Posts Tagged ‘tree trimming’
2 Aug
Notes from Martin-Fontana Parks Association President, Rod Carpenter
These last few months have been a very busy time for your Parks Board of Directors. We have been holding meetings with the City Park’s personnel seeking a letter of understanding as to what our relationship is in keeping our parks the way we would all like to see them. It is our hope we can share a positive outcome with all of you by the time our next newsletter comes out.
The Board of Directors has purchased a Gopher X machine to help eliminate the infestation of gophers within our parks. This will supplement the efforts of the Parks Recreation and Neighborhood Services Dept. in the months to come. It is our goal to eliminate the many holes that riddle our grassy areas and make it impossible to walk on. Training will be given by the City’s PRNS Department and if you would like to be trained and want to volunteer your time in this effort, please let us know.
Robert Braunstein,
a member of our Board of Directors, has produced a 30 second video spot which features the efforts of the Martin-Fontana Parks Association. If you haven’t already seen it, just click on the video below and let us know what you think of it.
Thank you to our member negotiating team dealing with PG&E, led by Dick Stevens and Richard Zahner, in bringing to a conclusion another successful outcome in saving and preserving the life of the trees in our parks. Also a thank you to PG&E for hearing our concerns and eliminating only those trees that were of necessity.
I am pleased to announce that our Board of Directors will be honoring its many volunteers on Saturday, September 16th. Invitations will be mailed in August. Volunteers are the life-blood of our organization and we look forward to saying “thank you” to these very special people.
Rod Carpenter
14 Jul
One dying Oak tree removed & others trimmed
Here are photos of the dying Blue Oak near the dog park being removed and others being trimmed (see previous posting)
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- Tree 13 before
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- Tree 13 being trimmed
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- Tree 11 before
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- Tree 11 in progress
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- Blue Oak being removed
The Blue Oak was likely impacted by the drought and had succumbed to a bark beetle infestation.
29 Jun
Martin-Fontana Parks Association’s Negotiating Team Saves Our Trees – Again!
Your Martin-Fontana Parks Association has completed the annual negotiations with PG&E to protect our trees. We have successfully protected a large shade tree PG&E had planned to remove.
Tree #11 at the corner of Golden Oak Way and Knoll Park Ct. in Jeffrey Fontana Park
Dick Stevens, Greg Caillet, Mike Kalashian, Vince Piazzisi, Sunny Wagstaff and Rich Zahner comprised the MFPA Negotiating Team (NT) that negotiated the 2017 vegetation management plan with PG&E. Scott Carlton of PG&E met with the NT to present PG&E’s 2017 tree removal and trimming plan in late May.
The PG&E plan was not dramatic in scope. The plan was to clear small vegetation around the transmission towers, removal of small volunteers that would eventually interfere with the power lines, trim Tree #13 (photo below)
Tree 13 at Golden Oak Way & Castello Dr. in Jeffrey Fontana Park
and removal of a healthy tree (Tree #11) under the lines in Jeffery Fontana Park at the corner of Golden Oak Way and Knoll Park Ct. Scott walked the park with us as we inspected each area, tree and bush that he recommended be trimmed or removed. He provided some data on wire and tree heights to support his recommendations.
The Team reviewed his plan and did some measurements and reviewed history of each tree to verify the accuracy of the PG&E plan. Vince repeated the wire and tree height measurements to verify the clearances claimed by PG&E and Sunny provided pictures of Tree #13 and #11 from previous negotiation sessions. Our conclusions were that the clearing of small brush and volunteers is appropriate, the trimming of Tree #13 is needed, but the removal of Tree #11 was not justified.
The dead Blue Oak tree just to the west of the Dog Park
In addition Mike suggested we add to the PG&E work plan the removal of an apparently dead large Blue Oak tree just to the west of the Dog Park and adjacent to the walking path. MFPA had an arborist from Bartlett Tree Experts inspect the tree and he confirmed that it will not survive and will become a hazard.
