Tree Board

TUMWATER TREE BOARD MEETING MINUTES OF IN-PERSON/VIRTUAL MEETING August 8, 2022 Page 1 CONVENE: 7:02 p.m. PRESENT: Chair Trent Grantham and Commissioners Brent Chapman, Michael Jackson, Tanya Nozawa, Dennis Olson, and Jim Sedore. Excused absence: Commissioner Joel Hecker. Staff: Sustainability Coordinator Alyssa Jones Wood. CHANGES TO There were no changes to the agenda. AGENDA: APPROVAL OF MINUTES: TUMWATER TREE BOARD MEETING MINUTES MAY 9, 2022 & JULY 11, 2022: MOTION: Chair Grantham moved, seconded by Commissioner Nozawa, to approve the May 9, 2022 and July 11, 2022 meeting minutes as published. A voice vote approved the motion unanimously. TREE BOARD Commissioner Jackson inquired about the status of scheduling a field trip MEMBER during the summer to visit recent development in the City. REPORTS: Coordinator Jones Wood advised that she would follow up with Manager Medrud to reschedule a presentation on the development process to afford time for a field trip in September. The Board discussed several new residential subdivisions and the species of trees planted. Members offered suggestions on several new subdivisions to visit. The Board was asked to email recommended sites to visit to Coordinator Jones Wood. Commissioner Nozawa offered to provide some photographs of a site prior to removal of trees for a new residential development. Chair Grantham recommended contacting Manager Medrud for copies of landscape proposals for new residential developments. MANAGER’S Coordinator Jones Wood reported she and staff have met twice with the REPORT: consultant for amendments to the Tree Preservation and Vegetation Ordinance. The Board will receive a draft Community Engagement Plan for review and is asked to provide comments to staff by August 29, 2022. New state law requires the City to adopt an ordinance prior to the end of the year requiring the provision of compost to be provided by the City for City TUMWATER TREE BOARD MEETING MINUTES OF IN-PERSON/VIRTUAL MEETING August 8, 2022 Page 2 landscape and transportation projects requiring additional soil. The draft ordinance can be provided to the Board for review prior to presentation to the Public Works Committee and the City Council. A draft ordinance by the Department of Ecology discourages the disposal of organic material in landfills. The Board expressed interest in reviewing the draft ordinance. A second Heritage Tree nomination has been received by the City. The November meeting agenda includes a tentative discussion with City Directors on implementation of the Urban Forestry Management Plan. A contract was executed with the Watershed Company to provide consultant support on the street tree plan. Three firms responded to the landscape RFP with interviews scheduled on August 19, 2022. The City Council approved the Heritage Tree nomination submitted by the Tree Board last month. The person who nominated the tree has been contacted to schedule a visit to assess the condition of the tree. A future conversation by the Board could be scheduled to discuss the design of a plaque. Commissioner Sedore asked whether the City has a list of memorial, commemorative, and heritage trees. Coordinator Jones Wood advised that the City has a heritage tree list along with a list of all tree recognitions since 2003. Commissioner Sedore suggested the lists should be included online for public access. Coordinator Jones Wood affirmed she would follow up on the request. Commissioner Chapman asked that the Board receive information on the balance of the Tree Board fund and the balance of the City’s Tree Fund. Coordinator Jones Wood affirmed the request. Commissioner Sedore referred to the recent retirement of Don Trosper and inquired as to whether the City and the Olympia Tumwater Foundation have a relationship in terms of historic sites with heritage/historical trees. Coordinator Jones Wood offered to follow up with information. She cited information in the staff report identifying current designated heritage trees in Tumwater, which discerns champion, historic, and landmark trees. She affirmed she would follow-up with information on the definitions between the different designations. PUBLIC There were no public comments. COMMENT: HERITAGE TREE Chair Grantham reported on the receipt of a Heritage Tree nomination from NOMINATION Christina Randazzo. The walnut tree is located on a homestead property with DISCUSSION: a house that was built in 1894. Commissioner Chapman recommended the City should have the consulting TUMWATER TREE BOARD MEETING MINUTES OF IN-PERSON/VIRTUAL MEETING August 8, 2022 Page 3 arborist assess the age of the tree prior to consideration by the Board. Commissioner Sedore offered that it might be possible for the Olympia Tumwater Foundation to assist the City in obtaining any historical information that could be noted on