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The Newsletter of the Urban & Community Forestry Assistance Program - July 2024

UPDATES FROM UCF PROGRAM

New Faces at ODF UCF

With Evan Elderbrock and Lilah Gonen moving into permanent Community Assistance Forester positions at ODF’s Urban and Community Forestry program, two people new to ODF have been hired to serve as replacement EAB Support Specialists. They will assist communities with preparation for EAB impacts, mitigation, and recovery. Matt Mills comes to ODF from the Oregon Dept. of Agriculture where he has been coordinating that agency’s EAB response in Washington County. This included overseeing the state’s slow-the-spread work in and around Forest Grove. Mills holds a bachelor’s degree in Ecology and Evolution from the University of Oregon. Prior to working for the Oregon Dept. of Agriculture, he worked as a park ranger for Oregon State Parks and as a zookeeper.   Kat Bethea joins ODF from the City of Portland Urban Forestry. There, as a Botanic Specialist they worked on inventorying street trees. Bethea holds Bachelor’s Degrees in Biology and in Forensic Science from University of Central Oklahoma. They then spent several field seasons as a field technician on projects ranging from specimen collection for museums to invasive insect surveys in Oregon. “We had a very competitive selection process with great candidates. We are pleased to have found two candidates so well qualified and highly motivated to do this important work,” said Scott Altenhoff, ODF Urban and Community Forestry Program Manager. Start date for both Mills and Bethea was July 15. They will work with Lilah Gonen, who is now serving as overall EAB Coordinator for ODF.

SUMMER TREE CARE TIPS

Care Tips from the Arbor Day Foundation

Pruning: Avoid heavy pruning in the summertime. This time of year, prune lightly only to remove dead/broken branches and other corrective pruning.

Watering: Watering is a key part of tree care, but it is difficult to recommend an exact amount of water due to the variety of environmental conditions and species’ drought tolerances. Here are a few guidelines to help you water your trees properly this summer. It is important to note that while it is especially important to water newly planted trees, during periods of drought you may also need to water mature trees to help them through the hot and dry weather. Check soil moisture levels and weather regularly to help you decide when to water.

Watering Trees During First Two Years: During the first two or three growing seasons, your newly planted tree is expending a lot of energy trying to get its roots established in the soil. Especially during the first few summers of your new tree’s life, it will have a difficult time dealing with heat and drought. You can make this easier by providing water and covering the soil with wood-chip mulch. Deep watering can help speed the root establishment. Deep watering means keeping the soil moist to a depth that includes all the roots.

How Much Water and When: Not enough water is harmful for the tree, but too much water is bad as well. Over-watering is a common tree care mistake. Please note that moist is different than soggy, and you can judge this by feel. A damp soil that dries for a short period will allow adequate oxygen to permeate the soil. You can check soil moisture by using a garden trowel and inserting it into the ground to a depth of 2”, and then move the blade of the trowel back and forth to create a small narrow trench. Then use your finger to touch the soil. If it is moist to the touch, then they do not need water.

Mulching: Mulching around young trees in the summertime insulates the soil, providing a buffer from the heat. It also increases water retention, suppresses competition from weeds, and prevents soil compaction and lawn mower damage. Make sure mulch is not applied directly to the tree’s trunk.

Additional Summer Tree Care Reading:

• Six Tips for Keeping Trees Well Watered in any Season

• Arbor Day Blog - Tree Care

• Arbor Day Organization - Tree Tips

Soak-It-Week Mark your calendars! Soak-It-Week is a reminder to deeply water your trees during hot and dry months and is designated as the last week of July and the last week of August. Watering in the early morning or later at night reduces evapotranspiration and ensures more of the water you provide soaks into the soil. Watering both newly planted trees and older trees to reduce drought stress and encourage better growth.    Keep your trees watered!

