Working with Politicians and the public, a love/hate relationship for many tree officers - Russell Horsey

Working with Politicians and the public, a
  love/hate relationship for many tree officers.

                                     Russell Horsey
woodlanddwelling.org.uk

Canada

woodlanddwelling.org.uk
                          Russell Horsey – Deputy Director

The Role of the Urban Forester
Plant and maintain trees
Managing a portfolio of trees (budgets) and people
Support appropriate tree and forest preservation,
Advocate for the role of trees as urban
infrastructure
Politician ?
Conduct research and promote the many benefits
trees provide ?

                                     woodlanddwelling.org.uk

Friends of the Urban Forest, San Francisco

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC

Epping Forest District Council

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Kensington and Chelsea

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Politics in Kensington and Chelsea

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Bristol
110 sq km
467,000 residents

                    woodlanddwelling.org.uk

Bristol -Victorian Asset

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Risk Management
•    Heath and Safety
•    – maintaining your tree stock in
     a safe condition and in
     accordance with our duty of
     care obligations
•    Subsidence risk

woodlanddwelling.org.uk

Physical Resource Mapping

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Benefits of the Urban Forest
      •   Aesthetic value
      •   Absorb pollutants
      •   Reduce traffic noise
      •   Act as windbreaks or visual screens
      •   Reduce radiation and solar heat gain
      •   The local landscape character

woodlanddwelling.org.uk

Some People Don’t Like Trees
      •   Bird droppings
      •   Blossom and pollen
      •   Aphids
      •   Leaves
      •   TV and Satellite reception
      •   Light
      •   View

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Public perception

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Other Professionals

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Conflicts Between Trees and People

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Threats, risk and challenges
        • Mature to over mature stock
        • Parts of portfolio declining at 2% to 3% per
          annum
        • Highways Species Mix
              – Tilia x europea         - 18.6%
              – Platanus x acerifolia   - 13%
              – Acer platanoidies        - 7%
              – Acer pseudoplatanus      - 4.5%

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www.treebristol.com

                                 www.treebristol.com
woodlanddwelling.org.uk

Good Marketing v Government Jargon

                          www.treebristol.com
woodlanddwelling.org.uk

Right tree, right spacing

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Less Planting, Less Stress

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Involve The Community

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Involve The Community

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Involving Schools and Teachers

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Engage in Politics

           The Mayor, Councillors and Local Schools Kids at
woodlanddwelling.org.uk Recent Planting Day.

Business Involvement

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Promotion/Marketing

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Tree Planting Costs
        •    Average cost of £100.00 a tree
        •    Stakes and Guards £27.00
        •    Planting costs £53.05 to £78.51
        •    Maintenance costs a year £ 63.63
              – Mulching and watering
        • Total establishment costs £330.00 a tree

woodlanddwelling.org.uk

Trees Planted

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New Highways Planting

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Tree Money Pit

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Integrating
      Green
  Infrastructure

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Integrating Green Infrastructure

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2008 Bristol Cycling City - £11.6 million

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Political Engagement

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Greater Bristol Bus Network

     • £42 million project across 4 councils
     • 10 routes of which 8 impact Bristol
     Bath Road (A4)
     Stapleton Road/Fishponds Road (A432)
     Whiteladies Road/Westbury Road (A4018)
     Hotwells Road/Anchor Road (A4)
     Wells Road (A37)
     • £550k Tree Planting

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Brislington Hill

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Bath Road - Elms

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Bath Road - Elms

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Bath Road

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High Quality Design

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A4 Park and Ride

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Fishponds Road

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Tesco Protest/Bristol Riots

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Community Engagement

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Whiteladies Road

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Whiteladies Road

Highway Policy Changes

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Sheffield Tree Protests
        • 25 Year Highways Contract – PFI
        • £2.2 billion pounds

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Sheffield Tree Protests
• 36,000 street trees – 50% to be replaced
• Arrested for blowing toy trumpet
• Importance of Local Press

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Weaponization
          of FOI
      Over 150 for Sheffield
            and Police
       Breaches by SCC on
           data sharing
        18,500 tree felling
              target

                           www.treebristol.com
woodlanddwelling.org.uk

Trees Saved

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Pink Panthers

woodlanddwelling.org.uk        • Photo Credit: STAG

Working Across UK

       •   Photo Credit: Save Our Street Trees
           Northampton & Swansea Tree Forum

Inspire The New Generation ?

   https://savesheffieldtrees.org.uk/
   @russellhorsey
   Russell.horsey@gmail.com

woodlanddwelling.org.uk                 woodlanddwelling.org.uk