Urban Wood Utilization
We often promote the many benefits that trees in urban environments provide for people who live among them, but there are times when community trees need to be removed for risk mitigation, new construction, and a variety of other reasons.
Utilizing the wood products created by these removals should be part of any municipal forestry program. Wood chips created during the removal process have become recognized as a resource instead of a waste stream due to their many uses in our urban landscapes.
All too often the wood from trees that get removed and/or pruned ends up as firewood, or takes up space in our city landfills, but creating a product from the wood that can keep the carbon in the wood sequestered for another 100 years or more is a good goal, and this is where the Urban Wood Network comes in.
The Urban Wood Network (UWN) consists of municipalities, arborists, sawmills, suppliers, manufacturers, design professionals, and consultants. Their mission is to utilize wood that is generated during the normal, every day practices of tree care and maintenance through uniting, promoting, and demonstrating its use. The UWN provides connectivity to help the industry thrive. They give trees a second life at their highest use by promoting a robust supply chain to get the greatest value product from trees. Their motto is “Trees First, Wood Next”.
A high-quality post milled from urban wood at Spokane Conservation District on a Wood Mizer LT10. Picture courtesy SCD
 Matt Stewart, Quarry Stewardship Coordinator at Spokane Conservation District operates an Alaskan Mill to cut slabs from an urban tree that was removed with help from Resource Program Manager Charlie Petersen.
Urban wood that is processed, sold, and utilized at it’s highest use can lower expenses for communities while providing a sustainable, renewable resource that can beautify our communities. A thriving wood market can help communities manage their tree resource in a holistic manner, from seedling to value added product. The UWN does not advocate for the removal of trees, just the thoughtful use of the wood that results from inevitable removals in the urban environment.
 Some Urban Wood products on display at the Inland Tree Conference in Spokane hosted by the Spokane Conservation District in January 2023.
 Bartop constructed from a silver maple that was removed from the urban forest in Boise. Constructed by Tom Charters of Urban Forest Products, the bar can be observed in its full majesty at Camp Cocktail Bar in the Warehouse Food Court in downtown Boise.
 Supply of wood at Meridian Parks and Recreation, milled from a large silver maple that was removed from Meridian. Photo MP
 A picnic table fashioned from the urban wood stash at Meridian Parks and Recreation. Photo MP
 One of several benches that were made from reclaimed urban wood in McCall, thses benches will last forever. They can be enjoyed at Legacy Park. Photo Courtesy McCall Parks and Recreation.
Collaboration of Midwest states resulted in the establishment of UWN in 2016. It started as a USDA Forest Service Landscape Scale Restoration Grant which led to the establishment of the Urban Wood Network joined by Urban Salvaged and Reclaimed woods INC. and the Baltimore Urban Wood Project. It became the UWN of today.
Membership in The UWN can take many forms: log or tree supplier, tree removal, log hauler, wood producer, kiln service, wood supplier, wood user, professional (designers, architects, engineers), supporter and student. Member benefits include branding and marketing including use of UWN logo, marketing materials and being linked to state and national marketing efforts, and business development in the form of workshops, expert advice, and industry updates.
There is now a very active local chapter of the Urban Wood Network in Idaho that is garnering a lot of attention. In January, at the Idaho Nursery and Landscape Association's Horticulture Expo there was a panel discussion on this topic led by Lance Davisson, executive Director of the Treasure Valley Canopy Network. The panel consisted of many stakeholders here in the Treasure Valley including city foresters from Boise and Nampa, representation from Timber Creek Recycling and local end user Tom Charters from Urban Forestry Products. The discussion was very productive and helped pique the interest of future potential partners.
To learn more about The UWN and how you can get involved visit their website www.urbanwoodnetwork.org
In the Treasure Valley, Treasure Valley Urban Wood Network
See more great Urban Wood projects from the Treasure Valley here.
To learn more about Spokane Conservation District urban forestry efforts follow the link here.
