Urban and Community Forests: An Investment in Colorado I 2014 Report on the Health of Colorado’s Forests Urban and Community Forests: An Investment in Colorado II 2014 Report on the Health of Colorado’s Forests Acknowledgments Special thanks to the following Colorado State • Lisa Dale, Assistant Director, Parks, Wildlife The following individuals reviewed and/ Forest Service (CSFS) State Office personnel and Lands, Colorado Department of Natural or provided information for the aerial survey for providing leadership and/or content and Resources, Denver, Colo. results presented in this report: photos in the production of this report: • Donna Davis, District Forester, La Junta • Justin Backsen, Aerial Surveyor, USDA • Pete Barry, GIS Technician District, CSFS, La Junta, Colo. Forest Service, Lakewood, Colo. • Joseph Duda, Deputy State Forester • Mike Eckhoff, Special Projects Coordinator, • Kelly Burns, Forest Pathologist, USDA • Ryan Lockwood, Public and Media Forest Management Division, CSFS, Fort Forest Service, Lakewood, Colo. Relations Coordinator Collins, Colo. • Ron Cousineau, District Forester, Granby • Lisa Mason, Outreach Forester • Kamie Long, Assistant District Forester, District, CSFS, Granby, Colo. • Susan Matthews, Forest Management Grand Junction District, CSFS, Grand • Meg Halford, Assistant District Forester, Division Supervisor Junction, Colo. Franktown District, CSFS, Franktown, Colo. • Kim Mueller, Outreach Division Supervisor • Roy Mask, Assistant Director of Forest • Justin Hof, Forestry Technician, USDA Thanks also to William M. Ciesla, Forest Health Protection, USDA Forest Service, Forest Service, Lakewood, Colo. Health Management International, Fort Lakewood, Colo. • Brian Howell, Aerial Survey Program Collins, Colo., for his contributions as an • Lisa Peraino, Plant Health Safeguarding Manager, USDA Forest Service, Lakewood, author and photographer in the development Specialist, USDA Animal and Plant Health Colo. of this report. Inspection Service, Aurora, Colo. • Benjamin Pfohl, Assistant District Forester, The following individuals served on • GayLene Rossiter, Web Manager, Outreach Boulder District, CSFS, Boulder, Colo. the report work group and/or provided Division, CSFS, Fort Collins, Colo. • Rebecca Powell, Entomologist, USDA Forest information, guidance and technical review: • S. Sky Stephens, Entomologist, USDA Forest Service, Lakewood, Colo. • Kathleen Alexander, City Forester, City of Service, Lakewood, Colo. • Kelly Rogers, District Forester, Grand Boulder, Boulder, Colo. • Vince Urbina, Community Forester, Forest Junction District, CSFS, Grand Junction, • Devon Buckels, Urban Waters Partnership Management Division, CSFS, Grand Colo. Coordinator, Forest Management Division, Junction, Colo. • Jennifer Ross, Geographic Information CSFS, Denver, Colo. • Dan West, Entomologist, Forest Systems Specialist, USDA Forest Service, • Robert Cain, Entomologist, USDA Forest Management Division, CSFS, Fort Collins, Monument, Colo. Service, Lakewood, Colo. Colo. • Michael Till, Assistant District Forester, • Whitney Cranshaw, Professor and • Keith Wood, Community Forestry Program Woodland Park District, CSFS, Woodland Extension Specialist, Bioagricultural Manager, Forest Management Division, Park, Colo. Sciences and Pest Management, Colorado CSFS, Broomfield, Colo. State University, Fort Collins, Colo. • Mitch Yergert, Director, Plant Industry Division, Colorado Department of Agriculture, Broomfield, Colo. Front cover photo: Autumn on the Colorado State University campus. Photo: Bill Cotton, Colorado State University Background photo this page: Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall. Photo: Bill Cotton, Colorado State University Urban and Community Forests: An Investment in Colorado III Forest Insect and Disease Progression in Colorado, 1996-2014 Aerial Survey Data Due to the nature of aerial surveys, the data on this map only provide rough estimates of location, intensity and the resulting trend information for agents detectable from the air. Many of the most destructive diseases are not represented on the map because these agents are not detectable from aerial surveys. The data presented on this map should only be used as an indicator of insect and disease activity, and should be validated on the ground for actual location and causal agent. Shaded areas show locations where tree mortality or defoliation were apparent from the air. Intensity of damage is variable, and not all trees in shaded areas are dead or defoliated. The insect and disease data represented on this map are available digitally from the USDA Forest Service, Region 2 Forest Health Management group. The cooperators reserve the right to correct, update, modify or replace GIS products. Using this map for purposes