Downtown Tree Management Plan City of Atlanta, Georgia November 2012 Prepared for: City of Atlanta Department of Planning and Community Development Arborist Division, Tree Conservation Commission 55 Trinity Avenue SW, Suite 3800 Atlanta, Georgia 30303 Prepared by: Davey Resource Group A Division of The Davey Tree Expert Company 1500 North Mantua Street P.O. Box 5193 Kent, Ohio 44240 800-828-8312 Table of Contents Acknowledgments...................................................................................................................................................... iv Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................................... vi Section 1: Urban Forest Overview.............................................................................................................................. 1 Section 2: Tree Inventory Assessment and Analysis ................................................................................................. 8 Overall Findings ........................................................................................................................................................ 11 Downtown Area Findings .......................................................................................................................................... 21 Expanded Inventory Area Findings .......................................................................................................................... 33 ADID Management Area Findings ............................................................................................................................ 44 Discussion and Management Recommendations .................................................................................................... 56 Section 3: Program Maintenance Recommendations .............................................................................................. 61 Work Plan Cost Projections ...................................................................................................................................... 67 Section 4: Updating the Inventory and Plan ............................................................................................................. 77 Section 5: Conclusions ............................................................................................................................................. 79 References ............................................................................................................................................................... 80 Glossary .................................................................................................................................................................... 84 Figures Figure 1. Most Abundant Species (Overall) ............................................................................................................. 11 Figure 2. Most Abundant Genera (Overall) .............................................................................................................. 12 Figure 3. Diameter Size Class Distribution (Overall) ................................................................................................ 13 Figure 4. Tree Condition (Overall) ............................................................................................................................ 14 Figure 5. Tree Condition by Relative Age (Overall) .................................................................................................. 15 Figure 6. Most Abundant Species (Downtown) ........................................................................................................ 22 Figure 7. Most Abundant Genera (Downtown) ......................................................................................................... 23 Figure 8. Diameter Size Class Distribution (Downtown) .......................................................................................... 24 Figure 9. Tree Condition (Downtown) ...................................................................................................................... 25 Figure 10. Tree Condition by Relative Age (Downtown) .......................................................................................... 26 Figure 11. Most Abundant Species (Expanded) ....................................................................................................... 34 Figure 12. Most Abundant Genera (Expanded) ....................................................................................................... 35 Figure 13. Diameter Size Class Distribution (Expanded) ......................................................................................... 36 Figure 14. Tree Condition (Expanded) ..................................................................................................................... 37 Figure 15. Tree Condition by Relative Age (Expanded) ........................................................................................... 38 Downtown Tree Management Plan i November 2012 City of Atlanta, Georgia Figure 16. Most Abundant Species (ADID) .............................................................................................................. 45 Figure 17. Most Abundant Genera (ADID) ............................................................................................................... 46 Figure 18. Diameter Size Class Distribution (ADID) ................................................................................................. 47 Figure 19. Tree Condition (ADID) ............................................................................................................................. 48 Figure 20. Tree Condition by Relative Age (ADID) .................................................................................................. 49 Figure 21. Relative Age Comparison ....................................................................................................................... 57 Tables Table 1. Summary of the 2011 Tree Inventory by Area ........................................................................................... vii Table 2. Inventoried Sites (Overall) ............................................................................................................................ 8 Table 3. Inventoried Sites by Area (Overall) .............................................................................................................. 9 Table 4. Inventoried Trees and Stumps by Park (Overall) ....................................................................................... 10 Table 5. Top Five Species by Size and Condition (Overall) ..................................................................................... 16 Table 6. Potential Threats to Trees (Overall) ........................................................................................................... 18 Table 7. Tree Species Planted in Insufficient Growing Space (Overall) .................................................................. 19 Table 8. Tree Species Planted in Raised Planters (Overall) .................................................................................... 20 Table 9. Inventoried Sites (Downtown) .................................................................................................................... 21 Table 10. Top Five Species by Size and Condition (Street ROWs, Downtown) ...................................................... 27 Table 11. Top Five Species by Size and Condition (Parks, Downtown) .................................................................. 28 Table 12. Potential Threats to Trees (Street ROWs, Downtown) ............................................................................ 30 Table 13. Potential Threats to Trees (Parks, Downtown) ........................................................................................ 30 Table 14: Tree Species Planted in Insufficient Growing Space (Parks, Downtown) ................................................ 31 Table 15. Tree Species Planted in Raised Planters (Street ROWs, Downtown) ..................................................... 32 Table 16. Inventoried Sites (Expanded) ................................................................................................................... 33 Table 17. Top Five Species by Size and Condition (Street ROWs, Expanded) ...................................................... 39 Table 18. Top Five Species by Size and Condition (Parks, Expanded)................................................................... 40 Table 19. Potential Threats to Trees (Street ROWs, Expanded) ............................................................................. 41 Table 20. Potential Threats to Trees (Parks, Expanded) ......................................................................................... 42 Table 21. Tree Species Planted in Insufficient Growing Space (Expanded)............................................................ 43 Table 22. Inventoried Sites (ADID) ........................................................................................................................... 44 Table 23. Top Five Species by Size and Condition (Street ROWs, ADID) .............................................................. 50 Table 24. Top Five Species by Size and Condition (Parks, ADID) .........................................................................