Orofino Receives Prestigious Award
Idaho Department of Lands partners with the Idaho Nursery and Landscape Association to provide Arbor Day grants to Idaho communities to assist with their Arbor Day Celebrations.
These grants are made possible through the generous contributions from from Idaho Power, Rocky Mountain Power and Avista Utilities. Every year, the "Legacy of Leaves" award recognizes the contribution that trees make to the communities in which they are planted.
The award is given to the city or county that receives the Arbor Day Grant and holds the best or most unique celebration. This is based on the dollar amount leveraged along with the grant funds, the uniqueness of the Arbor Day celebration, and the amount of volunteer support the celebration receives.
 Idaho Dept. of Lands Urban & Community Forestry Program manager presents the Legacy of Leaves award to the City of Orofino during the INLA luncheon at the 2023 Idaho Horticulture Expo. Left; Orofino City Arborist Todd Perry and Right; Orofino Public Works Supervisor Shane Miller accept the award.
In 2022, the central Idaho city of Orofino held a "County-wide Clean Up Day". Les Schwab provided bags to anyone wanting to pick them up at the city park before heading out to participate in the clean up. The city leveraged the $300 Arbor Day Grant to purchase over $2,100.00 in plant material. Information on correctly planting trees and caring for them was shared with the public and a free community BBQ lunch was provided.
 Members from the Orofino community who won the trees that were raffled off during the Arbor Day Celebration. Picture courtesy City of Orofino
Representatives from USFS and IDL handed out over 1000 seedling trees, and raffled off 4 additional ornamental trees. Aside from the city employees that were present, over 400 volunteers from the community turned out to clean up the city park and other areas throughout the city. A free dump day was provided to those who performed cleanups on their own properties.
Congratulations to the city of Orofino!
2023 Arbor Day Grants
The application process for 2023 Idaho Arbor Day Grants is now open.
Follow the link here to IDL's Arbor Day Grant Program.
The deadline to apply is March 24th.
This year there will be 45 grants awarded for up to $300 each to be used to help communities purchase trees, shrubs and related materials for use during an Arbor Day celebration.
The funding for these grants comes from the Idaho Community Forestry Trust Account that is supported through the generous donations made from Idaho utility companies Avista, Idaho Power, and Rocky Mountain Power. Grants are distributed to communities across the state in a lottery style drawing administered through a coordinated effort between IDL and the Idaho Nursery and Landscape Association.
 Students from Park Ridge Elementary School plant trees during the City of Nampa's Arbor Day Celebration last year. Nampa was a recipient of the 2022 Arbor Day Grant program. Photo credit M. Perkins
Emerald Ash Borer Detection & Reporting
In the early summer of 2022, the invasive, exotic pest known as the Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis, EAB) was discovered in Forest Grove Oregon, just west of Portland. Prior to this discovery, the furthest west this pest had been detected was Colorado Springs, CO.
This new discovery has meant that it is certain to show up in Idaho soon, realistically, it is possible it is already here in one (or more) of our communities and it has not been detected yet.
EAB is native to Asia and was first discovered in the United States in Michigan back in 2002. Ash species in Asia that evolved alongside this pest have developed a natural resistance, and therefore are not commonly killed by it. Because the native ash trees in North America have never encountered the bug, they are highly susceptible and hundreds of thousands of ash trees across the US have already been killed.
Photo from https://datcpservices.wisconsin.gov/eab.
Idaho is fortunate that that there are no native stands of ash in the state, which means we will not lose a vast number of trees in our forests to this pest. However, in many Idaho cities, ash trees can make up a large percentage of urban canopies.
In preparation for the arrival of EAB, Idaho Department of Lands has been working to come up with a preparedness plan that can be shared with communities across the state. Having such a plan will be crucial for limiting the amount of damage that Idaho Urban Forests will experience. The Idaho Emerald Ash Borer Preparedness Template is a document that cities can use to develop their own plans for managing the pest when it shows up in their community.
