Oct 22, 2026 Dallas Park and Recreation Board

[00:00:02]

ALL

[I. Call to Order]

WE NOW CALL THE, UH, OCTOBER 22ND, 2026 PARK BOARD MEETING TO ORDER AT 10:01 AM.

UH, MADAM SECRETARY, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC SPEAKERS? WE DO NOT.

ALL RIGHT.

SO

[III. Ratification of September 17, 2026 Board Action During Technical Outage of the Public Remote Access Link]

I THINK THIS IS BECAUSE OF THE BOARD MEETING THAT WE HAD TO MISS.

WE, WE CANCELED THIS, I THINK IT'S ALREADY GONE TO COUNCIL, GREG? IT HAS, IT'S JUST DONE.

ALL RIGHT.

SO DO WE NEED TO DO THESE INDIVIDUALLY OR DO WE DO IT TOGETHER? YOU CAN DO THEM TOGETHER.

ALL RIGHT.

UH, SO ITEMS ONE AND TWO AS A CONSENT, UM, JUST FOR THE LAWYER TO MAKE SURE THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE.

ANY DISCUSSION? SORRY.

MOVEMENT AND SECOND.

UH, ANY DISCUSSION? YEAH, UH, YES SIR.

I GOT, I, I WAS, DIDN'T WE DO THIS LAST MEETING? THAT'S WHAT I JUST SAID.

WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO? YEAH, PLEASE.

UM, IT WAS A CLERICAL ERROR.

WE DID FIVE OF THE SEVEN.

SO THESE ARE THE, THE TWO THAT WEREN'T ON THE LAST AGENDA TO RATIFY.

SO IT'S JUST A CLERICAL CLEANUP TO PUT THEM ON RECORD.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? AYES HAVE IT.

ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU.

UH,

[IV. Approval of Minutes – October 8, 2026 ]

I HAVE A MOTION.

UH, MR. WOOD SECONDS AGAIN.

UH, ALL THOSE ARE ANY DISCUSSIONS, EXCUSE ME.

ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

AYE.

ANY NAYS? AYE.

[V. CONSENT AGENDA ]

WE NOW HAVE THE GYM FLOORS CITYWIDE, UH, NUMBER THREE.

WE HAVE A MOTION.

MS. MONDELL, SECOND MR. KARIMY.

ANY DISCUSSION ON GYM FLOORS? ALL RIGHT.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

AYE.

OPPOSED? AYE.

NICE TO HAVE IT.

ALL RIGHT,

[VI.4. Woodall Rodgers Park Foundation – Klyde Warren Park (14) – Authorize (1) an amendment of the Interlocal Agreement (ILA No.1) between the Regional Transportation Council (RTC), the North Central Texas Council of Governments, and the City of Dallas, joined and consented to by the Woodall Rodgers Park Foundation (WRPF) to (a) acknowledge an increase in the RTC’s approved Surface Transportation Block Grant Funds dedicated for the expansion of Klyde Warren Park Phase 2 (KWP2) located at 2012 Woodall Rodgers Freeway, in an amount not to exceed $14,648,437.00 from $30,000,000.00 to $44,648,437.00, (b) amend the WRPF and City Center Tax Increment Financing District repayment dates; and (c) include WRPF in cost savings in the case of cost underruns; and (2) execution of the amended Interlocal Agreement including all terms, conditions, and documents required by the agreement - Financing: No cost consideration to the City (Considered by Planning & Design Committee on October 22, 2026) ]

SECOND MS. MONDELL.

ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM? MS. MONDELL.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. CHAIR.

I JUST WANNA, UM, COMMEND THE WHOEVER IS BEING SO SAVVY IN RE - IN FINDING MONEY TO, UM, REALLY FUND THESE SOURCES WHERE THERE IS, UM, MOVEMENT IN OUR CITY TO EXPAND SOMETHING.

UM, AND IT'S NOT COMING OUT OF THE TAXPAYER'S MONEY AND IT'S COMING OUT OF FUNDING THAT IS OUT THERE SOMEWHERE IN SOME, YOU KNOW, PLACE THAT PEOPLE ARE TAPPING INTO.

SO JUST IT'S GREAT FOR CLYDE WARREN PARK, IT'S GREAT FOR THE CITY AT LARGE.

UM, YOU KNOW, CLYDE WARREN PARK REALLY IS A MECCA OF DIVERSITY.

UM, AND, AND TO REALLY SEE THIS EXPANSION IS EXCITING, UM, AND TO BE ABLE TO USE MONEY THAT'S, THAT'S OUT THERE THAT IS RESOURCEFUL, THAT IS NOT COMING OUT OF THE AND IT'S COMING OUT OF SOMEBODY ELSE'S JUST, THE INCENTIVES ARE, ARE WONDERFUL AND WHO'S EVER DOING IT, WHO'S EVER PART OF THAT INITIATIVE.

SO THANK YOU.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU.

MS. MONDELL, ANY OTHER, UH, ANY OTHER SPEAKERS? ALL RIGHT.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

ANY OPPOSED?

[VII.5. Conservation Management Update – Steven R. Baker, Assistant Director ]

GOOD MORNING.

STEVE BAKER, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR WITH PARK MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS.

I'M HERE WITH, UH, BRETT JOHNSON WHO WILL BE PROVIDING A CONSERVATION UPDATE FOR US TODAY.

THANK YOU.

SO WE APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT TO THE BOARD AND GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF THE, THE STEPS THAT DEPARTMENT MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS, UH, DIVISION'S BEEN TAKING HERE IN THE LAST, SINCE OUR LAST UPDATE.

THANK YOU.

[00:05:01]

I'M THE, UH, SUPERINTENDENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY, AKA CONSERVATION MANAGER.

UH, TODAY WE'LL BE DOING A HIGH LEVEL, UH, LOOK OF THE CONSERVATION PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN GOING ON IN THE LAST, UH, YEAR.

SOME OF Y'ALL MAY BE AWARE AND SAW, MAY HAVE SEEN PART OF THIS PRESENTATION, UH, AT THE BIT OF AN ADDITION TO IT.

PLEASE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

SO TODAY WE'LL BE GOING OVER, UH, THE ECOLOGICAL COMPLEXITY OF OUR PROJECTS, THE OPERATIONAL REALITIES THAT MATCH UP WITH THOSE ECOLOGICAL COMPLEXITY AND THE THOUGHT PROCESS AND, UH, DECISION MAKING THAT WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH ON, UH, PUTTING TOGETHER THESE PROJECTS.

AND ALSO PROVIDING A VERY QUICK, UH, UPDATES ON THE URBAN FORESTRY, UH, PROGRAM.

THROUGHOUT THIS TIME WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, WHEN I SAY TOP CHOICES, WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT HOW WE BUILD VOLUNTEERS, HOW WE INCORPORATE MECHANICAL TREATMENTS, CHEMICAL TREATMENTS, GRAZING HERBICIDES, AND I DO GET ASKED ABOUT CHRONIC FIRE QUITE A BIT, SO I WILL, UH, BRIEFLY GO OVER THAT.

IN THE END, THE ULTIMATE PART OF THE CONVERSATION IS HOW DO WE CHOOSE THE RIGHT TOOL FOR THE RIGHT JOB? NEXT SLIDE.

SO ONE OF OUR BIGGEST CHALLENGES IS OFTEN LOOKING AT BALANCING ECOLOGY VERSUS EXPECTATIONS.

FOR THOSE THAT MAY BE NEW TO WORKING WITH ME, JUST UNDERSTAND MY BACKGROUND.

I AM A CERTIFIED WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST.

I'M A FORMER WILDLAND FIREFIGHTER, BUT I'M ALSO A PARK MANAGER AT THIS TIME.

SO I HAVE TO LOOK AT ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT, UM, ASPECTS WHEN I AM LOOKING AT SOMETHING LIKE DEALING WITH PRIVET.