URBAN & COMMUNITY FORESTRY GRANTS

ODF UCF Subaward Updates

The ODF Growing Equity: Urban & Community Forestry Inflation Reduction Act Subaward Program

This funding opportunity is open from July 15 to October 15, 2024. We are excited to officially launch this new program and encourage all eligible entities to apply! The ODF UCF program will host a virtual information session on July 24 at 10:30 a.m. (PST) to help applicants navigate the WebGrants online application portal.

Introduction to Grant Portal Registration & Application Webinar

You can register for WebGrants, book a virtual meeting with our staff, and find resource materials about this funding opportunity on the subaward webpage.

Upcoming Oregon Invasive Species Council Grant

The Oregon Invasive Species Council (OISC) is excited to announce that $150,000 in 2024-2025 biennium funds will be available to the OISC to fund education outreach project grants. The OISC will determine priorities and awards, while the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) oversees the fiscal administration of the OISC Education Outreach Grant Program.

Arbor Day Foundation Funding Opportunity - Now Accepting Applications!

The Arbor Day Foundation is supporting urban forestry projects led by all federally recognized Tribes, Alaska Native Corporations/villages, Tribal organizations, organizations working in Tribal communities, and community-based non-profits. The Community Roots Program, made possible through Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding, makes community-empowering projects possible.

Community Green Infrastructure Grant Updates

DLCD has appointed members to an Advisory Committee on Community Green Infrastructure Investment to advise on the implementation of the Community Green Infrastructure Grant Program and make biennial reports to the legislature on the program.

EMERALD ASH BORER

OISC Summer Summit

Clean Water Services’ headquarters in Hillsboro is hosting a three-day educational summit about EAB and a half dozen other invasive insects August 5-7. The event is being put on by the Oregon Invasive Species Council. ODF staff will be among those presenting. Urban foresters, public land managers, tree-care companies and others with decision-making responsibilities for urban trees are especially encouraged to attend. The first day will focus on Japanese beetle and the last day on EAB. The second day will address those and four other pests threatening Oregon’s trees and forests. For more information or to register go to OISC Summer Summit website.

Are you going to the State Fair? If you plan to attend the Oregon State Fair in Salem (August 23 - September 2) be sure and stop by the ODF booth on weekends for kids’ activities and information on how you can protect your trees and community from invasive insect pests. Experts will be on hand to help answer your questions.

UPCOMING EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES

Urban & Community Forestry Events

• July 20: Forest Therapy at Bird Alliance of Oregon Wildlife Sanctuary - Portland
• July 24: ODF UCF Subaward Intro to Grant Portal Registration & Application Webinar - Virtual 
• Aug. 1: PNW ISA Arborist Exam Preparation Course - Virtual
• Aug. 5-7: OISC Safeguarding Oregon: Insect Pest Summit - Hillsboro
• Aug. 10: Englewood Forest Festival - Salem
• Aug.13: PNW ISA Arbor Chat: Sustainable Urban Forestry Salvage & Urban Wood Utility - Virtual
• Aug. 21: OSU Forestry in a Changing Climate: Seed & Seedlings for Future Forests - St. Paul
• Aug. 23 - Sept. 2: Oregon State Fair - Salem

Arborist Job Posting

The City of Pendleton is accepting applications for a USDA Grant Funded Full-Time Arborist Position in the Parks and Recreation Department. The Arborist is responsible for performing a wide range of duties related to the maintenance of publicly owned or regulated trees within the city.

ONLINE RESOURCES

Quick Links

Contact us at UCF.program@odf.oregon.gov

ODF UCF Program • OR TPI Resources • Oregon Community Trees

Oregon Heritage Trees • PNW ISA • Arbor Day Foundation

About the Community Tree Connections Newsletter

Community Tree Connections (CTC) is a periodic publication by the Oregon Department of Forestry, Urban and Community Forestry Assistance Program. Our mission is to help Oregonians improve their quality of life by promoting community investment in our urban forests. CTC is published in cooperation with the USDA Forest Service. The USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Subscriptions to Community Tree Connections are free. Sign up to receive the newsletter.

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