City Renews Efforts to Care for its Trees

Most residents have noticed that that the Norcross Garden Club looks a little… empty.  A willow oak tree that was likely over 75 years old was cut down recently. “It was really sad,” said Sandy Pagano, the member of the Garden Club who dealt with the large decaying oak. “None of us wanted it to come down, but we had to do it.”

Members found out that the tree was likely in bad shape after a 2008 survey of the trees on city easements. More recently, Pagano worked with an arborist do a “resistograph,” and their fears about the beautifully gnarled oak were confirmed. The tree was decaying internally so it was a danger to bustling Lawrenceville St. and the sidewalk right in front of the club.

“The loss of this beautiful tree, coupled with the loss of several others recently in Thrasher Park, illustrates the feeling of many that Norcross is facing somewhat of a ‘tree crisis,’” said Councilmember Charlie Riehm in a recent note.

“The problem is that many of our older trees have internal decay, and we are losing them at an alarming rate,” Riehm said. He said that the 2008 survey revealed 80 trees with problems—and that does not include trees in the city parks or on private property.

Jane Remaley and Martha Scarborough have recently been appointed co-chairs of the Tree Board. “Right now we’re just trying to get a good feel of what needs to be done first,” said Scarborough. “I feel almost overwhelmed by the number of things to do.” She said she feels confident about their renewed efforts though, because her new board is filled with talent. Remaley is an arborist and others on the board work in the field professionally.

The Tree Board will soon go through the survey line by line, noting which trees need might need attention or might need to be taken down.

Riehm said that a master plan has been called for that would take stock of the diseased trees, and also require that 75 to 100 canopy trees be planted every year. Even though the tree resolution passed through the City Council in 2009, Riehm says that no tree program had been started.

The city does have a Tree Preservation Ordinance, which states that there will be “no net loss of canopy coverage.” The ordinance requires that 70 percent of residential zones, 40 percent of commercial and office zones and 30 percent of industrial zones should have coverage from a tree canopy. According to City Engineer Jeff Mueller, the Garden Club has enough coverage from other trees to meet this requirement, so they wouldn’t have to replant.

In addition to working on identifying decaying trees, removing them and replanting, Scarborough says that the board will be revamping the Tree Walk, a pamphlet that maps out a walk to learn about the elegant elms, powerful oaks and crepe myrtles that lend the downtown area so much charm. 

“We want to maintain our forest because it is so important," said Scarborough. "The council has charged us with coming together and doing that. And we will."