AS A WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST, I MAKE NO BONES ABOUT IT.

PRIVET DOES NOT MAKE GOOD WILDLIFE HABITAT, PERIOD.

AS A FORMER WHEN I LOOK AT PRIVET, DEPENDING ON THE CONDITIONS, I SEE SOMETHING THAT UNDER IDEAL CONDITIONS, I CAN ALMOST USE PRIVET AS A FIREBREAK.

WOULD YOU GIVE A HIGH WINDOW COMMUNITY AND SUDDENLY I'VE GOT SOMETHING THAT CAN BURN VERY HOT AND VERY FAST.

BUT THEN AS A PARK MEMBER, STEP BACK AND LOOK AT WHAT IS THE HISTORY AND WHY, WHY IS THAT PRIVET THERE? WHY IS THAT ELEPHANTEER THERE? WHY IS THAT BAMBOO THERE? YOU GO BACK AND LOOK AT SOME OF OUR OLD RECOMMENDED PLANTING PLANS ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE 1930S, AND PRIVET WAS AS A RECOMMENDED PLANTING SPECIES.

IT'S REALLY GOOD AT PROVIDING PRIVACY.

THAT'S WHAT IT WAS ORIGINALLY PLANTED FOR.

IN 1920 AND 1930, WE DIDN'T REALIZE THE INVASIVE ASPECT OF IT.

WE DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE INVASIVE ASPECT OF BAMBOO.

WE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND HOW ELEPHANTEERS CAN TAKE OVER A RIPARIAN AREA.

WE DO NOW.

SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ALL OUR DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS, THEY ALL HAVE DIFFERENT PRIORITIES AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I HAVE TO ASSESS AND MY STAFF HAS TO ASSESS WHEN WE DO THIS PROJECT.

IN THE END, I'M SURE ALL OF Y'ALL UNDERSTAND THE PLANTS ARE THE EASY PART BECAUSE Y'ALL ARE GETTING A LOT OF THE SAME PHONE CALLS.

NEXT.

SO IN THE LAST YEAR BETWEEN VOLUNTEER EFFORTS, STAFF EFFORTS AND OUR LOCAL PARTNERS, WE REMOVED ABOUT FIVE ACRES OF RIVET LAST YEAR.

OKAY? NOW IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF A PARK SYSTEM THAT HAS OVER 20,000 ACRES, FIVE ACRES MAY NOT SOUND LIKE MUCH, BUT I WANT TO ASK YOU IN HUMAN PERSPECTIVE, FIVE ACRES IS EFFECTIVELY FIVE FOOTBALL FIELDS.

SO WHEN YOU'RE STANDING THERE, AND I KNOW SOME OF Y'ALL HAVE COME OUT HERE AND WORKED WITH US ON THESE PROJECTS, THAT'S DAUNTING.

WHETHER WE ARE USING A MULCHER THAT OUR STAFF IS USING THAT GRINDS IT UP REAL QUICK OR WE'RE HAVING VOLUNTEERS COME IN AND CUT IT, STAFF COME IN AND CUT IT, OR WE HAVE OUTSIDE PARTNERS THAT COME IN AND POP THE, UH, ROOT WADS ON IT, THAT'S FIVE FOOTBALL FIELDS.

NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT THE OPERATIONAL REALITIES.

THIS IS THE OPERATIONAL CHALLENGE WE HAVE WHEN WE CUT IT AND WE POP ROOTS.

WE'VE GOT TO DEAL WITH IT THEN.

WE NOW KNOW FROM OUR DATA THAT ONE ACRE OF PRIVET, IF WE HAVE TO HAUL IT OFF, REPRESENTS 21 DUMP TRUCK LOADS OF BRUSH.

SO THAT FIVE ACRES REPRESENTS 105 DUMP TRUCK LOADS THAT OUR STAFF HAD TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DEAL WITH THE LOGISTICS ON.

NEXT SLIDE.

[00:10:03]

WE START LOOKING AT ALL THESE DIFFERENT TOOLS THAT ARE AVAILABLE.

IF YOU WOULD PLEASE, UH, CLICK ON THE, THE LEFT SIDE AND START THE VIDEO SO I CAN REALIZE WE'RE DOING ABOUT TWO ACRES TODAY.

THIS IS JUST ONE OF OUR MOST RECENT, UH, OPERATION GOATS.

UH, THIS WAS DONE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PRINCE NORTH HAVEN TRAIL, UM, THAT JUST WRAPPED UP, UH, EARLIER THIS MONTH.

UH, LAST YEAR, UH, BETWEEN PARK OPERATIONS PARTNERS WORKING WITH DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, UM, WE HAD APPROXIMATELY 150 ACRES ACROSS THE CITY THAT WE RAN GOATS THROUGH.

OUR BIGGEST, HIGH, MOST HIGH PROFILE, UH, PROJECT WAS AT WHITE ROCK.

WE HAD SIX DIFFERENT PROJECTS LAST YEAR THAT WE WERE INCREASINGLY INCREASING THE, UH, VISIBILITY AND CHALLENGES OF OPERATION GOAT.

AND WE GOT TO WORK WITH EVERYTHING FROM, UH, THE UNSHELTERED TAKING OUR FENCE ONE MORNING TO HEAVY RAINSTORMS TO GET TO WHITE ROCK AND WE HAVE ONE OF THE BEST CONSERVATION OUTREACH PROGRAMS YOU CAN IMAGINE.

WE HAD ANYWHERE BETWEEN 500 AND 1000 PEOPLE EVERY DAY OUT LOOKING AT THE GOATS.

SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I JUST WANT Y'ALL TO SEE.

LIKE I SAID, WE DID ABOUT 23 ACRES AT WHITE ROCK AND WE DID ABOUT 150 ACRES TOTAL.

NEXT SLIDE WITH SOME OF THE LESSONS.

SO WHAT DID WE LEARN? COMMUNICATION IS CRITICAL.

UH, WHETHER THAT'S WITHIN STAFF, UH, GETTING THE MESSAGE OUT, BUT REALLY IT'S GETTING TO THE COMMUNITY.

UH, AS FAR AS BALD EAGLES AND THE GOAT OPERATIONS, UH, LAST YEAR, OURSELVES AND THE URBAN BIOLOGISTS, UH, STARTED OUR CONSERVATION CONVERSATIONS.

WE WERE OUT THERE EVERY MORNING AND EVERY AFTERNOON ON THURSDAYS AND WE WOULD GO OVER WHY THE GOATS WERE THERE, HOW THEY INTERACTED WITH CAME UP, BUT ALSO MAKING SURE WE COMMUNICATED THE EXPECTATIONS BECAUSE THE REALITY IS THE WORLD OF THE GOAT GOES UP TO ABOUT FOUR AND A HALF FEET TALL.

WHEN THEY'RE IN THERE, THEY'RE GONNA STRIP OUT EVERYTHING THAT IS GREEN UP TO FOUR AND A HALF FEET TALL.

BUT WHAT THAT DOES DO IS IT OPENS UP THE VISIBILITY.

THOSE GOATS GOING THROUGH THERE, THEY'RE BREAKING UP ALL THE UNDERSTORY IN THERE THAT IF YOU HAD A, YOU KNOW, IF WE DID HAVE A FIRE POTENTIALLY GETTING STARTED THERE, THAT MATRIX DOWN BELOW THE CANOPY IS NOW BROKEN.

SO IT REDUCES OUR FIRE HAZARD.

BUT FOR US, THE MAIN THING IS THE GOATS OPEN UP THE VISIBILITY AND ACCESS TO WHERE OTHER, UH, TOOLS CAN BE APPLIED, WHETHER THAT'S VOLUNTEERS, WHETHER THAT'S FEEDING STAFF, OR MAKING SURE THAT THE PERSON OPERATING THE FORESTRY MULCHER CAN ACTUALLY SEE WHERE THEY'RE GOING.

