Tree Board

Tree Board minutes 10/24/22 Morgantown Tree Board (MTB) Minutes, meeting of October 24, 2022 Public Safety Building conference room, 4:37 PM. 1. ATTENDANCE: MTB members Dan Brown, Matt Cummons, Greg Dahle, prospective MTB member Chelsea Hilty, Secretary Jon Weems, Chair Dave Barnett, Urban Landscape Director Marchetta Maupin, and City Council liaison Joe Abu- Ghannam. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: D. Brown moved, and G. Dahle seconded, that the minutes of the Sept. 26 meeting be approved as amended. The motion carried unanimously. 3. REPORT FROM URBAN LANDSCAPE DIRECTOR: M. Maupin said City Arborist Scott Cline had changed from working four ten-hour days to five eight-hour days to fit his schedule better with his son’s schedule. She reported he had been doing inventory and pruning work and helping with her duties in the absence of her assistant. 4. UNFINISHED BUSINESS: A. White Park update. M. Maupin distributed a tree list for replacement planting. B. Arbor Day. Morgantown’s Arbor Day Sept. 1 was generally considered a success. Two MHS students helped with the ceremony at the Farmer’s Market and with the planting of three trees at various locations in Suncrest. C. Caperton Trail Invasive Species Removal. Nothing new reported. 5. NEW BUSINESS: A. Goals for 2023. D. Barnett led a discussion of actions needed to improve MTB’s outreach to the community. There was general agreement that recent tree articles on blackgum and maples were a good first step. D. Brown agreed to write a piece on American holly. Means of distributing articles more widely and a possible presence at local fairs were mentioned. C. Hilty mentioned she had relevant outreach experience in Pittsburgh and discussed some strategies, such as involving volunteers with the same plantings on a continuing, seasonal basis instead of just at planting as a means of developing a sense of responsibility and partial ownership. B. WVU Tree Campus USA. G. Dahle and D. Brown reported on this effort to establish policies aimed at improving WVU’s urban forest. Issues being addressed included replacement of trees removed for construction and accountability for damage to trees and plantings. 6. OPEN DISCUSSION: M. Maupin suggested revisiting MTB’s recommended tree list periodically in light of “new” insects, diseases, and perceptions of the suitability of various trees and shrubs for planting in Morgantown. 7. NEXT MEETING: 4:30 PM, Monday, November 28, location to be determined.  Tree Board minutes 10/24/22 8. ADJOURN: J. Weems moved, and D. Brown seconded, that the meeting be adjourned. The motion carried unanimously at 5:52. Respectfully submitted, _____________________ Jon Weems, Secretary