Have you hugged your tree lately?
Courtesy photos A look down on Coeur d’Alene from the trail on Canfield Mountain.
Courtesy photo An aspen tree shows human-caused damage as its top has been cut — this damage is irreparable and the tree will not recover.
Urban trees provide food and homes for many species of birds, like this hairy woodpecker.
Courtesy photo Urban trees provide splashes of beauty in yards and swales. A home with urban trees sells for more than a home without them does.
Courtesy photo Trees line a walking path along the shore of Lake Coeur d'Alene. With their foliage on, these trees block more ultraviolet light and help preserve the pavement from decay.
They come in all shapes and sizes and can be found nearly everywhere. They save money and energy, create shade, protect landscapes and preserve soil.
They are trees, and they cover 14 percent of the land in Coeur d’Alene. Together, they comprise the city’s urban forest.
Coeur d’Alene urban forester Katie Kosanke leads the Urban Forestry department. It manages Coeur d’Alene’s city-owned trees, which include those found in parks, other city property and swales.
“Coeur d’Alene’s Urban Forestry program seeks to preserve, protect, maintain and enlarge the city’s urban forest to optimize these benefits,” says the Urban Forest’s website.
The Urban Forest Program creates standards in caring for city trees, approves tree services, operates a permit system for businesses and individuals and educates the public about caring for trees.
Having a healthy urban forest provides financial benefits for communities like Coeur d’Alene, says Kosanke. For example, businesses that plant trees by the entrance attract more customers, who then spend more money for goods and services.
Dave Stephenson of the Idaho Department of Lands said homes with trees in the yards and swales sell for more money than those without them.
He said his agency conducted a survey of trees in Kootenai County communities in 2009. It revealed the worth of Coeur d’Alene’s urban forest in the millions of dollars in property values, business benefits and energy savings.
Because trees create shade, they save energy costs for homeowners and businesses alike. Stephenson said trees planted on the west side provide the best energy savings, particularly in the summer.
Also, shady streets block more ultraviolet rays, increasing the life of asphalt and pavement and saving money on repairs.
An urban forest improves the environment in other ways as well. Besides provide food and shelter for animals like birds and squirrels, a healthy forest cleans the air and retains more rainwater than bare ground, Stephenson said.
He said Kootenai County’s trees save it $5.5 million in costs to reduce runoff every year. Raindrops slide down the leaves and onto the grass and soil, where more gets absorbed than if they fell onto sidewalks or streets. More water that goes into the ground means less in drains and sewers, all the more important given Coeur d’Alene just experienced the wettest six months on record.
Trees purify air and water. Kootenai County trees remove 125,000 tons of pollutants per year, saving the county about $3 million in pollution control costs.
Coeur d’Alene’s city trees face their fair share of threats, both natural and human-caused. Kosanke said invasive insects include the balsam woolly adelgid, a bug that can have devastating effects on subalpine firs and to a lesser extent, other fir trees.
One invasive species of concern that hasn’t reached North Idaho yet is the Emerald Ash Borer. A native of Asia, this beetle's larvae have devastated ash trees across much of the country, reaching as far west as Colorado. If it reaches Coeur d’Alene, more than 5 percent of the city’s trees will likely die, Kosanke says. Among the vulnerable ash trees are the large specimens at Independence Point found on the side opposite the path.
Kosanke also noted the drought of 2015 stressed and weakened pine trees, making them more vulnerable to pest damage. Pine bark beetles recently killed some of the pine trees on Tubbs Hill.
“We have our fair share of insects and diseases, but most are treatable,” she said. “Keeping trees healthy is the best way to prevent pests.”
Humans end up causing more damage to the urban forest than natural threats. Vandalism, accidents and improper care all take their toll on the trees.
An example of the last happened to a pair of quaking aspen on Seventh Street. The property owner cut off the tops, doing irreparable harm to them.
“They can’t recover from that,” Kosanke said.
Residents and businesses can do their part in ensuring Coeur d’Alene and surrounding communities’ urban forests stay healthy.
Kosanke notes properly maintaining the trees makes them less vulnerable to natural threats.
How can people maintain healthy trees?
“The quick answer is to pay attention,” said Stephen Drinkard, North Idaho Community Forest Assistant for the Idaho Department of Lands.
Residents and businesses can start by planting trees from an approved list of species that cause less damage to infrastructure and thrive in North Idaho’s climate.
The Urban Forestry Program maintains a list of 80 approved tree species homeowners and businesses can plant. Interestingly enough, Norway maples, the most common species in the local urban forest, is not on the list. More than one in eight trees in city-owned property and rights-of-ways are this species. Common species that are on the list include ponderosa pine, flowering cherry, tuliptree and crabapple.
Planting, proper pruning and care using lawn equipment also help keep trees healthy. Watering during the dry season also is essential.
Occasionally, a homeowner or business needs to remove a “street tree,” defined as any tree within the city’s right-of-way. This removal could be due to poor health or other factors.
To remove, prune or plant a tree within the right-of-way, residents and businesses first need to obtain a free permit.
The city of Coeur d’Alene has a cost-share program that partially covers the cost of removing a street tree. Then the landowner must replace the tree with one from a species on the approved list.
April is a busy time for tree events in North Idaho. Post Falls held its 13th Tree Giveaway at Q’Emiln Park on April 8. Along with sponsors including JUB Engineering and Pioneer Title, the city gave away free trees and shrubs. The trees included flowering cherries, willows and dogwoods.
Drinkard spoke to the crowd honoring Post Falls and its commitment to the community’s trees.
Arbor Day, occurring in Idaho on the last Friday of April, is particularly important for urban forests, according to Stephenson.
“Arbor Day’s one of the few holidays not focused on the past,” he said.
Many communities in the area celebrate Arbor Day. The city of Hayden invites schoolchildren to either McIntire Park or Stoddard Park. There, they travel to different stations and learn about trees.
Coeur d’Alene celebrates Arbor Day today.
The urban forest is as much a part of Coeur d’Alene and other North Idaho communities as parks and libraries. To keep the trees healthy and beautiful requires the commitment and involvement of all citizens.
May the forest be with you.