Comments on Barrie D. Coate and Associates’ “Arboricultural Analysis and Advisory Services” for the City of Carmel’s Forest

• Barrie D. Coate’s “RESULTS OF A REVIEW OF TREES IN A TWO BLOCK TRANSECT OF CARMEL,” May 31, 2007, “Specific Trees” section covers Trees #1-#19 and Tree #21, but fails to similarly cover Trees #20, #22-#45 in the Business District Block; in the Residential District Block, the section covers Trees #1 and #2, Trees #5–#25, #28-#31, #34, #37-#42, but fails to similarly cover Trees #3, #4, #26, #27, #32, #33, #35, #36 and #43-#83.

• Of the trees surveyed in the Business District Block, overall health/structure scores and the number of trees/score, as follows:

Overall Score 8: 1 tree
Overall Score 7: 2 trees
Overall Score 6: 2 trees
Overall Score 5: 4 trees
Overall Score 4: 8 trees
Overall Score 3: 13 trees
Overall Score 2: 15 trees
Total 45 trees

Note: Overall Score 2 Excellent to 10 Poor

• Of the trees surveyed in the Residential District Block, overall scores and the number of trees/score, as follows:

Overall Score 6: 6 trees
Overall Score 5: 23 trees
Overall Score 4: 14 trees
Overall Score 3: 33 trees
Overall Score 2: 7 trees
Total 83 trees

Note: Overall Score 2 Excellent to 10 Poor

• For perspective, it would be advantageous to have the approximate age of the trees on the “Tree Data Accumulation Charts” to make better sense of the overall health/structure scores.

• Barrie D. Coate’s “A VIEW OF THE FUTURE CITY OF CARMEL FOREST”, May 7, 2007, ends with his prescription for an “inventory of the current forest,” including "identification of all publicly owned and privately owned trees, measurement of the trunk diameter, height and branch spread, and evaluation of insect or disease pests and a professional estimate of remaining useful lifespan," an evaluation of the forest and an “on-going, long-term commitment by the city to fund each part of the program.” Obviously, then, as of today, the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea lacks a complete and comprehensive inventory, evaluation and city council commitment to a tree program. If Barrie D. Coate’s “Arboricultural Analysis and Advisory Services” for the City of Carmel’s Forest can serve as a stimulus to the city council to make a commitment to the forest and budget for a comprehensive tree program with annual funding for an inventory and updates of an inventory, evaluation and updates of evaluations, et cetera, then it would have been a worthwhile service.