THAT IS WHAT THOSE GOATS ARE GOOD FOR.

BUT I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH.

WHEN WE'RE DEALING WITH ANY OF THESE INVASIVE SPECIES, RARELY IS ONE TREATMENT OR ONE MANAGEMENT STYLE GOING TO WORK.

IT'S TYPICALLY GONNA REQUIRE, UH, UH, TWO AND THREE DIFFERENT, UH, MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES.

NEXT SLIDE.

ONE OF THOSE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES THAT I DO GET ASKED ABOUT AND HAS NOT BEEN UTILIZED, UH, IN DALLAS TODAY IS PRESCRIBED FIRE.

UH, IT IS THE NEWS QUITE A BIT BECAUSE THE CITY OF FORT WORTH, PLANO AND AUSTIN, THEY ALL DO A FAIR AMOUNT OF, OF, UH, PRESCRIBED BURNS.

UH, IT'S A GREAT WAY OF, OF REDUCING FUELS.

IT HELPS SUPPORT THE LOCAL ECOSYSTEMS, IMPROVES THE LANDSCAPE RESILIENCE AND OF COURSE WITH GROWING WILDFIRE CONCERNS FROM OTHER INVASIVE SPECIES AND JUST CHANGING CLIMATE CONDITIONS IN THE AREA.

WILDFIRE IS GOING TO BECOME A BIG CONCERN IN THIS AREA AND THIS IS ONE OF THE TOOLS FOR ADDRESSING THAT.

BUT WHAT MAKES IT CHALLENGING, ESPECIALLY FOR DALLAS, IS THE SMOKE MANAGEMENT.

UH, ALL ACROSS DALLAS, MOST OF OUR AREAS, UH, IF WE WERE EVER TO, UH, BE ABLE TO DO PRESCRIBED FIRE, UH, WE WOULD HAVE A SIGNIFICANT ISSUE DEALING WITH THE SMOKE MANAGEMENT BETWEEN ROADS AND SOFT TARGETS.

UH, I WILL SAY IN THE LAST YEAR, IN ONE OF OUR, ACTUALLY IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, UH, WE HAVE HAD A FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT, UH, BUT LOW INTENSITY GRASS FIRE IN TWO DIF - TWO DIFFERENT LOCATIONS.

AND HONESTLY, I COULD NOT HAVE ASKED FOR A BETTER PRESCRIBED FIRE.

IT WAS NOT A PRESCRIBED FIRE, BUT THE EFFECTS WERE NICE.

SO IT'S SOMETHING WE LOOKED AT.

AND AGAIN, AS WE ALL KNOW, SMOKE WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING CREATES OPPOSITION.

UH, IT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON GETTING STAFF TRAINED AND GETTING THE PUBLIC INFORMATION TALKING ABOUT.

NEXT SLIDE.

IN THE END, MANAGING THE EXPECTATIONS IS HARD.

[00:15:02]

WE, WE UNDERSTAND THAT IT WILL TAKE, UH, OUR INVASIVE SPECIES, IT TYPICALLY TAKES, LIKE I SAID, AT LEAST TWO, SOMETIMES THREE DIFFERENT, UH, TREATMENT METHODS.

AND TYPICALLY WE ARE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT THREE TO FIVE GROWING SEASONS TO REALLY GET A HANDLE ON STUFF.

SO IT IS NOT A, UNDERSTANDING IS NOT A ONE AND DONE.

THERE IS NO SILVER BULLET TOOL.

NEXT.

OUR END GOAL, THE TOOL IS NOT THE GOAL.

OUR END GOAL IS MAKING SURE WE ARE APPLYING THE RIGHT TOOL AT THE RIGHT TIME, AND THAT INVOLVES ONE OF THE BIGGEST TOOLS WE HAVE IS COMMUNICATION AND EDUCATION, UM, THAT WE'RE RUNNING.

AND ALSO UNDERSTANDING THAT OUR PARTNERSHIPS AND COMMUNICATION CAN GREATLY EXPAND OUR CAPACITY A LOT OF TIMES WAY FASTER THAN OUR BUDGETS.

OUR VOLUNTEER WORK FOSTERS STEWARDSHIP, UH, WITH OUR VOLUNTEERS.

I'M GONNA PIVOT FOR JUST A SECOND AND GIVE Y'ALL A VERY QUICK UPDATE ON THE TREE INVENTORY THAT WAS CONDUCTED IN 2025.

UM, FOR OUR PART IN 2025, UH, WE DID APPROXIMATELY, UH, 23,500 TREES ACROSS THE PARK SYSTEM.

WE, UH, GOT 40 PARKS, UH, DONE.

THIS WAS DONE SMART INVENTORY SYSTEM.

PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT EACH TREE THAT WAS INVENTORIED HAD BETWEEN 15 AND 20,000 DATA POINTS THAT WERE COLLECTED ON THOSE TREES.

THIS IS NOT SIMPLY A MATTER OF GETTING, COUNTING TREES.

THIS IS GETTING THEIR EXACT LOCATION.

THIS IS GETTING THE SPECIES, THIS IS GETTING THE CONDITIONS SO THAT WE CAN IDENTIFY OUR MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES AND PRIORITIES AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

UH, JUST A QUICK OVERVIEW.

WE GOT DOWNTOWN, WE GOT WHITE ROCK LAKE.

IN THE MAINTAINED AREAS AROUND WHITE ROCK LAKE, WE HAD 6,400 TREES THAT GOT INVENTORIED.

OKAY? ALSO, WE GOT FAIR PARK DONE, GLENDALE DONE, KEIST, AND REVERSON.

AND WE GOT NEARLY ALL OF OUR CENTENNIAL PARKS BECAUSE I DO HAVE A CONCERN THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD, A LOT OF OUR CENTENNIAL PARKS, THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN AROUND SINCE 19, 20 YEARS BEFORE, WE HAVE TREE CANOPIES THAT ARE EXTREMELY MATURE THAT WE NEED TO BE PLANTING ON SUCCESSION PLANTS.

UM, AGAIN, THE, WE ALSO, UH, GET THE EXACT LOCATION.

WE GET THE SPECIES AND WE GET WHAT THEY CALL A 4D SCAN OF THE TREE.

NEXT SLIDE.

BUT THIS IS ONE OF THE KIND OF INFORMATION WE END UP GETTING.

ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, I DID FORGET TO MENTION THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME OUT OF IT IS WE IDENTIFIED THERE'S 323 TREES IN THE MAINTAINED AREA, ASH TREES IN THE MAINTAINED AREAS OF WHITE ROCK LAKE, AND WE WILL LOSE ALL OF THOSE IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS.

OKAY? AND THAT'S IN ADDITION TO OUR USUAL TREES IN DECLINE.

BUT AS WE CONTINUE ON, WE KNOW WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT THESE TREES AS BOTH A ASSET AND A LIABILITY BECAUSE RIGHT NOW AS IT STANDS, THEIR STANDING VALUE AT WHITE ROCK ALONE IS OVER 20 MIL - 20 MILLION DOLLARS IS THE VALUE AND SERVICES FOR THOSE TREES.

THAT'S 6,440 TREES.

EACH TREE HAS A STANDING VALUE OF OVER $3,000.

NEXT SLIDE.

WELL, WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE ON EACH TREE THAT WE GOT DONE THROUGH THE EXPORT INVENTORY? WE GET THESE, UH, THE 4D IMAGE SCANS THAT WE CAN LOOK AT.

AND I JUST WANTED Y'ALL TO SEE THIS REAL QUICK.

THIS IS BY VALUE, THE MOST VALUABLE TREE AT WHITE ROCK LAKE.