On June 6th Dick Stevens submitted a counter proposal to PG&E agreeing to the four actions on removal of volunteers and trimming of Tree #13 but requesting trimming of Tree #11 instead of removal. He also included the request that PG&E remove the Blue Oak. On June 20th Scott accepted our plan as presented and notified us that PG&E’s contractor will do the work around July 10th. All the work will be paid for by PG&E.
Our next step is to have the members of the NT witness the work and confirm it is done in accordance with the approved plan as submitted by MFPA.
The Board of Directors thanks Dick Stevens for taking the initiative on this year negotiations and the association members who contributed to the effort.
Thanks to them, they achieved our mission of protecting trees in
TJ Martin & Jeffrey Fontana Parks.
24 Jun
MFPA-PG&E Annual Park Review Completed
The annual vegetation review with PG&E was completed last month. The good news was we had only two small Oak trees in PG&E’s right of way removed. A Australian Tea Leaf tree and a Toyon tree were planted as replacements.
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- Previous OCF Oak trees
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- Replacement Australian Tea Leaf tree
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- Replacement Toyon tree
Ten small volunteer trees (trees that nature planted) were removed. Five were encroaching into some of the PG&E towers, two were dead, and three were in PG&E’s right of way. PG&E requires the tower concrete supports be free of vegetation so they can be periodically inspected.
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- Pistache trees near tower
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- Their removal
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- 3 dead pine trees
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- Their removal
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- Mimosa tree near tower
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- Mimosa removed
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- Misc small volunteer trees
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- All removed from under the tower
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- Mimosa tree encroaching tower base
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- Mimosa removed
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- Coast Live Oak under lines
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- Oak removed
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- Volunteer Oak trees
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- Removed trees
As a good will gesture, PG&E provided these 3 additional trees and included the cost of watering them for 3 years.
These were planted in the western end of TJ Martin Park.
Here are maps showing the tree locations:
Our thanks to the Martin-Fontana Parks Association’s Negotiation Team of Dick Stevens, Mike Kalashian, Vince Piazzisi, Sunny Wagstaff, and Rich Zahner.
26 Feb
Martin-Fontana Parks Association sponsors Tree Trimming
Martin-Fontana Parks Association (MFPA ) annually shares the cost with the City’s Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services (PRNS) by using the City contractor to trim our trees. On Tuesday the 24th, ten trees were trimmed to provide a much larger safety margin to PG&E high voltage lines. Thus increasing the odds their removal will not be required by PG&E. Besides the trimming, two dead or dying trees were removed.
Tricky business
Up the tree
Holm Oak on McAbee
Bay Area Tree Specialists
4 Feb
2015 Tree Trimming to Begin Soon
Our evaluation team consisting of Pier Maggiani and Patrick Pizzo, have walked the park and marked all the trees that need to be trimmed, or removed because they are dead or diseased. Martin-Fontana Parks Association (MFPA ) annually shares the cost with the City’s Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services (PRNS) by using the City contractor to work on our trees. Soon tree crews will be at work to complete the trimming/removal for this winter. Trees will be evaluated again after nesting season is completed.
Stressed Trees
Pier and Patrick have also identified 43 trees as severely stressed by our last three years of drought. MFPA has contracted to pay Our City Forest (OCF) $15 per tree for mulching services. OCF will clear the area around each tree and heavily mulch the tree in an effort to capture and retain as much water as possible. This will be completed in February.
3 Feb
PG&E Action for 2015: No trees will be taken.
In early January, PG&E’s contractor took measurements of tree and wire heights in their annual evaluation process. Last week we learned that no trees are listed for removal this year. This is our second year of tree trimming, and the second year they have not discussed tree removal. Our negotiations team will meet with Greg Saenz of PG&E on Feb. 4th to discuss Martin-Fontana Parks Association’s project plans for 2015.
Note: We have one opening on the Negotiation Team for 2015. It only requires 6-10 hours of work from Nov. to Jan. each year. If you are interested in making a difference in your parks please email Linda Wilson @ ronald_m@comcast.net for more information.
MARTIN-FONTANA PARKS ASSOCIATION 