Urban Tree Trouble: Insights from Stanley Park - Webinar

Recorded Tuesday, June 25, 2024
Urban foresters who manage our community green spaces are responding to the public's demand for this essential infrastructure, especially as these areas face increased pressure from climate change and population growth. Recently, Vancouver's iconic Stanley Park made headlines due to plans to remove trees killed by looper moths from the forest. Additionally, water scarcity and extreme heat are adding new challenges to urban landscape management.
What insights can urban foresters provide about this valuable community resource, along with current and emerging best practices in the field? How do residents influence decisions regarding the living infrastructure in their neighborhoods? Watch this webcast to hear from an engaging panel of experts as they address these questions and more.
Moderator
Dr. Richard Hamelin - Professor and Department Head, Forest Conservation Sciences, Faculty of Forestry, University of British Columbia
Speakers
Bruce Blackwell, BSF’84 and MSF’89, RPF, R.P. Bio. - Principal of B.A. Blackwell & Associates Ltd.
Joe McLeod, BSF’01 - ISA Certified Arborist, Associate Director, Urban Forestry / Specialty Parks at City of Vancouver

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I wish they would just say this was a safety issue rather than trying to make it sound like ecological restoration. I can't think of any good ecological reason for removing dead trees. They provide excellent cavity nesting habitat, help shield more intact forest from edge effects, and help block views of the causeway (and noise) from trails. As for the safety reason, I feel this wasn't adequately explained. Most of the hemlocks had sound wood. I imagine it would take years for pathogens to break it down, during which time the standing trees would provide the above benefits. Danger trees are constantly monitored and dealt with in stanley park. Why then did thousands of recently killed trees have to be removed all at once rather than dealing with them as they became a danger?