AND IF YOU DRIVE BY IT, IT IS THE MOST MUNDANE KEY TREE.

OKAY? BUT THAT LIVE OAK TREE RIGHT THERE IS WORTH ALMOST $29,000 BY ITSELF.

IT'S A MULTI-STEP TREE.

IT'S ABOUT, UH, 63 FEET TALL.

AND THAT'S ONE OF OVER 6,000 TREES WE GOT DONE AT WHITE ROCK LAKE.

WHAT DID IT ALSO TELL US? WELL, WE ALSO KNOW WE HAVE ABOUT 800 VERY MATURE PECAN TREES THAT TELL ME, YOU KNOW, THE LAST SIX WEEKS WE START SEEING THESE LARGE BODY FAILURES AND LARGE LIMB FIGURES.

THAT'S WHERE WE CAN IDENTIFY.

THAT TOLD US THAT WE HAVE OVER 300 ASH TREES AROUND WHITE ROCK LAKE THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE LOSING IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS.

IT ALSO TOLD US WE'VE GOT MULTIPLE, CLOSE TO A THOUSAND COTTONWOODS THAT ARE VERY LARGE AT WHITE ROCK.

SO THAT, NEXT SLIDE.

HOPE Y'ALL GOT A FEW THINGS

[00:20:01]

I WILL, UH, ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS Y'ALL MAY HAVE.

UH, I DO HAVE, UH, MY FORESTRY OPERATION MANAGER, THE URBAN BIOLOGIST AND OUR FORESTRY ON STANDBY ALSO.

ALL RIGHT.

QUESTIONS, MR. YOUNG.

I WANT TO START BY COMMENDING YOU FOR THE WORK YOU'RE DOING.

UM, YOU HAVE OBVIOUS EXPERTISE, BUT THE JOB REQUIRES A WHOLE LOT MORE THAN EXPERTISE.

IT REQUIRES PROFESSIONALISM, WHICH YOU HAVE AND A KNACK FOR COMMUNITY RELATIONS.

ALL THAT WORKS TOGETHER TO BUILD A REPUTATION AND THE REPUTATION OF THE COMMUNITY IS OUTSTANDING.

AND AS A RESULT OF THAT, YOUR CREDIBILITY IS OUTSTANDING.

PARTICULAR EXAMPLES OF THAT INCLUDE THE EAGLES AND ALL THE CHALLENGES THAT THEY'VE PRESENTED.

WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT MANY TIMES.

AND THEN JUST THE GENERAL, UH, TREE MAINTENANCE PROCESS, INCLUDING BRUSH REMOVAL, UH, THE GOATS AT WHITE ROCK LAKE, THE, UH, AFTER GOAT PRIVATE PARTY.

A LOT OF PEOPLE ENJOYED THAT AND FELT LIKE IT GAVE THEM HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE IN HELPING TO PROTECT THE PARK AND GAVE THEM A GREATER APPRECIATION FOR THE CHALLENGES THAT YOU FACE.

WE'VE GOT SOME OF THOSE COMING UP IN THE FUTURE.

PRINCIPLE AMONG THOSE ARE THE EMERALD ASHBOR.

AND THAT'S GONNA REQUIRE NOT ONLY RESOURCE ALLOCATION, BUT COMMUNITY RELATIONS AS WELL.

I THINK WE'VE DONE A GOOD JOB OF EDUCATING THE PUBLIC SO FAR, BUT WE'VE GOT A LOT MORE WORK TO DO ON THAT.

AND OTHER GENERAL, UH, TREE ISSUES AND OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS AS WE GO.

SO I THINK WE'VE IDENTIFIED THE RIGHT WAY TO GO ABOUT IT AND LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ON, UH, FUTURE PROJECTS.

THANK YOU.

THANKS.

MR. NORA.

OH, THANK YOU.

UH, SO APPRECIATE YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT Y'ALL DO.

SO, UH CONSERVATION AND, UM, PRESERVATION.

SO A COUPLE QUESTIONS.

NOW YOU SAID THE 6,000 TREES OF WHITE ROCK ARE GOING AWAY.

NO.

SO, UH, THAT WHEN I, UH, THAT WAS SPECIFIC, THAT COMMENT WAS SPECIFIC TO THE EMERALD ASHBOARD AND THE ASH TREES.

OKAY.

UM, WE ARE IN YEAR THREE OF HAVING EMERALD ASHBOARD IN DALLAS.

AND LAST YEAR IT WAS DETERMINED WE HAD, WE DETECTED EAB AT, UH, 12 OUT OF 13 MONITORING TRAPS.

AND SO WE KNOW WE HAVE CITY-WIDE COVERAGE OF EMERALD ASHBORE.

AND IF WE FOLLOW THE TREND THAT ALL OTHER CITIES, UH, HAVE SEEN, UH, USUALLY BETWEEN YEAR THREE AND YEAR SIX, YOU LOSE APPROXIMATELY 90% OF YOUR ASH TREES.

AND BETWEEN YEAR, UH, SIX AND YEAR 10, YOU'RE UP TO 99% LOSS.

OKAY.

DID YOU EXPLAIN WHY THEY, HOW, HOW, WHY THERE, UH, HOW THAT LOSS HAPPENS? THEY, EMERALD ASHBORE ATTACKS ASH TREES AT ALL STAGES OF LIFE, WHETHER IT'S GOING AFTER THE YOUNG SPRINGS, UH, THE ADULTS WILL EAT THE LEAVES ON THE ASH TREES AND THEN, UH, THE LARVA AND THE ASH THEY GO THROUGH AND THEY CARVE HOLES ALL THROUGH THE CAMBIUM LAYER AND EFFECTIVELY BURN THE TREES.

THE BRAND IS LIKE A LITTLE BEETLE? IT'S A LITTLE BEETLE, YES.

YEAH, IT'S A LITTLE GREEN METALLIC BEETLE.

IT ONLY ATTACKS ASH TREES, BUT WE DO KNOW THAT MAKES UP ABOUT, UH, 5% OF OUR OKAY.

UH, AND MY NEXT QUESTION IS, WHAT MAKES THESE TREES COST MUCH? IS IT THE IRRIGATION PROCESS, THE...

UH, FOR OUR PLANTED TREES OR THE ONES THAT.

YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S THE STANDING BACK.

THAT, THAT IS AT THEIR CURRENT MATURE STATUS.

THAT IS WHAT THOSE TREES PROVIDE IN ECONOMICAL SERVICES, WHETHER IT'S AIR FILTERING THE AIR, WHETHER IT'S.

UH, NOW WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PLANTING TREES, THAT IS OUR BIGGER CHALLENGE WHEN IT COMES TO TREES IS DEALING WITH IRRIGATION.

OKAY.

APPRECIATE YOU.

MR. MCGANN? NOT TAYLOR OR FANYA.

SORRY, JUST MAKING SURE I'M NOT SPEAKING.

IT'S ALL RIGHT.

WELL, NO, YOU WERE HURT.

OKAY, HAPPY TO.

I, I WILL KEEP ON THE PRAISE.

I'VE, I'VE WORKED WITH AND ALONGSIDE BRAD AND CHRIS AND THE WHOLE TEAM ON MANY DIFFERENT PROJECTS AND REALLY APPRECIATE THE PASSION AND THE PERSISTENCE AND THE PATIENCE THAT YOU BRING TO THE JOB THAT YOU DO.

[00:25:01]

I'LL COMMEND YOU FOR GIVING IT THERE AND, AND SPREADING THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE WORK THAT YOU DO.

AND AGAIN, THE WAY YOU APPROACH THAT WORK WITH PEOPLE FROM ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY MAKING DALLAS PROUD.

