Urban Forestry Commission

Urban Forestry Commission Meeting Minutes Wednesday, October 16, 2024 ❖ 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. Meeting Location: 300 Park Ave, Dogwood and Virtual Attendees UFC members: Amy Crumpton (Chair), Jennifer Anderson (Secretary), Tim Roche, Alison Miller City Staff Liaison: Charles Prince, City Arborist City Council Liaison: Erin Flynn 1) Call to Order: Meeting called to order at 7:32 p.m. by Amy Crumpton 2) Roll Call: Noted above. 3) Minutes Approved: July 17, 2024 Minutes and September 18, 2024 Minutes. 4) Public Comment: The City Arborist has received about “a dozen” reports of an invasive pest, Spotted Lanternfly, in Falls Church City and on the outskirts. Charles will send a notice to the Falls Church schools’ Morning Announcements and Falls Church Focus regarding a Spotted-Lanternfly-spotting competition to raise awareness. 5) Staff Updates and Informational Items a. City Council Calendar ● Erin will raise the issue of the tree inventory again during the FY2026 budget process. The Commission agreed to put its request for a tree inventory in writing again, reducing its request to $95,000 and to have the letter to Erin in time for Council debate. ● The UFC has not yet received any applications to fill its one vacancy. b. Staff Updates ● City Legislative Agenda for 2025 Virginia General Assembly - Charles and Amy will send a list of issues pertinent to Urban Forestry policies and operations to Cindy Meister on the City’s Legislative Committee.  ● UFC is invited to make comments to the proposed ordinance to amend the City Code to allow accessory dwellings (TO24-17). A listening session will be held for all Boards and Commissions in January 2025. Charles does not see any issues of concern in the current staff report from Planning, however encourages Commissioners to read and comment. c. Community Updates ● 27 volunteers with Cub Scout Pack 657 spent 54 hours cleaning up Crossman Park and removing invasive vines in early October. ● VPIS will host a panel discussion on protecting and expanding our tree canopy as part of the organization’s Fall membership meeting. Heidi Bonnaffon, of MWCOG’s Tree Canopy Subcommittee, and Mary Glass, of the Arlington Tree Connection, will be the panelists. The session will be held Sunday, Nov. 17 from 3-5 pm at the Falls Church Episcopal Church’s Social Hall on East Fairfax Street. ● Amy noted that the Chesapeake Tree Canopy Network, which uses a limited data set to produce fact sheets for all area jurisdictions, identifies Falls Church’s canopy at 41%. That public data does not mesh with the City’s 49% tree canopy coverage estimate.The organization plans to incorporate more recent data into these fact sheets by early 2025. ● The UFC will not meet in November or December, but will reconvene in January 2025. 6) Adjourn - Meeting adjourned at 8:43 pm. The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, call 571- 296-6306 TTY711