Results of Olmsted Tree Survey Released
BUFFALO, THE CITY OF TREES
RESULTS OF OLMSTED PARK TREE INVENTORY RELEASED
The Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy announced today the results of a comprehensive Tree Inventory and Management Plan which will provide the Conservancy valuable insight into the condition of over 11,000 trees in the city’s historic Olmsted Park system.
During an outdoor ceremony by an stand of trees in Delaware Park, representatives of the Conservancy and M&T Bank, which helped fund the survey, heralded the results and stressed that the comprehensive information will help the Conservancy effectively manage and improve the lifespan of thousands of young and old trees growing in the 1200 - acres of Olmsted-designed green space in Buffalo.
The survey revealed that although a majority of the trees growing in the Olmsted parks, parkways and circles are in good or fair condition, 27 percent are in poor condition. Along with a comprehensive inventory, the study provides a management plan for the park system’s trees, with a focus on increased and sustained tree planting, regular pruning and pest management.
By implementing the tree survey’s management plan, the Conservancy aims to restore many of the characteristics of Frederick Law Olmsted’s original vegetation plan, which was conceived in 1868. This management plan is part of a larger Park’s 20-Year Management and Restoration plan, currently in progress.
“The completed tree inventory will be an invaluable asset to the Conservancy as we move forward in our planning efforts. We now know exactly what we are dealing with, in terms of our system’s beautiful trees, keeping them healthy and thriving. This will certainly make for a better park experience,” said Corinne Rice, chair of the Conservancy’s board.
“For many years, Buffalo was known as the City of Trees, due in part to the genius of Olmsted. Six lanes of trees provided an amazing canopy of green beauty along many of the city’s best known parkways – like Bidwell, Lincoln, Richmond, Humboldt, McKinley and McClellan. We at M&T Bank salute that legacy. We are proud to support the Olmsted Parks and the efforts of thousands of community volunteers who are helping to keep the parks clean and healthy now and for future generations,” said Jeffrey Wellington, president of M&T Bank’s Buffalo Region.
Below are some key findings and recommendations of the tree survey:
§ There are over 11,000 trees identified in managed areas. This does not include a large number of trees in wooded areas along streams or in other low-maintenance areas.
§ Cazenovia Park, Delaware Lake, Delaware Meadow, Martin Luther King Jr. Park and South Park, the largest of Buffalo’s Olmsted Parks, have the most trees.
§ The park trees are dominated by maples, oaks, elms, and pines. Norway maple is the most common individual species.
§ The total value of the trees in the Olmsted Park system is $22 million. They also have incredible environmental value – storing over 40 metric tons of carbon, and annually removing four metric tons of air pollutants. The net effect is that trees in Olmsted Parks cool the city, keep energy costs lower, reduce pollution in the air and in the water, and also act as a home to various birds and other wildlife.
§ There is a need for increased and sustained tree plantings.
§ Budgets and maintenance schedules should be developed to remove or prune high-risk trees.
§ Small trees at maturity are a significant part of the parks and should receive periodic pruning.
Portions of the Olmsted Tree Inventory and Management Plan can be found on the Conservancy’s website: http://www. BuffaloOlmstedParks.org. “Our inventory will assist the entire community with its tree management plan,” said Jeff Brett, certified arborist and Olmsted Parks Conservancy staff member.
The community can assist in the Conservancy’s efforts by purchasing a tree to be placed in an Olmsted Park through our Commemorative Gifting Program. Please contact the Conservancy at 838-1249 for more information.
This comprehensive tree survey was made possible with support from M&T Bank. Urban Forestry LLC of Rochester conducted the survey along with Conservancy staff. Additional assistance was provided by the University at Buffalo Urban Design Project. The survey was initiated and completed late in 2005.
The Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy (BOPC) is an independent, not-for-profit, membership-based, community organization whose mission is to promote, preserve, restore, enhance and ensure the maintenance of Olmsted-designed parks and parkways in the Greater Buffalo area now and for future generations. The Conservancy, now in its 28th year, maintains Buffalo’s historic Frederick Law Olmsted-designed Park System, the first of its kind in the nation. In partnership with the community, the Conservancy works to revitalize Delaware, Cazenovia, Front, Martin Luther King, Jr., Riverside and South Parks and their connecting parkways, circles and other spaces. World-renown as the “Father of Landscape Architecture,” Olmsted also designed the Parkside neighborhood, the grounds of the H.H. Richardson Complex, and the Niagara Falls State Park, as well as New York’s Central Park, the grounds of the U.S. Capitol and the White House, Yosemite National Park and famous parks and green spaces throughout North America. To learn more about the Conservancy, call 838-1249 or visit http://www.BuffaloOlmstedParks.org .
WIVB TV Channel 4 is the 2006 Media Sponsor and Barefoot Wine is wine sponsor for the Olmsted Parks Conservancy. |