UM, I JUST, YOU KNOW, AS SOMEBODY WHO HAS SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN, UM, DISASTER AREAS, SPECIFICALLY FOCUSED ON URBAN FOREST RECOVERY, I, I WANT TO STATE FOR EVERYBODY THAT OFTENTIMES YOU DO NOT KNOW THE VALUE OF THE TREES YOU HAVE UNTIL THEY ARE GONE.

AND ONCE THEY ARE GONE, THEY CANNOT BE REBUILT.

YOU WILL NOT LIVE TO SEE TREES AS LARGE AS THE ONES THAT WE ARE JUST TALKING ABOUT THAT WE'RE GONNA LOSE AND THESE, THESE TREES IN OUR CENTENNIAL PARKS, THEY GROW AT A RATE THAT IS BEYOND THE HUMAN LIFESPAN.

SO ONCE YOU HAVE THAT KNOWLEDGE, IT'S TOO LATE.

AND THE WHOLE POINT OF THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING IS TO GET AHEAD OF THAT LOSS SO THAT WE DON'T FEEL IT IN SUCH A DRAMATIC FASHION.

AND THE, THE TREE ASSESSMENT, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SOME FEELINGS ABOUT THAT AND HOW MUCH IT COSTS AND HOW THINGS WORK.

THAT IS AN INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT AND USEFUL TOOL, UH, FOR US TO HAVE AND UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF THE URBAN FOREST.

YOU KNOW, WE, WE ARE FINALLY IN THE MODE OF TALKING ABOUT HOW WE HAVE THE LARGEST URBAN HARBOR FOREST IN THE UNITED STATES AND WE'RE PROUD OF THAT.

THE TREES PROVIDE ENORMOUS BENEFIT TO OUR COMMUNITY, UM, IN EVERY, IN EVERY PART OF THE CITY AND ESPECIALLY IN SOUTHEAST DALLAS WHERE THEY ARE TRULY A TREASURE.

UM, SO, YOU KNOW, THE, THE IDEA THAT THESE TREES HAVE VALUE AS THEY ARE IN THE REPLACEMENT COSTS, THAT HAS, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN DONE REASONABLY TO MONETIZE THEM SO THAT PEOPLE CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT THEIR VALUE IS AS OPPOSED TO THEM JUST BEING PRETTY OR OPTIONAL.

AND THAT THEY ARE CREATING BENEFITS THAT IF THE TREE CANOPY DID NOT EXIST, WE WOULD BEAR THE BRUNT OF THOSE COSTS FROM INCREASED HEATING, COOLING, STORM WATER MANAGEMENT, CARBON SEQUESTRATION AND EVERYTHING ELSE.

SO I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THAT FORWARD, EXPLAINING THOSE THINGS TO US AND TO THE PUBLIC FOR DOING THIS WORK, FOR DEFENDING IT AND FOR BEING CHAMPIONS OF OUR GREEN SPACES IN THE CITY OF DALLAS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

AND BY THE WAY, LAST COMMENT, EAB HAS BEEN COMING FOR DECADES.

THIS DIDN'T JUST POP UP IN DALLAS.

WE HAVE KNOWN THIS WAS COMING.

THERE WERE PLANS WRITTEN ABOUT THIS YEARS AGO, DECADES AGO FOR WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT.

AND WE'RE NOW JUST FACING WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE SUBJECTED TO.

BUT THIS STARTED IN CANADA, IT'S BEEN COMING HERE FOR A LONG TIME.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

UM, IF I WENT OUT OF ORDER, I APOLOGIZE, MR. TWAINS.

I, I APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATIONS.

I REMEMBER PRESENTATION FIRST START TELLING EVERYBODY START PLANTING TREES RIGHT NOW.

UM, BECAUSE SOME OF THE ISSUES, LIKE YOU WERE SAYING, YOU DON'T KNOW THAT'S A LOT OF THE TREES THAT'S ON THE GREAT TRAIN FOREST, RIGHT? YES.

THAT COULD CAUSE MAJOR FLOODING, ALL KIND OF THINGS.

UH, WHEN THOSE TREES ARE, IT RUNS ITS FULL COURSE.

SO I GUESS MAYBE IN ANOTHER CONVERSATION, JUST FIGURING HOW, HOW MUCH HAVE WE LOST ALREADY AND WHAT SHOULD WE HAVE ANTICIPATED SPECIFICALLY, UM, SPECIFICALLY IN THE GREAT TRAINING AND ALSO CAN WE GET CONTROL OF THE ASH BOARD OR IS IT LIKE OKAY.

SO, UH, OUR PARTNERS WITH DW, UH, WHILE WE HAD THE INVENTORY WENT ON, UH, DW HAD A TRADITIONAL INVENTORY GOING ON IN AREAS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.

UM, PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS OF THAT DATA LOOKS THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT BETWEEN 24 AND 28% OF THE CANOPY ASH.

AND YES, WE WILL BE LOOKING AT THE COST OF THAT, UH, IN THE NEXT SIX YEARS.

AND SO THAT ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT IS SPECIFICALLY PRESENTED BY ASH TREES IS ONCE THEY DIE AND THEY START TO GO INTO DECLINE, THEY DO TURN BRITTLE EXTREMELY QUICKLY.THAT'S OUR MAIN CONCERN IN THE PARKS DEPARTMENT ALONG OUR TRAILS AND WHY WE HAVE STARTED BEST WE CAN.

UM, BUT LIKE I SAID, WE DO KNOW UH, FIVE MILE, 10 MILE OF WHITE ROCK AND TREES.

AND TO YOUR POINT, IF WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT, WE DO FOLLOW THE TEXAS FOREST SERVICE, UH, TEXAS FOREST SERVICE'S RECOMMENDATION, WHICH IS THEIR SMASH PROGRAM, WHICH IS TO MONITOR AND, AND REMOVE AS, AS POSSIBLE.

WE DO GO THROUGH AND WE HAVE IDENTIFIED WE HAVE SEVERAL, WELL

[00:30:01]

WE CAN TREAT THEM, BUT UNDERSTAND THOSE TREATMENTS ARE BETWEEN 275 TO 450 DOLLARS A TREE AND HAVE TO BE DONE EVERY TWO YEARS BASED AND IT'S DONE ON THE DIAMETER OF THE TREE.

SO TWO FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS.

ARE WE PLANTING MORE TREES NOW? NO, WE'RE NOT PLANTING ASH TREES.

JUST REPLACING THE TREES AND THEN I REMEMBER THERE WAS LIKE A TREE QUARANTINE.

ARE WE STILL IN THERE? OKAY.

THE TREE QUARANTINE IS SPECIFIC TO THE ASH TREES AND SOME ASSOCIATED HARDWOODS.

SO YES, ANYTHING WE TAKE DOWN NOW HAS TO STAY WITHIN THE COUNTY WHICH IS FINE.

LANDFILL.

AND THEN UM, AS FAR AS UH, LIKE I SAID, THE TREATMENTS GO.

THOSE HIGH PROFILE TREES REALLY IS THE ONES WHERE IF THAT TREE COMES OUT, IS IT ONLY TREE IN THE PARK OR IS IT A PREDOMINANT TREE? WOULD YOU NOTICE THOSE TREES YES.

I WAS TRYING TO REMEMBER THE SECONDARY QUESTION AND IT WAS THE PLANTING.

UM, WE ARE STILL DOING UH, ABOUT 12 PLANTINGS A YEAR BETWEEN THE TEXAS TREES FOUNDATION AND DALLAS PARKS.

ADDITIONALLY THAT WE USUALLY AVERAGE AN ADDITIONAL THREE TO FIVE PLANTINGS PER YEAR.

UM, TEXAS TREES FOUNDATION SERVICE GRANT THAT THEY USE TO DO SOME MORE PLANTING SOUTH BY 30.

