scholarships will be required to supply an article or notes to be used

in Tree Talk and/or placed on the CTC web site and/or in another electronic newsletter format

so others can benefit from the workshop as well.

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The board of the CTC is committed to education and is seeking additional funds so the

scholarship program can be expanded and more people throughout Colorado can benefit from

the various educational opportunities available.

Tree Risk Assessment Program

CTC’s Tree Risk Assessment program continued to update materials in 2014 to align with

recently published Best Management Practices and Standards around this topic. Updated

materials and training sessions are being planned for 2015.

Emerald Ash Borer Colorado Public Relations Project

Thanks to a generous $10,000 grant from the TREE Fund, the Colorado Tree Coalition

embarked on an Emerald Ash Borer Colorado Public Relations Project to fund EAB education

and outreach to citizens, parks/forestry/public

works staff, city administrative personnel, and

green industry professionals.

The grant has helped to fund EAB status and

management mailers, brochures, and door

hangers. Ribbons have also been placed on

ash trees in high-visibility public areas to

create public awareness. A user-friendly ash

management cost calculator website has also

been developed, providing cost estimates for

the treatment, removal, and replacement of

ash trees. The grant also provided funding for

advertisements on the sides of public busses

in Boulder, which are planned for display in

early 2015.

The New CO-TreeView – Colorado’s Community Tree Map

CO-TreeView, an online urban tree inventory tool, began development in 2014 in response to

the discovery of emerald ash borer (EAB) in Boulder in late 2013. The Colorado Tree Coalition,

recognizing the value in having a statewide system to house, aggregate, and display tree

inventory data from diverse sources, is funding development of the tool.

The tool is intended for use by foresters, arborists, and others to map location, species,

condition, and other information about the trees that make up Colorado’s urban forests. This

user-friendly tool will allow users to view tree information statewide or in specified geographies

and to search and sort by tree species, diameter at breast height (DBH), and other

characteristics. The tool is expected to be released in early 2015.

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CTC Program Contacts

If you are interested in volunteering for a specific program or have any questions regarding a Colorado Tree Coalition program, please contact the Program Leader by e-mail. Membership Program

Phil Hoefer [email protected], Kamie Long [email protected], Laurel Brabec, Adam Moore

Awards Program

Karen Scopel, Phil Hoefer, Wendy Ball, Ralph Zentz, Laurel Brabec, Dan Odell

CTC Grant Program

Keith Wood [email protected], David Flaig

Champion Tree Bike Classic

Scott Grimes [email protected], David Flaig

Champion Tree Program

Neal Bamesberger [email protected], Kyle Sylvester, Ben Rickenbacker, Vince Urbina

Community Forestry Conferences

Eastern Colorado Communities - Keith Wood [email protected]

Western Colorado Communities - Vince Urbina [email protected]

Colorado Tree Trust and ReForest Colorado Funds

Colorado Tree Trust – Scott Grimes [email protected]

ReForest Colorado – Vince Urbina [email protected] or Keith Wood [email protected]

Tree Risk Assessment Program

Bill Cassel [email protected], Ralph Zentz, Scott Grimes, Kyle Sylvester, Keith Wood, Vince Urbina

Poster Contest

Kyle Sylvester [email protected], Donna Davis, Keith Wood, Shawna Crocker, David Merriman, Matt Johnson, Doug Schoch

Newsletters, Annual Report and Website

Newsletters/Annual Report –Angela Poulson, Keith Wood, Vince Urbina

Website– Kamie Long [email protected]

Facebook– Mike McGill [email protected], Kyle Sylvester [email protected], Laural Brabec

Notable Tree Program

Notable Tree Tours – Mike McGill [email protected], Karen Scopel, Kyle Sylvester, Neal Bamesberger, Kathleen Alexander, Phil Hoefer, Rich Thurau, Keith Wood

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Select Tree Evaluation Program

Tim Buchanan [email protected], Gertie Grant Trees Across Colorado

Gertie Grant [email protected], Scott Grimes, David Flaig Emerald Ash Borer

Vince Urbina [email protected], Tom Wells, David Flaig, Keith Wood, Kyle Sylvester, Shiloh Hatcher, Rob Davis, Mike McGill, Kathleen Alexander, Jay Hein

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Awards Summary

Thanks to on-going financial and administrative support from the USDA Forest Service,

the Colorado State Forest Service, dues-paying members, and financial partners, the Colorado

Tree Coalition awarded $45,789 to 14 organizations in 2014. Along with matching funds

provided by the grant recipients, this helped plant 476 trees in communities across Colorado.

Each of these projects allowed residents the opportunity to make a difference in their

community with a combined total of over 3,342 hours of volunteer service.

