The City of Lynchburg’s Department of Public Works was recently awarded funding from the U.S. Forest Service and the Virginia Department of Forestry, through the Inflation Reduction Act, for tree pruning and the installation of 250 new trees in the city.
The structural pruning of over 600 trees has already begun along city streets and properties. These trees were identified as being of critical age and size for pruning. In addition, pruning these trees will likely bolster their long-term success and resilience in Lynchburg’s urban environment.
“Urban forestry is integral to good community planning,” said Nicholas Meyer, Urban Forester and ISA Board Certified Master Arborist with the City of Lynchburg. “Community aesthetics, traffic calming, noise abatement, wildlife habitat, temperature regulation, and increased walkability are all benefits trees give a community.”
Funding from this grant will also allow for the installation of 250 new trees which will enhance the city’s health and beauty, provide cleaner air and help mitigate storm water runoff. Many of the new trees will be located within areas identified in earlier studies as “urban heat islands,” where their shade will offer great benefits in years to come. The planting of these trees will commence in October when conditions are most ideal.
Urban heat islands develop where shade free areas of pavement, sidewalks, and other hard surfaces capture sunlight and are noticeably hotter than other shaded areas. Simply planting a tree goes a long way in helping reduce this effect.
“While we are focused on urban forestry, there are many aspects of the City’s development plans that can utilize green infrastructure,” said Meyer. “Storm water systems, solar technology, suspended pavement systems, and permeable pavement are examples of green infrastructure that the City has made use of at one time or another.”
According to Meyer, the locations for tree planting were pulled from the City’s tree inventory. When trees need to be removed for various reasons, the City will maintain their former location in the inventory system as an “empty planting site” until a new tree can be installed. The City of Lynchburg has a robust landscaping ordinance and the City works to maintain the public streets in a way that adheres to those development standards.
The City has selected 16 different species for the replanting efforts this fall.
“My favorite among these are the ginkgo, thornless honey locust, and Kwanzan Cherry,” Meyer said. “The pruning will enhance the walkability of many streets and the planting will do the same, especially once the new trees are established and providing shade. This pruning is also focused on increased resilience of our existing trees. By making thoughtful pruning cuts today, we can expect added years of beneficial life for these trees.”
Thanks to the pruning efforts, the community should immediately see relief from any issues with low hanging branches, but the long term hope is to see a decrease in tree decline or failure. And with new trees being planted, Meyer says the community will see relief there, too.
“Shade does an amazing job reducing temperatures, even more so in the built environment where pavement and concrete absorb sunlight and build up excess heat,” he said. “While we always ensure the tree species selected will be suitable for the space in which its planted, whenever appropriate we plant larger trees to cash in on as much shade as we can.”
The same inventory system that is used to track trees that have been removed will also be used to track progress of the newly planted trees. The City of Lynchburg hopes to measure success for the trees pruned in terms of added years of beneficial life. Alongside the City, volunteers from Lynchburg Tree Stewards (LTS) will be helping to plant the new trees this fall.
The Lynchburg Tree Stewards is a self-governing organization of trained volunteers concerned with promoting and protecting the health and well-being of the urban forest in the Lynchburg metropolitan area. They work directly with the City of Lynchburg’s Urban Forester on a monthly basis to prune young trees, plant new trees, and promote public awareness.
“One on one engagement is a great way to educate people on the important role trees have in our built environment,” Meyer said. “Lynchburg has been recognized as a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation for 42 years. One of the requirements to receive this recognition is to hold an annual Arbor Day celebration which serves as an opportunity for community engagement. The Lynchburg Tree Stewards have been increasingly active in their mission to help inform people of the many benefits trees provide to us.”
