"Signature" Monterey Pine (Upper Canopy) and Coast Live Oak (Lower Canopy) trees of Carmel's "Urbanized" ForestABSTRACT: In celebration of Earth Day and the environment, Carmel’s “urbanized" forest is featured; specifically, Carmelite Dick Dalsemer's remarks at the City Council’s Budget Meeting on April 17, 2008. His remarks focus on the need for the City Council to support the Forest and Beach Commission’s goal of hiring a permanent, full-time tree water/maintenance person beginning in FY 2008/09. Dalsemer’s remarks are transcribed and a link to a video/audio presentation of his remarks is provided. COMMENTS are made about analogous remarks in support of a full-time tree water/maintenance person by Carmelites Clayton Anderson and Steve Brooks.
At the City Council’s Budget Meeting on April 17, 2008, during the public comment period, Carmelite Dick Dalsemer spoke about Carmel’s urbanized forest and the need to budget for a permanent, full-time water/maintenance person as recommended by the Forest and Beach Commission. Dalsemer’s remarks, as follows:
“Dick Dalsemer. I’m a citizen of Carmel and also a member of the Friends of Carmel Forest. And I would like to also talk to you about the idea, the goal, that you got from the Forest and Beach Commissioners to have a full-time tree water/maintenance person. I think it’s absolutely vital from an economic standpoint as well as other standpoints. As you know, one of the reasons that Carmel is losing trees on City property much faster than they can be replaced is because there is no one to nurture planted trees…that is to say, we have a less than half time, or we have had a less than half time person to do that, but working, I believe 18 hours a week, she’s only been able to handle 24-25 new trees a year which is not replacing the trees that we’re losing. And…we have a deficit, if that’s the right word, of about 340, 350 trees that need to be replaced, should be replaced and haven’t been. It’s going to take a long time to do that."
“I think that Carmel’s urbanized forest is one of the most important reasons for visitors coming to stay here and tourism, as we all know, is the most important segment of the City’s economy. If you continue to allow the forest to disappear…something that will in all likelihood continue at an even faster rate because so many of our trees now are reaching the end of their lives and so are coming down in even larger numbers, I think, in the future. You will be seriously damaging our economy and the City’s already inadequate revenue stream. The longer that you fail to budget for at least one full-time tree water/maintenance position, the more expensive rejuvenating the forest will become in the future. If you don’t begin to act now, to allow adequate tree replacement that will eventually result in a forest that has parity, a healthy forest we used to have 20 to 30 year ago, the situation is just going to get increasingly difficult to deal with and more and more expensive. City Council’s which may find themselves in a position of having to choose in the future between spending a much larger percentage of the City’s budget on reforestation or…replacement of trees that formerly existed or saying we’ll just let the forest disappear which will undoubtedly have a really negative effect on the economy of the City as well as the quality of life.”
“Again, I urge you to include in your budget a permanent full-time water maintenance person beginning with this next fiscal year in order to begin to prevent what is already an acute problem from becoming even more serious.”
“Thank you.”
COMMENTS:
• View video/audio presentation of remarks by Dick Dalsemer (Beginning 29:34-33:20 ending), Clayton Anderson (Beginning 6:55-9:06 ending) and Steve Brooks (Beginning 25:34-28:28 ending)
• At the City Council Budget Meeting, the Friends of Carmel Forest pledged a grant of $5,000.00 for FY 2008/09 to the City to assist defray the expense associated with a full-time water/maintenance position, according to Clayton Anderson, President of the Friends of Carmel Forest.
2 comments:
Imagine Carmel without its Monterey Pine, Coast Live Oak and Monterey Cypress trees and Carmel would no longer be the place that attracted those of us fortunate enough to live here. I applaud the residents for advocating for a tree care worker. I cannot visualize however how the city is going to erase the deficit of 350 lost trees if the city doesn’t get very serious, very fast about significantly increasing funding for more Forest and Beach department staff and trees and tree care once planted until established. City Councils past and present have not had the forethought and energy to improve Carmel’s forest and until they do, the forest will change dramatically if not disappear forever. Unfortunately, this council doesn’t seem predisposed to investing in Carmel; they rather pile up reserve funds and tell everyone what great financial shape Carmel is in, rather shortsighted, I think.
It seems the city does things, when the city does things, in a cart before the horse way. I'm all for a tree care specialist to water, plant and tend trees. But, I also think the city should budget for the implementation of the Coate Reports in phases over years. For example, it makes sense to have a comprehensive survey of all public and private trees so the city can apply for grants and the residents have a better idea of how many trees we have, their ages, etc. In other words, residents need a city government which addresses priorities in a systematic way, not cart before horse ways.
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