Trees vs. Solar Panels

A Santa Clara County judge recently ruled in favor of solar panel owners and ordered a Sunnyvale household to cut away two trees which shaded their neighbor’s panels. Given that the trees were planted four years before the installation of the panels, the order shocked many. However, the ruling was based on a State law passed in 1978 mandating the trimming or removal of any trees that grow to block solar panel’s access to sunlight during mid-day hours.

What is wrong with this picture? Apparently, quite a lot, which is why most local media outlets plus others from all over the country, including CNN and the New York Times, ran the story.

Indeed, it is nature’s “air conditioners” (low-tech trees) that have been placed in the shadow of high-tech solar panels, even though trees provide a suite of environmental benefits that can rival those of solar panels. For example, solar panels do the most work during peak summer energy use times: 12 to 6pm. A large portion of these spikes in energy demand is caused by heavy use of air-conditioning systems, which can be reduced or eliminated by planting shade trees. Most everyone can afford to plant a tree in order to save energy, but who can afford the $70,000 solar system above which won out over the trees? Plus, trees do more than save energy: they clean the air, clean our groundwater, protect creeks, buffer noise and glare, increase our property values, provide wildlife habitat and give us a bit of nature in our grey cities.

California State Senator Joe Simitian agrees that the existing law is unfair. His bill, SB 1399, protects all trees planted prior to the installation of a solar panel system (regardless of how big they get) and additionally protects trees planted to replace existing trees that die. Solar panels and trees are both important parts of greening the city, but the new bill provides a more equitable compromise. The bill is scheduled to be heard in the State Senate on April 15th.

This debate provides yet another pressing reason why Our City Forest must continue to promote the enormous environmental value of urban trees. Community solar hubs, along with new technology such as solar paint and window film are all solutions to this issue which will continue to allow both trees and solar energy to play an important role in our qualify of life.

Modern-Day Johnny Appleseed
Visits San Jose

Few of us reach adulthood without hearing the tale of Johnny Appleseed - the generous tree-planting pioneer who traveled early America spreading gifts of fruit and conservation education. While the historical figure may have died in 1845, his spirit lives on in the form of energetic activist Tim Womack. Once an award-winning chef with the lifestyle to match his fast-paced profession, Tim found redemption in the untouched forests of the eastern United States.

It was in Womack’s journey towards personal transformation that he discovered a passion that would change his life. Deep within the virgin track of woodland that is Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest, Tim stumbled upon an inscription of Kilmer’s famous poem Trees. “I think that I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree…” Surrounded by poplars and oaks towering more than 125 feet above him, it was clear to Womack what his life work would become. As Tim says, “The rest is history!”

Now you will find Womack traveling America spreading the word about his love of trees to children and adults. With a unique and unforgettable presentation style that incorporates numerous props, volunteers, and even a water-filled spray bottle, participants are unable to avoid Tim’s passion for trees and the environment.

Thanks to the generous support of Doug Anderson, owner of Anderson Tree Care, three San Jose area schools were fortunate to witness the antics of a modern-day Johnny Appleseed. Students at Kennedy, McKinley, and Summerdale Elementary Schools laughed and shouted through maraca shaking, scarf wearing, and even a little juggling. Those lucky enough to work closely with Womack during his visit may have even received a tiny silver acorn to remind them: even the smallest object can grow into something large and magnificent.

OCF Goes High Tech

With the help of volunteer Matt Hood, Our City Forest is embarking upon a challenging project which will aid in the management and assessment of our urban forest. One goal is to develop a GIS-based inventory for as many of the 42,000 trees OCF has planted as possible. The other goal is to assist the City of San José in inventorying additional street trees. The inventory will include details on tree species, health, size, and location. This information will empower the community in planning for the long-term health of the urban forest. The results will also allow the city to properly value the services the forest provides to the environment and people.

A map of street trees will also increase efficiency in the day-to-day workings at OCF. Data on the condition of street trees will be entered into a GIS (Geographical Information System) program that will display each tree on a map. The map will identify sites where trees are needed, where tree health is a concern, as well as every site OCF has planted. This will also provide a management for planting and maintenance projects.