These grants were made possible through the support of the USDA Forest Service, the

Colorado State Forest Service, Xcel Energy Foundation, Xcel Energy Vegetation

Management, and the members and supporters of the Colorado Tree Coalition. Since 1991 the

Colorado Tree Coalition has awarded 468 grants totaling over $754,000. These grants have

been matched with over $7.6 million in community money and/or time. As a result of these

grants, more than 69,670 trees have been planted throughout the state.

2014 CTC Grant Program

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Grant Recipient Highlights – Riverview Elementary in

Durango “Plants a Rainbow”

Riverview Elementary School, one

of three neighborhood schools in the

city of Durango, received a $2,000

grant from the Colorado Tree

Coalition for their Plant a Rainbow

project.

In addition to involving students in

tree planting, the Plant a Rainbow

program teaches students about

EAB, the devastation it can cause,

and the importance of plant

diversity. Students also learn about

tree types and their benefits, art and trees, and trees as wildlife habitat.

Grant Recipient Highlights – Monte Vista Honors Veterans

with New Park

In support of the city’s Faith Hinkley

Memorial Park project, the city of Monte

Vista received a $2,000 grant from the

Colorado Tree Coalition. The new park is

part of a city infrastructure revitalization

effort, and the memorial was inspired by the

wishes of friends and families of community

veterans.

Robert Vance, Public Works Director for the

City of Monte Vista, says the project

“started with the parents of a local girl that

lost her life serving our country wanting to memorialize her life, and has expanded to the

current vision of the Faith Hinkley Memorial Park.” Park planners aimed to build a space that

would honor fallen veterans, serve as a gateway to the city for travelers and tourists, and be a

place for parents and guardians to relax while watching their children play at the adjoining Bill

Metz Elementary School.

Funds from the CTC grant helped to develop the park and memorial by providing resources to

purchase and plant trees. Twenty-three children – part of the city’s local Kids Connection – and

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many other community members, including local contractors, businesses, veterans, and other

citizens, donated time and other resources to support the project.

Grant Recipient Highlights – Eagle Scouts Transform

Roadside Next to Middle School in Golden

Eagle Scouts in the City of Golden

transformed a barren roadway into a

beautiful area that JeffCo Middle

School and other passersby can

enjoy with the help of a $2,000 grant

from Xcel Energy Vegetation

Management and the Colorado Tree

Coalition.

Seventeen trees of four different

species were selected for their

suitability for use under Xcel utility

lines and their ability to tolerate the limited planting spaces between the sidewalk and the

street. The project was a learning experience for the Eagle Scouts who participated, who

learned correct planting and care techniques and the principles of tree benefits and community

service.

Grant Recipient Highlights – Lyons Restores Trees to

Flood-Devastated Downtown Area

The City of Lyons was among the Colorado cities hit hardest by heavy rains in September

2013 that caused devastating flooding across the state. To assist in the restoration of Lyons’

downtown area through the city’s Adopt-a-Tree project, the Colorado Tree Coalition awarded

Lyons a $4,000 matching grant funded through the Reforest Colorado Program. Reforest

Colorado is funded in part by Colorado Public Radio.

On April 26th, more than 100 volunteers helped to plant 23 trees along Main Street. Lyons

Lions Club, Smokin’ Dave’s BBQ and Taphouse, and Julie’s Thai Kitchen provided picnic

lunches to volunteers. Sally Van Meter, who wrote about the event in the Lyons Recorder, said

she enjoyed photographing the diverse volunteers. “All age groups were represented,” she

said, “including students from Lyons Middle-Senior High Schools, Lyons residents, Lyons

Town Hall staff members and employees, and Major John O’Brien.”

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Grant Recipient Highlights – Photo Gallery

22

23

Eastern Colorado Community Forestry Conference

The annual Eastern Colorado Community Forestry Conference was held in the City of

Sterling on Wednesday, June 4th, 2014 and was hosted by the City of Sterling, CSU Extension,

CSFS, and CTC. More than 35 attendees participated in the conference this year including

presenters, Tree Board members, interested citizens, and community and agency

representatives from the Front Range and northeastern Colorado. The conference focused on

providing information on threats to the northeastern Colorado community tree resource,

including thousand cankers disease of black walnut and emerald ash borer. Presentations also

included how best to deal with these threats with an emphasis on tree inventory. Attendees

also had the chance to visit two local parks for tree identification and problem diagnosis

training.

Western Colorado Community Forestry Conference

The annual Western Colorado Community Forestry Conference was held in conjunction with

the Western Slope Tree Care Workshop in the City of Grand Junction on Thursday, December

4th, 2014. The event took place at the Two Rivers Convention Center on Main Street. Topics

covered at the conference included Western Colorado tree selection, low-flow water system

irrigation, and large tree climbing and pruning. Presenters also discussed the effects of insects

and drought on the health of trees. Attendees also had the opportunity to sit for ISA Certified

Arborist, Utility and Municipal Specialists, and City Forestry License Test exams.