AND SO UM, MORRIS, HOW MANY TREES WE PLANT LAST YEAR? UM, WE DID 700 AND THEN WITH THE SOUTH DALLAS GRANT THAT WAS AN ADDITIONAL 400.

SO IN TOTAL 1100.

SO LAST YEAR WHEN OUR SORT OF PARTNERSHIPS AND WHAT WE WERE DOING WE HAD ABOUT 110 TREES.

THANK YOU.

BRETT, YOU AND YOUR TEAM DON'T GET ENOUGH RECOGNITION.

IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE'VE SEEN YOU.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

YOU REALLY ARE UM, VALUABLE.

I MEAN MORE THAN VALUABLE AND JUST RECOGNIZING YOUR TEAM HERE TODAY AND, AND EVERYBODY WHO'S ALWAYS THE OVERSIGHT OF HAVING TO HELP THE TREES AND THE ENVIRONMENT.

UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

UM, I DO HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS.

ACTUALLY ONE THING I'D SUGGEST SINCE WE HAD THIS YEARS AGO THAT WHOEVER'S NEW ON THE BOARD, UH, OR MAYBE WE SEND IT OUT JUST SO PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING, UM, WHO HADN'T BEEN HERE BEFORE, JUST A SUGGESTION.

UM, AND THEN WHEN WE LOSE THE TREES, WHAT'S THE CLEANUP, WHAT'S THE REMOVAL AND IS THIS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE FIREWOOD AND WE SELL AND MAKE MONEY OFF OF SOMEHOW? I DON'T KNOW.

I'M JUST, THAT'S WHY.

YEAH, WE'D LIKE THERE, THERE ARE A LOT OF POTENTIAL OPTIONS FIREWOOD.

UM, ONE OF THE BIG CHALLENGES THERE IS THAT IS THE USE OF FIREWOOD IS PROBABLY THE NUMBER ONE WAY GETS SPREAD AROUND.

THAT PROBABLY HOW IT GOT TO NORTH TEXAS.

INCENSE? YEAH.

UM, SO WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL WITH THAT.

AND LIKE I SAID, ANY ASH TREE, ONCE IT'S REMOVED, IT HAS TO EITHER BE BURIED, IT HAS TO BE INCINERATED, UM, OR IT HAS TO BE HELD AT 150 DEGREES FOR X AMOUNT OF TIME.

SO IT'S VERY TOUGH TO, SO TODAY MOST OF THE TIME IT GOES TODAY.

WOW.

INTERESTING.

OKAY.

AND THEN THE FUNDING FOR ALL THIS, IS IT, DO WE TAP INTO LIKE ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES FROM STATE, GOVERNMENT, UM, DIFFERENT ENTITIES AND GRANTS? WE, WE, WE'VE USED A, WE'VE GOT A NUMBER AND I SAY WE, THE FORESTRY TECHNICAL TEAM, UH, WHICH IS THE TREE STAFFING ON ALL THE DEPARTMENTS.

UH, THEY HAVE LOOKED AT GRANTS AND ALL.

WE'VE HAD SOME FOR LIKE THE INVENTORY AND ALL, BUT TODAY FOR THE MOST PART IT'S BEEN THROUGH OUR OPERATIONAL BUDGET THAT WE SUPPORT THAT.

I WOULD ENCOURAGE US TO SEE, I MEAN, BECAUSE THIS IS A, A UNFORESEEN PROBLEM AT SOME, AND I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S UNDER A FORCE MAJEURE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, WHAT THE OPTIONS ARE AS OPPOSED TO JUST ALWAYS US USING OUR OPERATIONAL FUNDS AND SEE IF THERE'S OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL FUNDS OUT THERE TO, TO, YOU KNOW, HELP WITH THESE COSTS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT SEEMS LIKE NEXT YEAR

[00:35:01]

AND THAT, AND, AND, AND WE ARE TRYING TO IDENTIFY OTHER FUNDS BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, THE CHALLENGE WITH HASH TREES IN PARTICULAR IS THEY DO TURN BRITTLE EXTREMELY QUICKLY, WHICH IS GOING TO POTENTIALLY INCREASE OUR FLOODING POTENTIAL.

INCREASE OUR WILDFIRE POTENTIAL.

EXACTLY RIGHT.

THANK YOU FOR SAYING THAT.

OKAY.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TEAM.

THANK YOU FOR THIS.

I, I LIKE YOUR PRESENTATION TOO.

IT WAS, UM, IT'S JUST IMPRESSIVE.

SO THANK YOU.

LISA, THANK YOU.

NO.

THANK YOU.

MR. THANK YOU MR. CHAIR.

UM, THANKS BRETT.

SPEAKING OF YOUR TEAM, CAN WE RECOGNIZE A FEW GENTLEMEN IN THE BACK? UH, CHRIS, CARLOS, JARED? YEAH, I JUST WANT TO.

THANK YOU.

I CANNOT GET DONE WITH, I CAN GET STUFF DONE WITHOUT - OH, OH, UM, I, IT'S, IT'S A LOT IN EAST DALLAS, UH, THOSE GUYS PLUS YOU ARE LOCAL CELEBRITIES IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TOO WHICH IS STRANGE.

IT'S A GOOD THING FOR US.

UM, I KIND OF KIND OF JUST GOT A COUPLE QUESTIONS.

AS WE APPROACH YEARS THREE THROUGH SIX, UH, YOU MENTIONED SOME THINGS THAT ARE SCARY TO ME, LARGE LIMB FAILURES AND THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO BE DRAMATIC.

ARE, ARE THERE WAYS TO, I MEAN, DO WE, DO WE SEE THAT? LIKE CAN WE BE PROACTIVE IN MARKING THOSE TYPES OF RISKS IN OUR TRAILS AND OUR PARKS AND WHERE FAMILIES ARE? I UNDERSTAND IF IT'S KIND OF DEEP INTO THE FOREST, IT'LL FALL, BUT IT WON'T REALLY IMPACT ANYBODY.

ARE THERE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO, WARNING SIGNS, UM, AS WE APPROACH THIS KIND OF DRAMATIC PHASE? THAT'S, THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS, LIKE I SAID, WE ARE WORKING ON, ON TRAINING WITH OUR STAFF SPECIFICALLY, UH, FORESTER AND THEN WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO GET, THAT IS, UH, WHAT THEY WILL BE PRIMARILY LOOKING AT IS STUFF LIKE ALONG WHITE ROCK CREEK TRAIL, WATCHING THOSE ASH TREES THAT ARE JUST INSIDE THE NATURAL AREA THAT IF THEY WERE TO FALL OUT OF THE NATURAL AREA COULD GET TO THE TRAIL.

OKAY.

AND WE, WE ARE MONITORING THAT.

UH, THEY DO GO THROUGH AND LOOK AT THESE MONTHLY, UH, ALONG THAT SECTION.

UH, BUT WE ARE IDENTIFYING THOSE, THOSE, THOSE AREAS OF CONCERN ALL THROUGH THE CITY.

THAT'S REASSURING.

UM, ONE, I KNOW PROACTIVE MEASURE IS TO REMOVE THE TREES IS, UM, THAT CAN BE DRAMATIC FROM A RESIDENT'S PERSPECTIVE, LIKE, OH MY GOD, WHY...

SO ARE THERE, DO WE, DO WE MARK THAT TREE FIRST? DO WE LET THE NEIGHBORS KNOW THAT, HEY, IN A WEEK OR THREE OR SIX WEEKS, WE'RE GOING TO BE TAKING DOWN THIS TREE SO FOLKS DON'T COME OUT WITH PITCHFORKS? THAT, THAT IS, UH, IDEALLY WHEN WE ARE, UH, WHEN WE HAVE THE STAFF CAPACITY TO GET IN AND START DOING OUR ASH REMOVALS, KEEP IN MIND, UH, THE DROUGHT WE'VE BEEN HAVING RECENTLY, WE'VE BEEN HAVING A LARGE NUMBER OF LARGE FAILURE AND TREE FAILURES, ESPECIALLY PECANS IN COTTONWOODS.