the significance of the location in association with the nomination. Chair Grantham questioned the outcome if the site is not a location of historical significance in terms of the nomination. Commissioner Sedore replied that should the nomination speak only to older trees, it might be a question for the Board to determine whether the age of a tree is the overriding criteria for designating a heritage tree when historical significance is lacking. Commissioner Chapman cited the City’s criteria for nomination of a heritage tree. One criterion pertains to the historical nature. Other criteria speak to the specimen based on age, size, and health, or quality, rare or a significant grove that affects the City’s landscape. Commissioner Sedore questioned the significance of age unless it is tied to some human historical event, as many trees will continue to age. Chair Grantham acknowledged the point but noted that if all trees eventually age there is no point in designating a tree as significant. Commissioner Sedore said he associates “heritage” with human history rather than environmental factors and while he understands the presence of “rare tree” or rare to the climate zone or large trees exceeding state or world records, Tumwater’s history as one of the first cities in the state should factor in the Board’s recommendation by determining a way to identify the location of older trees that are historically significant to the history of the City or the state. Chair Grantham noted that the criterion would require specific searches of trees that are historically significant. The issue is the assignment of the person who would perform that type of work. Commissioner Sedore said his references to the Olympia Tumwater Foundation could be a source of that type of information. Recently, he viewed a documentary on a southern state that historically marked a tree where the last lynching had occurred in the 1800s because it was historically related to civil rights and the reconstruction period following the Civil War. Chair Grantham noted that the Olympia Tumwater Foundation is responsible for the Brewery Park at Tumwater Falls as part of a trust granted by the brewery to the Foundation and is unsure whether the Foundation would be willing to assist. Commissioner Sedore volunteered to research historical books to identify any mention of trees in Tumwater’s history. TUMWATER TREE BOARD MEETING MINUTES OF IN-PERSON/VIRTUAL MEETING August 8, 2022 Page 4 Chair Grantham confirmed that staff would follow up to determine whether the contract forester can be contacted to assess the nominated tree. Following receipt of the information the Board can move forward to consider the nomination. Discussion ensued on posting information on the City’s website on definitions of champion, heritage, and landmark trees. Coordinator Jones Wood shared that when GIS staff added the most recently designated heritage tree with no specific category of champion, historic, or landmark designation, the color of the designation was not determined at that time. It might be necessary to define the different classifications to determine the appropriate classification of past and current designations and assign colors for each classification for GIS mapping. Commissioner Sedore suggested the next meeting should include a review of the definitions of champion, landmark, and historic trees. Coordinator Jones Wood offered to provide additional information for discussion at the October meeting. The Board discussed Coordinator Jones Wood’s interpretation of the Board’s request to have all trees that are submitted for nomination to be reviewed by the City’s forester prior to submittal to the Board for consideration. Chair Grantham said the nomination includes a form for submittal by the owner and if the City does not want to assess the tree, the owner of the tree should have the opportunity to submit the nomination to the Board to either approve and forward a recommendation to the City Council or recommend the City assess the tree. Commissioner Sedore offered that in the event the City elects not to assess a tree, a member of the Board could visit and inspect the tree, as some members are professional arborists. He agreed that some owners may not have the information on the species or the age of the tree. All nominations should be verified before a recommendation is forwarded to the City Council. Coordinator Jones Wood added that in the next biennium budget, a request has been included for tree professional services. NEXT MEETING: The next meeting is on September 12, 2022 and likely will include a field trip as discussed. ADJOURNMENT: With there being no further business, Chair Grantham adjourned the meeting at 7:48 p.m. Prepared by Valerie L. Gow, Recording Secretary/President Puget Sound Meeting Services, psmsoly@earthlink.net