ProGreen, Workshops, and Other Events

The Colorado Tree Coalition was once again able to obtain free booth space at several events

in 2014 to distribute literature on CTC programs and services and to sell and give away

merchandise. These events included the ProGreen Expo held at the Denver Convention

Center, the Greeley Tree Care Workshop in February, the Colorado State Capitol in April, the

Barr Lake Riparian Restoration Workshop, and ISA-RMC Annual Conference in September.

The CTC booth is always a popular gathering spot at these events to catch up with old friends,

make new ones, and form long-lasting partnerships.

Events and Outreach

24

Social Media Highlights

The Colorado Tree Coalition’s Facebook profile closed out the year with

dozens of posted updates and hundreds of likes. The CTC shared

information about its membership drive, grant program recipients, and

other internal events, and it also shared links to useful documentaries and

other tree-related content.

The CTC also responded to the ice-bucket challenge it received from Ft.

Collins Wholesale Nursery, made some challenges of their own, and even

drowned out EAB in the process. Click the image at left to watch a video

of the spectacle.

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Colorado Tree Coalition 2014 Treasurer's Report Submitted by Becky Wegner

The Colorado Tree Coalition (CTC) continued to operate at an efficient level, spending less

than 5% on administration. This is accomplished through the support of the Colorado State

Forest Service, an all-volunteer Board of Directors, and a group of long-term partners and

granting organizations.

CTC has been on the leading edge of emerald ash borer efforts in Colorado. These efforts

include supplies, awareness, detection, and education. In 2014, the group has aggressively

sought out and been awarded $70,000 in grants for these efforts.

Xcel Energy remains a partner, providing $25,000 in pass-through grants to 4 communities in

areas served by the utility provider as well as additional support of the traditional community

grants program. Since 1991, the CTC has been providing grants to assist forestry programs in

cities and towns across Colorado. In 2014, over $21,000 was awarded to 12 communities

throughout the state to support tree, planting, management and education projects in their

communities.

Trees Across Colorado (TAC) continues to provide good urban trees for communities across

Colorado, providing revenue for other CTC programs. The Tour de Poudre bicycle ride, an

annual fundraising event, netted $1,900. These proceeds were split between the Reforest

Colorado Fund and a donation to the Tree Fund. The Reforest Colorado Fund provided a

$4,000 grant to the Town of Lyons, to help them replant trees that were lost in the devastating

flood in September of 2013.

Colorado Tree Coalition 2014 Statement of Activities January 1, 2014 through December 31, 2014

Ordinary Income Government Income

Government Grants 20,000.00 EAB Education and Project Grants 60,000.00 APHIS Grant 2,499.00 Government Memberships 1,585.00 Total Government Income 84,084.00

Financials

26

Non-Government Income Tour de Trees Bike Ride 2,540.00 Membership Dues 2,380.00 Xcel Energy Foundation Grants (pass-thru) 25,000.00 Reforest Colorado Fund 9,283.00 Tree Fund Grant (EAB Projects) 4,964.66 Other Donations 1,500.00 Total Non-Government Income 45,667.66 Merchandise Sales 274.87 Total Merchandise Sales 274.87 Program Service Revenue STEP (Select Tree Evaluation Program) 1,836.00 Trees Across Colorado 34,103.00 Total Program Service Revenue 35,939.00

Total Income 165,965.53

Ordinary Expense Board Development Expense

CTC Administration 6,168.67 Conference Scholarships 490.00 Total Board Development 6,658.67 Program Development Expense Grants Awarded 21,419.00 Grant Expenses 450.00 Champion Tree Program 1,314.54 Colorado Arbor Day Poster Contest 103.71 STEP 1,836.00 Trees Across Colorado 30,063.50 Xcel Energy Foundation Grants (pass-thru) 24,000.00 EAB Inventory Web Tool 40,000.00 EAB Projects (Tree Fund Grant) 4,544.66 Total Program Development Expense 123,731.41 Membership/Fundraising Expense Communications/Website 1,345.32 Marketing 1,544.39 Merchandise for Re-sale 427.94 Tour de Poudre Bike Ride 681.46

27

Tree Fund Donation (from Bike Ride proceeds) 950.00 Chapter Expense 133.69 Membership Expenses 148.07 Awards 264.20 Special Projects 332.77 Reforest Colorado Grant awarded to Town of Lyons 4,000.00 Total Membership/Fundraising Expense 9,827.84

Total Expense 140,217.92 Current Accounts CTC Checking 184,599.00 Community Forestry Disaster Fund 46,804.00 Tree Trust Account 41,245.00 Total Checking/Savings 272,648.00

28

A big part of the Colorado Tree Coalition’s success is due to its partnerships with other organizations. Now, more than ever, the CTC partners with many credible organizations. Partnering offers organizations a way to pool scarce resources and brings out the talents of individual members to achieve particular goals. Following is a list of organizations CTC has partnered with in the past or continues to partner with:

Colorado State Forest Service - The Colorado State Forest Service continues to provide the support necessary for CTC to be a successful non-profit organization. The CTC would not be able to function as effectively as it does without the administrative, technical, and financial support of the CSFS.