UM, BUT WE ARE ABLE TO, UH, START, UH, ANY, BASICALLY ANYTIME WE HAVE, UH, FREE TIME WITH OUR STAFF, THEY ARE BACK ON ASH REMOVALS.

OKAY.

AND I NEED EVERYBODY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE DO ON THESE LARGE ASH REMOVALS.

UH, THE ES WE DO TRY TO, UH, LET THE PARK BOARD MEMBER KNOW THAT WE'LL BE OPERATING IN THEIR AREA SO THAT WE CAN GET THE WORD OUT, BUT DO UNDERSTAND THAT EACH ONE OF THESE TREES, BY THEIR SHEER SIZE, WE HAVE TO HAVE THE STAFF ON HAND, UH, WITH USUALLY AT LEAST THREE, OR TWO TO THREE HEAVY DUTY TRUCKS.

WE HAVE TO HAVE A SKID STEER, UH, TO BE ABLE TO, TO DO IT.

AND ALL TOTAL IT'S GONNA TAKE TRYING TO USE 45 MINUTES TO TAKE DOWN A TREE.

IT'LL PROBABLY TAKE ANOTHER, UH, HOUR AND A HALF TO TWO HOURS TO GET IT CUT UP AND HOLD OFF.

AND THAT'S EACH ONE.

OKAY.

THAT, YEAH THANK YOU.

THAT'S SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE THE PERCEPTION CHANGES 180 DEGREES WHEN IT'S A DEPARTMENT BEING PROACTIVE FOR PUBLIC SAFETY VERSUS LIKE, OH MY GOD, WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE TAKING DOWN THE TREES? SO THANK YOU.

MY, MY LAST QUESTION IS ABOUT, UM, DEVELOPERS THAT COME IN AND REMOVE TREES.

AND THIS MIGHT BE LIKE A CITY WIDE QUESTION, BUT CERTAINLY YOU PROBABLY HAVE SOME EXPERTISE IN IT.

IF, IF, IF ONE TREE IS REMOVED, CAN YOU ADD CLARITY LIKE WHAT IS THE MITIGATION PLAN? DO THEY ADD THREE SAPLINGS? IS IT BASED ON THE, THE, THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF WHAT'S REMOVED? CAN YOU EXPLAIN ON THAT, LIKE HOW THEY REPLACE THE TREES? SO WHEN A PROPERTY IS BEING DEVELOPED, THAT'S PART, THAT'S COVERED UNDER ARTICLE 10, WHICH IS DEALT WITH, UH, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND THE CHIEF ARBORIST IS USUALLY ADDRESSING THOSE CONCERNS.

AND, BUT TYPICALLY IT'S THEY LOOK AT THE, UH, INCHES AT THAT DIAMETER BREAST HEIGHT AND THEY HAVE TO, UH, REPLACE BASICALLY INCH PER INCH.

AND SO IF YOU TAKE DOWN 51 INCH TREE, TYPICALLY WITH WHAT WE WOULD BE PLANTING, YOU'D BE LOOKING AT, UH, REPLACING BASIN 17.

OKAY.

AND THAT, UH, OR THERE'S A SET FEE THAT GOES INTO THE TREE MITIGATION PLAN, THE ASSOCIATE.

OKAY.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT SET FEE IS?

[00:40:01]

BUT I CAN TELL YOU THERE ARE CERTAIN SPECIES LIKE POST OAK THAT IT'S NOT ONE TO ONE, IT'S 1.5.

AND IF YOU GET HISTORIC TREES OR HIGH SIGNIFICANCE, IT CAN BE TWO TO ONE.

AND THAT TREE MITIGATION FUND RIGHT NOW, I MEAN, THAT'S A PRETTY HEALTHY FUND.

I MEAN, THERE'S A GOOD AMOUNT OF MONEY IN THERE.

OKAY.

ALL RIGHT, GOOD TO KNOW.

THANK YOU.

ARE THERE ANY TIMES WHEN THAT TREE MITIGATION FUND, JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT, THAT, UM, DEVELOPER OR SOMEBODY WOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY INTO THAT FUND? IF THEY DETERMINE THAT MOST, UH, IF MOST OF THE TREES WERE INVASIVE OR DEAD OR VERY LOW HIGH, VERY LOW QUALITY, THEY MAY NOT HAVE TO.

UM, BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING, UH, THAT'S PART OF THE SITE MITIGATION OR THE SITE PLANNING THAT GOES INTO IT.

SO FOR INSTANCE, IF WE HAVE A PROJECT WITH DART, LIKE THE SILVER LINE WHERE TREES ARE TAKEN DOWN WITH THE DART, WOULD DART NEED TO PAY FOR THAT FUND? I WOULD HAVE TO LOOK INTO THAT MORE CLOSELY, UH, BECAUSE A LOT OF TIME THERE ARE SOME EXCEPTIONS FOR, UH, RELATED TO INFRASTRUCTURE.

I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW THAT, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.

UH, MR. MOORE, YOU ALREADY HAVE ROUND ONE.

UH, MR. WOOD.

THANK YOU.

I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO.

UM, YOU SAY THIS STARTED IN CANADA.

MY FAMILY FARM IS IN WISCONSIN AND WHEN I WENT HOME, UM, YOU NOTICE ALL THESE WHITE, UM, DEAD TREE BRANCHES OR TRUNKS, UM, THROUGHOUT THE WOODS.

UM, SO ALL OF OUR HILLSIDES ARE COVERED WITH THAT.

UM, SO IT'S, IT'S COMING.

UM, IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT'S WHAT'S GONNA BE IN OUR TRINITY FOREST.

SO THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO.

UM, YOU, YOU'VE DONE 1100 TREES.

WOULD IT BE GOOD, I'M, AND THE TREES THAT WE PLANT ARE BIG TREES, WOULD IT BE GOOD TO GO THROUGH NOW AND PLANT LITTLE SEEDLINGS WHERE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GOING OUT THERE AND JUST, YOU KNOW, MAYBE JUST A LITTLE, A PLUG THAT YOU'RE PUTTING DOWN INTO THE GROUND AND, YOU KNOW, MAYBE A FRACTION OF THEM WILL GROW, BUT, YOU KNOW, A FRACTION OF THEM IS BETTER THAN NONE.

UM, WOULD IT BE GOOD TO PUT SOME SEEDLING TYPE TREES OUT, UM, IN THE TRINITY FOREST TO TRY TO, YOU KNOW, MITIGATE THAT? 'CAUSE IT'S GONNA BE DEVASTATING WHEN ALL OF THOSE ARE GONE.

UM, I KNOW WE SAID THIS, WHAT, THREE, FOUR YEARS AGO WHEN YOU CAME AND FIRST TOLD US ABOUT THIS.

UM, AND, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE WE GONNA, YOU KNOW, SEE THAT, UM, BECAUSE IT, IT LITERALLY, WHEN YOU SEE IT, LIKE, I DIDN'T THINK ABOUT IT, BUT WHEN MY MOM KNOWS ABOUT ASHBOARD AND KNOWS WHAT IT MEANS BACK HOME IN WISCONSIN, IT, IT'S, IT'S AMAZING TO, IT'S REAL.

SO IT, THE REALITY COMES REAL QUICK.

YES.

AND WHEN I DID THIS PRESENTATION, UH, AT NRPA, I GOT TO TALK TO A LOT OF THE NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGERS OUT OF, OUT OF THE MIDWEST AND THEY ALL HAD THE EXACT SAME VIEW.

UH, BUT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, YES, WE ARE LOOKING AT DIFFERENT PLANTING STRATEGIES.

