WTUFC Contributes Apple Tree to Community Garden

On hand were Jim Tolbert, President of WTUFC, El Paso City Council Representative Emma Acosta, Brent Pearson , Oscar Mestas and members of the Cielo Vista Neighborhood Association

The West Texas Urban Forestry Council (Los Tree Amigos) and the Cielo Vista Neighborhood Association celebrated Texas Arbor Day today by planting a tree in the Community Garden of the Cielo Vista Neighborhood Association. Oscar Mestas, Texas A&M Urban Forester, and Brent Pearson, City of El Paso Arborist, demonstrated the correct way to plant a tree. 

City Arborist, Brent Pearson, finishes planting the apple tree.

On hand to help plant the tree were City Council Representative, Emma Acosta, WTUFC Board President, Jim Tolbert, and WTUFC Treasurer, Joanne Burt.

Jim Tolbert, Brent Pearson, Emma Acosta

Arbor Day was founded in 1872 in  Nebraska. By the 1920s, each state in the United States had passed public laws that stipulated a certain day to be Arbor Day. In Texas, Arbor Day is celebrated every year on the first Friday in November, the best time of year to plant trees in our climate. The customary observance of Arbor Day is to plant a tree. On the first Arbor Day, an estimated one million trees were planted.

Trees produce oxygen and clean the air. A mature leafy tree produces as much oxygen in a season as 10 people inhale in a year. Trees act as a giant filter that cleans the air we breathe. Trees absorb carbon dioxide which promote climate change.

It is the mission of Arbor Day to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees.

The Friday Video: Texas Arbor Day 2015 [The proclamation is well worth listening to.]


For more information:

West Texas Urban Forestry Council (especially tree care page)

EPWU Desert Plant List

City of El Paso Tree Care Manual

City Realignment Benefits Trees

If the Tree Care Manual and Tree Ordinance are now followed by the City of El Paso, practices that damage or destroy trees such as the one depicted here will stop.

Thanks to the dual efforts of West Texas Urban Forestry Council (WTUFC) and elpasonaturally, the City has moved the Arborist position from the Department of Transportation to Planning and Engineering. Aborist, Brent Pearson, will either this week or next begin answering to Fred Lopez and Jim Fisk. 

In an email Brent reported the positive outcomes of this realignment including the resurrection of the Tree Board with a seat for the WTUFC, planting smaller trees thus saving the City money and having a greater variety of trees from which to select, enforcement of the Tree Protection Ordinance and more grants for trees. Pearson pointed out that the office and barn used at the City Tree Farm were donated by the WTUFC. The City now wants to expand that farm and have it available to supply the Capital Improvement Projects.

No doubt elpasonaturally shining a light on the poor tree practices by the engineering department and an almost certain doom of El Paso's beloved holiday tree in the San Jacinto Plaza helped move the city toward this new policy. 

What also was a huge help was a meeting spearheaded by Vern Autry, a board member of WTUFC, with city officials. That recent meeting lasted several hours. During that time WTUFC board members were able to point out the existence of a tree ordinance, the need for a tree board, the use of the city's tree manual and better tree care practices. 

City Parks Director Neither Sought nor Approved Removal of Palms from San Jacinto Plaza

"No Responsive Documents" - that is the official City of El Paso response to this open records request made by me:

"Mr. Novak [Tracy Novak is the City Parks and Recreation Director], The Policy and Standards Manual for the Care of Trees and Shrubs in the City of El Paso 17.1.4 stipulates "in the case of park trees, the Parks and Recreation Department Director approves the removal in writing after consulting with the Project Arborist." The California fan palms were taken from the San Jacinto Park and given to the contractor rather than to the El Paso Tree Farm. Please supply me with all documents (email, letters, etc.) which reveal your consultation with the Project Arborist and/or our City Arborist, Brent Pearson, prior to the removal of the palms. Please also supply a copy of your approval in writing of the removal of those palms."

"No Responsive Documents" means that Mr. Novak failed to approve the removal in writing. There is no record that he consulted with either the Project Manager or our City Arborist.

Why pass ordinances and have policy and standard manuals when City officials just ignore them?

Also read elpasospeak's post today. 

Why tell the truth at all?