other than those for which it was intended may yield inaccurate or misleading results. Map created December 2014 For more information: www.csfs.colostate.edu © CSFS Data Source: United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team (FHTET) IV 2014 Report on the Health of Colorado’s Forests 2014 Insect and Disease Activity in Colorado Forests Aerial Survey Data Due to the nature of aerial surveys, the data on this map only provide rough estimates of location, intensity and the resulting trend information for agents detectable from the air. Many of the most destructive diseases are not represented on the map because these agents are not detectable from aerial surveys. The data presented on this map should only be used as an indicator of insect and disease activity, and should be validated on the ground for actual location and causal agent. Shaded areas show locations where tree mortality or defoliation were apparent from the air. Intensity of damage is variable, and not all trees in shaded areas are dead or defoliated. The insect and disease data represented on this map are available digitally from the USDA Forest Service, Region 2 Forest Health Management group. The cooperators reserve the right to correct, update, modify or replace GIS products. Using this map for purposes other than those for which it was intended may yield inaccurate or misleading results. Map created December 2014 For more information: www.csfs.colostate.edu © CSFS Data Source: United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team (FHTET) Urban and Community Forests: An Investment in Colorado 1 ▲ Michael B. Lester, State Forester and Director. Photo: Society of American Foresters Director’s Message January 2015 The objective of the annual Report on the borer – was confirmed in Colorado for the Health of Colorado’s Forests is to inform state first time. This destructive insect, which has Table of Contents legislators, citizens and other stakeholders cost Eastern communities billions of dollars to about the condition of our forests, to provide a manage, provides a prime example of why it’s Executive Summary 2 basis for public dialogue. Each year, the report important we devote significant resources to provides a broad update on forest insect and caring for our urban and community trees. Statewide Insect and Disease 5 disease activity throughout the state. This Successful management of our forests can Update year’s report also focuses on the importance of only be accomplished through partnerships. Our Community Forests: 10 our urban and community forests, challenges As a part of the Warner College of Natural Benefits and Challenges we face in managing them, and the actions Resources at Colorado State University and we can take to address those issues. We chose working closely with the Colorado Department Urban and Community 12 this emphasis to highlight the contributions of Natural Resources, the Colorado State Forest Forestry: The Role of that our urban and community forests Service relies on numerous other partners, the Colorado State make to quality of life, and to underscore many of whom are named in this report, to Forest Service the importance of proper care for forests achieve healthy forests across the state. at risk to insects, diseases and challenging I hope you find the information covered in More than Planting Trees: 14 environmental conditions. this year’s report useful and interesting. Please The Broader Scope of Trees provide numerous benefits, whether feel free to contact any Colorado State Forest Community Forestry growing in our mountain forests or in urban Service office to learn more about our diverse Managing an Emerging Pest 16 settings. The former provide benefits such as forests – in both community and wildland in Colorado: Emerald Ash clean water, wildlife habitat, recreation and settings – and what you can do to help manage Borer economic benefits. Equally important are them for the benefit of present and future the benefits of urban trees, which help clean generations. Partnerships Essential to 18 our air, provide shade, control storm runoff Addressing Community and contribute to quality of life. They are one Forestry Challenges of the few components of a community’s infrastructure that actually increase in value Michael B. Lester We All Play a Role in 21 over time. State Forester and Director Achieving Healthy Forests Not long after I became Colorado’s State Colorado State Forest Service References and Additional 22 Forester in 2013, an urban tree pest I had Resources come to know in Pennsylvania – emerald ash 2 2014 Report on the Health of Colorado’s Forests Executive Summary The Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS) and special surveys designed to ensure early produces an annual