The template provides information and resources for all aspects of managing EAB from identification of ash trees themselves and the insect in all phases of the life cycle. Methods of detection are outlined, and the importance of removing infested/killed trees and how to deal with the wood generated from that work are all part of the plan.
In addition to the Preparedness Plan being developed by the UCF program, IDL's Forest Health Program has built a StoryMap and a site for reporting possible detections of EAB.
A "QR code" has been generated that can easily be scanned with the camera on your smart phone,opening the link will take you to a site where you can learn more about how to detect EAB and how to report it if you think you may have found the pest.
Scanning the QR code above will take you to this link where you can learn more about how to detect and report EAB.
The StoryMap and additional information about Idaho's plan for detecting and reporting Emerald Ash Borer can be found by clicking the link here.
Scan the code with your phone now and bookmark the site for future reference so you will always be prepared.
Visit the StoryMap now and learn as much as you can about this pest so we can all contribute to protecting our beloved Idaho Urban Forests!
If you are interested in receiving a copy of the Preparedness Plan when formatting is complete, please reach out to:
Matthew Perkins
Idaho Department of Lands
Urban and Community Forestry Program Manager
mperkins@idl.idaho.gov
Tree Tips:
Christmas Lights and Trees
Photo by MP
Judging by the displays we see every year at Christmas, it is well established that we all agree Christmas lights installed in our landscape trees are beautiful and add to the festive spirits that come with the holiday season every year.
However, it is becoming increasingly common for homeowners and even homeowners associations, and/or business' to leave the lights installed in trees year round. It is unclear whether that is a result of laziness, cost savings, or maybe the people (or business) who installed them just like the way they look and they do not want to limit the festive displays to just one time of year.
The fact is, when Christmas lights are left installed in our trees year-round, they can severely damage the tree causing stems and branches to become girdled, leading to death and even failure. The light strands can also rub against the bark and cause open wounds that become more vulnerable to a pest or disease infestation.
If you have not yet taken the lights out of your trees, please remember to do so every year. This will help preserve the tree you love so much for many years to come.
Calendar of Events
Regional
PNW ISA - Events
North Idaho
Spokane Conservation District – Events, Workshops, and Meetings
Kaniksu Land Trust/ Pine Street Woods - Folk School Classes
Post Falls, ID - PNW ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ) Course February 6-8. Register here.
Post Falls, ID - University of Idaho Forestry Shortcourse - multiple dates. More information here.
Central Idaho
Moscow, ID - University of Idaho Master Gardener class schedules
Lewiston, ID - Lewis Clark State College Arboretum Tree Tour
Southwest Idaho
Boise, ID - Boise City of Trees Challenge on-going learn more here
Boise, ID - Boise Tree Captains on-going series learn more here
Boise, ID - City of Trees Master Naturalist series (see the volunteer section)
Boise, ID - City of Boise Parks and Recreation Horticulture series. Free classes register here
Boise, ID - Idaho Botanical Gardens events calendar
Boise, ID - Boise Flower and Garden Show (BFGS) March 24 - 26
Boise, ID - Boise Tree Climbing Championship (BTCC) May 12-13 (tentatively)
Meridian, ID - Vermeer Mountain West Arbor School April 11 - 12
Nampa, ID - Tree Care Classes (date & time tbd)
Southeast Idaho
Wood River Valley - Sawtooth Botanical Gardens events calendar
Various cities - Idaho Power Shade Tree Program Fall enrollment is open for the following counties: Blaine, Camas, Cassia, Gooding, Jerome, Lincoln, Minidoka, Twin Falls. Follow this link to learn more Idaho Power Shade Trees.
Other great resources:
https://www.treestuff.com/webinars
Sherrill Tree "Tree U" (Online Arborist Training Courses)
Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA) Education and Training
USDA Forest Service Urban Forest Connections Webinar Series
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/products/multimedia/webinars/urbanforestconnections
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