UM, I KNOW BW ALREADY HAS PLANS, BECAUSE KEEP IN MIND THEY MANAGE THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE GREAT TRENDY FOREST.

WE HAVE A VERY, WE HAVE A VERY SMALL PORTION OF IT, UH, AROUND BUCKEYE TRAIL AREA, BUT, UH, WE DO HAVE PLANS, UH, SPECIFICALLY AT THE MOMENT.

BW IS LOOKING AT DOING A LOT OF THE, THE SMALL, UH, SAPLING, UH, TYPE PLANTINGS.

BUT LIKE YOU SAID, YOU SIMPLY STICK IT IN, STICK YOUR TREE PLANTER POLE IN THERE, GIVE IT TWO SHAKES AND STICKER, STICK IT IN THERE.

YEAH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE LOOKING AT DOING A BUNCH OF THAT, UH, HOPEFULLY THIS YEAR.

UH, LAST YEAR WE, WE LOOKED AT A COUPLE OF PLANTINGS, UH, ANOTHER PARTNER OVER LIKE AT CALIFORNIA CROSSING, LOOKING AT PUTTING IN SOME SMALLER TREES ALSO THAT, UH, THEY ARE EASIER TO PUT IN.

UM, I DON'T SAY THEY HAVE NECESSARILY AS HIGH AS SURVIVAL RATE, BUT THEY DO GO IN VERY EASILY.

SO THAT IS SOMETHING WE ARE - WE ALL, WE ALL WANT THESE BIG TREES WHEN WE PLANT THEM.

UM, EVEN IN MY PARK, WE PLANTED WHEN MR. UM, SEAN WAS OUR, UH, PARK BOARD PERSON, HE HELPED PLANT SOME TREES IN EVERGLADE PARK AND I WAS LIKE, "MAN, THEY'RE LIKE UP TO MY SHOULDER.

LIKE THEY'RE TINY LITTLE TREES, BUT TODAY THOSE TREES ARE STRONG.

THEY DIDN'T LOSE ONE OF THEM TREES AND THEY'VE GROWN, THEY'VE GROWN WELL." UM, SO THEY'RE NOW, THEY'RE ESTABLISHED AND THEY'RE GONNA BE A GREAT, UM, ADDITION FOR LONG TERM FOR THESE PARKS.

SO I, YES, WE MIGHT NOT SAVE THEM ALL, UM, BUT YOU PLANT 10,000 SAPLINGS AND, YOU KNOW, 2,000 OF THEM SURVIVE, THAT'S BETTER THAN, YOU KNOW, NONE.

AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE QUICK PLUG, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM.

STAND AND SEE WHO SURVIVES.

YEP.

[00:45:01]

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK.

YOU DO, YOU DO A LOT OF THE, YOU'RE PASSIONATE ABOUT IT AND IT'S NOT GLAMOROUS.

YOU DO A LOT OF THE, THE, THE HARD BEHIND THE SCENES STUFF TO MAKE US STRONGER AND A BETTER PARK SYSTEM.

SO THANK YOU.

MR. BERTA.

UH, THANK YOU MR. PRESIDENT.

YEAH, I WAS GONNA SAY, BRETT, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOU AND YOUR TEAM AND YOU DO A TREMENDOUS JOB KEEPING UP AND, AND KEEPING US INFORMED.

AND YOU KNOW, THEIR NAME IS TREE HUGGERS, RIGHT? UM, AND WE APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE THAT'S GOTTA BE DONE.

YOU KNOW, TEXAS TREES IS ABOUT TO GIVE OUT FREE TREES ON NOVEMBER 20TH.

THEY PICKED SIX LOCATIONS IN DALLAS.

IF, IF YOU GUYS DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THEM, I KNOW YOU DID.

UH, SO WE CAN GET IT OUT TO THE COMMUNITIES.

THEY CAN, THEY CAN PICK UP THEIR FREE TREE AND PLANT IT.

THAT'S NOVEMBER 20, BUT WE'RE ALSO DOING BRANCHING OUT COMING UP IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.

UH, MARTIN WEISS IS ON, UH, NOVEMBER 13TH ON A FRIDAY MORNING.

UM, MARTIN WEISS, SORRY.

WEIS AND WEISS, SAME PLACE.

UM, QUESTION IS, HOW MANY TREES IS THIS, OUR DEPARTMENT DOING THAT BRANCH OUT PLANAN? I THINK THAT WE HAVE SIX BRANCH OUTS PLAN.

SO WHAT WE, IT EFFECTIVELY PLAYS OUT THAT WE DO, UH, UH, 12 TREE PLANS A YEAR.

UM, AND THE WAY THE PARTNERSHIP WORKS IS THAT TEXAS TREES, UH, COVERS, UH, SIX OF THEM AND THEN THE DEPARTMENT COVERS THE SIX.

SO THE FIRST SIX IS WHAT WE'RE COVERING OR ARE THEY COVERING? IT, IT'S A MIX.

A MIX.

YEAH.

AND, AND JUST SO EVERYBODY'S AWARE, THE FIRST BRANCHING OUT EVENT IS ACTUALLY TOMORROW AT TAMA.

MARCH WEISS IS ON UM - YES SIR.

ON NOVEMBER 13TH.

SO, UH, BUT, BUT SO HOW MANY TREES GOING TO BE PLANTED EACH PLANTING, DO YOU KNOW? UM, HISTORICALLY WE'VE DONE ABOUT, WE, WE'VE AVERAGED 50 AT EACH PLANTING, BUT NOW THAT WE'RE TEN PLUS YEARS INTO THE PROGRAM, WE'RE HAVING TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE CREATIVE WITH THE FLEXIBILITY BECAUSE, UH, WE CAN'T FIT 50 TREES INTO EVERY PLANTING.

SO, UH, GENERALLY IT'S STILL GONNA BE ABOUT 50 BECAUSE, UH, AVERAGE OUT TO ABOUT 50 FOR PLANTING, BUT SOME MAY BE, UH, 20 AND SOME MAY BE 70.

AND THE REASON I BRING THIS UP IS BECAUSE, BECAUSE WE KNOW WE GOTTA PLANT TREES EVERY YEAR.

WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA HAVE 12, BUT THAT'S ONLY 12.

IT'S, IT'S, UH, 600 TREES THAT PLAN, BUT EVEN ON THE TEXAS TREE STILL DOING PART OF THOSE AT THAT PROGRAM, THEY'RE ALSO GIVING OUT FREE, OUR FREE TREES TO THE COMMUNITY FOR THEIR, YOUR YARD.

SO, YOU KNOW, THAT HELPS US WITH THIS PROBLEM OF TREES DYING, ASH, THE ASH PROBLEM THAT WE'RE HAVING.

SO JUST TYING ALL THAT IN TOGETHER, IT'S JUST WE GOTTA GET OUT THERE AND MAKE SURE OUR COMMUNITY KNOWS, GO PICK UP THOSE FREE TREES AND, AND COME HELP US PLANT THE TREES THOSE DAYS.

ESPECIALLY SINCE WE'RE HAVING THEM ON, ON FRIDAYS NOW.

HISTORICALLY WE'VE HAD THEM ON SATURDAYS AND WE GET A BIG GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS.

SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S UP TO US TO MAKE SURE THE COMMUNITY KNOWS THAT WE'RE HAVING THEM ON FRIDAY MORNINGS INSTEAD OF SATURDAY MORNINGS THIS YEAR.

SO, BUT APPRECIATE ALL THE HARD WORK.

AND THE LAST I WANNA KNOW, ARE THOSE GOATS THE GREATEST OF ALL TIMES OR ARE THEY JUST ALL COATS? YEAH, THEY'RE, UH, THEY'RE, THEY GET A LOT OF ATTENTION.

THEY'RE REPRESENTING.

THANK YOU, SIR.