United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service - The USFS also continues to support urban and community forestry programs and those groups administering them, including the CTC’s grant program that receives federal funding through the Farm Bill each year.

International Society of Arboriculture Rocky Mountain Chapter - The ISA-RMC has been a great partner over the past few years, combining efforts with CTC to provide educational seminars, workshops, and conferences. ISA-RMC has also played a key role in helping coordinate efforts with the Champion Tree Bicycle Classic the last 10 years.

ArborScape - Denver’s ArborScape Tree Services Company came “on-board” in 2011 to help sponsor the CTC with its poster contest. ArborScape is also developing an emerald ash borer cost calculator under agreement with CTC, which will provide ash tree owners a local, simple-to-use tool to help manage ash trees into the future. Lawn and tree care is not just a job at ArborScape – it's an art form. And with 20 years of tree and lawn care history on their side, ArborScape has the experience to make your landscape beautiful and sustainable.

Colorado Public Radio - The CTC expresses its sincerest thanks for its continued partnership with Colorado Public Radio. Through its Evergreen Partner program, members choose this convenient and cost-saving option and never have to worry about renewing again. Monthly checking account withdrawal subscriptions renew automatically until members contact the membership department to cancel, and a portion of these funds goes to the CTC’s ReForest Colorado program. More info can be found here: http://www.cpr.org/support/individual-giving/evergreen-partners.

Aspen Mortuaries - Since 2010 Aspen Mortuaries has been a sponsor of the ReForest Colorado program, providing funds for tree planting in communities impacted by natural disasters.

Colorado Municipal League - In 2012 the Colorado Tree Coalition became an Associate Member of the Colorado Municipal League. As such, CTC has been able to promote its programs through the CML newsletter, website, webinars, and annual conference. CTC looks forward to expanding its awareness through CML to communities across Colorado.

Partnerships

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Xcel Energy Vegetation Management - Xcel Energy continues to support proper tree planting and management near utility lines throughout the state of Colorado, partnering with CTC to get the “right tree in the right place” message out. Xcel Energy continues to help sponsor the CTC Vegetation Management Grant Program and fund projects that promote proper tree planting near utility lines. Funding since 2004 has amounted to nearly $23,000 to the grant program.

Xcel Energy Foundation - CTC and the Xcel Energy Foundation continue to partner on a statewide tree planting grant program that has made a significant difference in communities impacted by storms and budget cuts across Colorado. Since 2011 this program has distributed $100,000 worth of grant funding to Xcel-served communities across the state.

BKI Woodworks - BKI Woodworks was started in 1979 by its current owner and is one of the longest-operating professional cabinetry and woodshops in Boulder. BKI continues to support the ReForest Colorado fund through donations made by their clients and customers.

Trees Across Colorado - CTC began its partnership with Trees Across Colorado (TAC) in 2004. TAC is a shade tree distribution program administered by Gertie Grant providing trees to community groups at wholesale prices. TAC continues to be a successful program in distributing trees to communities and groups all over Colorado and has been a successful fundraiser for CTC as well, bringing in nearly $7,000 in 2014!

TREE Fund - The Tree Research and Education Endowment fund came on board as a granting partner in 2014. A $10,000 grant is allowing development of educational and outreach information on emerald ash borer to impacted communities in the Boulder County area of Colorado.

Colorado Tree Coalition Members and Donors - Last, but certainly not least, our wonderful members join in around the state to provide support for grant projects, local educational opportunities, Arbor Day programs, and numerous other events that promote sound community forestry management in Colorado.

We thank all of our partners for working closely with CTC and look forward to future endeavors to work together to preserve, renew, and enhance our community forests.

2

Visit

http://www.coloradotrees.org

/get_involved.php

to donate, volunteer, or

become a CTC member.

To view an interactive, downloadable version of this report, visit

http://issuu.com/coloradotreecoalition/docs/ctc_annual_report_2014

or scan the QR code below. Click "Share" > "Download" to download the PDF.

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disability. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.). To file a complaint of discrimination: write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building,

1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

2014 Annual Report