The tree inventory will also be benefiting the long-term goals of Our City Forest and will likely create new funding opportunities. The same data for tree health, size, and habitat can be entered into a program which calculates the function and value of an urban forest.

The inventory will help OCF analysts put a dollar value on the city’s collective canopy. Such data will assist city leaders in decision-making on behalf of the urban forest. Our City Forest applauds the efforts of volunteer Matt Hood who has been instrumental in moving this project forward.

Brings Change

What Would You Change with $1,000?

This was the question posed by Technology Credit Union (Tech CU) for their Community Change Project, a campaign designed to encourage people to work for positive change in their area. The winning submission suggested planting trees locally to help make an impact globally.

To make this vision a reality, Tech CU worked with Our City Forest volunteers and AmeriCorps members and the community to plant shade trees at Foresthill Elementary School and helped 4th graders at Blackford Elementary to plant trees in celebration of California Arbor Week. As part of their effort to promote community service and greener neighborhoods Tech CU also donated $1,500 to OCF to fund planting projects in the Santa Clara Valley.

Kudos to Tech CU for setting an example for business leadership in going green!

Native Tree Nursery Expanding!

Our City Forest has planted close to 2,000 native seedlings collected the Santa Clara Valley which are now being cultivated at our expanding nursery. The Native Oaks, Bays, Buckeyes and Pines were collected by hand and are growing in various size containers. Our City Forest is expanding operations to fit not only the needs of San José neighborhoods, but also the native plant needs for our riparian corridors.

Why are native plants important? Because these plants are adapted to the drought-prone Mediterranean climate of the Bay Area, once established, they require little to no supplemental water. They are essential for protecting wildlife, birds and insects. Therefore, planting native trees is an important part of creating low-maintenance landscapes which conserve water.

Our City Forest is investigating several different types of greenhouses, ranging from double-paned plastic to glass houses, with a capacity of 2,000 to 10,000 plants. Space is quickly running out at the current Kelley Park location and a new site is needed soon. OCF is seeking new space at other local parks for this important resource for reaching San José’s goal to plant 100,000 trees.

Native trees are nurtured at OCF’s Tree Bank.	Young volunteers getting into the action!

Research Center Issues Bay Area Report

Trees make life more pleasant and are an essential part of city infrastructure. In December 2007, the USDA Center for Urban Forest Research released a study titled “San Francisco Bay Area State of the Urban Forest.” The study contains data and projections on the health and condition of the urban forest in all nine bay area counties, including Santa Clara County.

This report is full of interesting facts for people who live in the Bay area and for anyone who wants to know more about the benefits of trees. Following is a brief summary of facts related to the South Bay:

Between 1980 and 2000 the population in all nine bay area counties has increased 30%, which has resulted in a 73% increase in urban area development.

This increase in urban area has created a small increase in tree canopy coverage of 10%, but has not kept up with the 17% increase in impervious surfaces that has resulted from the urban area development. Increases in impervious surfaces have negative effects on storm water runoff and water quality.

In Santa Clara County, urban land use makes up about 20.7% of the total land. The total tree canopy coverage for the county is 28.9%. This is better than average when you compare it to the total canopy coverage for the entire Bay area which ranges from 15% to 40%.

There are over 10 million trees in Santa Clara County with 51% of them being in residential low density areas. There are many valuable benefits of tree canopy coverage including stormwater runoff reduction, increased property values, improved air quality, carbon dioxide reduction and building energy use savings. It is the sum of benefits from all the trees in a city that is effective in mitigating environmental impacts caused from land development.

The report concludes with recommendations for the future of urban forestry in the Bay Area. A few of the recommendations include: a single regional entity to oversee all urban forest related issues, including trees as an air quality improvement measure in the State’s Implementation Plan, and developing detailed GIS data systems to identify potential planning sites at the parcel scale - a project Our City Forest is currently working on. The Bay area contains an extensive urban forest and is one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United States. With the proper management, the Bay area has the potential to set the standard for the state and the country.

To download the report, click here: www.ourcityforest.org/pdf/SFBayArea_report.pdf