Tag: Charlottesville Tree Commission

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Fine specimens

The stately white ash behind the Albemarle-Charlottesville Historical Society has been designated a specimen tree. Photo: John Robinson

Charlottesville wouldn’t be Charlottesville without its trees. When the city adopted a Tree Conservation Ordinance in 2013 to allow special protected status for certain trees, it was an acknowledgment of all their many benefits: beauty, history, a sense of place, and all the “ecosystem services” that trees provide for free. They cool the air and make oxygen; they filter water and hold soil in place. They’re the quiet heroes of the city.   

The ordinance has previously been used to protect only 11 trees, but in early April, City Council used it to designate six more—individuals, all on public land, that are now protected from removal unless council specifically authorizes it. 

“These were obvious trees to designate,” says Brian Menard, chair of the city’s Tree Commission, which worked with the Charlottesville Tree Stewards, a volunteer group, to make nominations. “Five of the six were specimen trees”—that is, protected because of their outstanding size and quality—“and that was for a reason, to showcase the best of the species.”

One of these, an American elm, stands outside Clark Elementary School in Belmont. It anchors the top of a steep bank that separates the schoolyard from Monticello Avenue, and it’s regularly treated by the city against Dutch Elm Disease. In the materials prepared by the Tree Commission, a photo shows a group of young students lining up with their teachers under the elm’s generous shade. Maybe some of the kids looked up into the canopy as they gathered there, or maybe not. Whether they noticed it or not, the tree set the stage for that moment in time.

Another is a bur-post oak with a trunk five feet across in the center of Maplewood Cemetery. Menard knows it well, since he lives near the cemetery and has, he says, “spent many hours under it.” In Riverview Park, a sycamore along the trail sprouted naturally on the riverbank, as sycamores do, and is now 65 feet tall, one of the largest in the park.

At the north end of Oakwood Cemetery, a Southern red oak earned specimen status in part for its 80-foot crown spread—a truly resplendent reach that creates, for anyone standing underneath it, a sort of magical outdoor room. The oak, with so many souls interred beneath it, feels as though it ties different eras of Charlottesville history together. Two headstones, dated 1876 and 1898, seem to mark graves that are actually underneath the tree’s titanic base. Leaves whisper and wave throughout its whole muscular, elbowed structure.

You can get close to the white ash behind the Charlottesville-Albemarle Historical Society, too, if you walk into the diminutive brick-walled garden at the building’s rear entrance. Right up next to the tree’s base, you can examine its bark—deep, close-set ridges that seem almost frosted, white on sepia, perhaps giving the species its name. But even if you don’t have time to really commune with the tree—if you’re hurrying past the Central Library, or through Market Street Park—you can see the ash; it’s a giant that’s visible all around the block. The sixth tree is harder to visit; it stands within the loop of an off-ramp from the 250 Bypass onto Rugby Road, so you’re more likely to see it while speeding past in your car. It’s a Shumard oak that is now officially a Memorial Tree, honoring Leroy Snow of Snow’s Garden Center. 

Look for more trees to be designated in the future, Menard says. “This is certainly not the last batch,” he says, adding that citizens can nominate trees, too. “The more we designate, the more we call attention to the overall importance of trees.” 

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Uncovered: How racist redlining shaped our urban forest

Thanks to Charlottesville’s long history of redlining, low-income neighborhoods have few to no trees, making them up to 30 degrees hotter than their high-canopy counterparts. PC: Charlottesville Tree Commission

The trees you see around town are more than just nice to look at. On a hot day, they provide much-needed shade. When it rains, they absorb flood waters. They help filter air and absorb noise pollution, especially when planted near busy streets. And they’ve been linked to reducing stress and anxiety, among other benefits.

But thanks to decades of racist zoning laws and housing covenants, many low-income, formerly redlined neighborhoods in Charlottesville—and around the country—have little to no tree cover.

According to the Tree Commission’s latest tree canopy study, historically Black neighborhoods Starr Hill and 10th and Page have less than 20 percent tree canopy, the lowest in the city. Meanwhile, neighborhoods where racial covenants once prevented Black people from renting or buying homes—like Venable and Locust Grove—have more than 40 percent tree cover, which exceeds the commission’s goal for the city.

“We got here not accidentally, but [by] creating our cities and our policies historically,” says Brian Menard, chair of the Charlottesville Tree Commission. “With the systemic racism that disadvantaged minority communities, we created these [neighborhoods] where trees were either never part of the environment, or increasingly couldn’t be a part of [it] because there was no ability to plant them.”

With few trees to reflect the sun’s rays, the asphalt roads and concrete sidewalks in Charlottesville’s low-canopy neighborhoods absorb and radiate heat, making them up to 30 degrees hotter than their high-canopy counterparts. This is especially dangerous during the summer—heat-related illnesses kill up to 12,000 people in the U.S. per year, and climate change is only causing more intense heat waves.

Higher temperatures also make it harder to breathe, and have been linked to respiratory illnesses like asthma. Diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity, already prevalent in the Black community, are worsened by heat, as are mental health issues.

A sparse tree canopy takes a toll on residents’ pockets as well. With fewer shady places to gather during the summer, people are more likely to stay cooped up inside and run their air conditioners—if their unit includes one—all day, which leads to high energy bills.

At the height of Jim Crow, redlining systemically kept Black people from becoming homeowners in white, typically healthier neighborhoods. Black neighborhoods—regardless of income level—were considered “hazardous” for private and federal loans. Only white families were deemed worthy of investment, allowing them to easily attain mortgages and build generational wealth.

White homeowners could usually plant trees on their own property, or lobby their local government to fill their neighborhoods with parks and other green spaces. Black residents, largely forced into renting, had to rely on their landlords, who often had very little incentive or desire to invest in Black neighborhoods.

To make things worse, “poor communities of all colors in cities were often put where the slaughterhouses, mills, and factories were—places that were already environmentally inequitable,” says Menard. “Now we don’t have that kind of industry in most places….[but residents] are still suffering from the effects years and years later.”

The solution is “way more complicated” than just planting trees, warns Tree Commission member Paul Josey. The city cannot plant trees on private property without permission, and there are lots of places where there’s little room on public land for vegetation.

Additionally, the commission—which is currently all white—does not want to continue the city’s legacy of imposing the will of white people on people of color. Instead, it’s focused on “building long-term relationships and trust” with communities, says Josey, mainly by educating residents about the dangers of too few trees, and helping those who want trees, get them for free.

From 2018 to 2019, the commission knocked on hundreds of doors in Belmont—which had the most available planting area—and asked homeowners if they wanted a free tree in their front yard. With help from the Charlottesville Area Tree Stewards, they were able to plant around 45 trees.

“We did a similar effort to bring trees to some of the city’s public housing…Our education and advocacy in several cases led to actual trees going into the ground,” adds Menard. “We’ve already identified some low-canopy neighborhoods we want to start working with, but the pandemic has halted that for now.”

With more trees comes concern about gentrification. Adding green space—along with parks and playgrounds—to low-income neighborhoods could encourage more-affluent people to move in, increasing property values, and forcing the folks in need of the benefits of trees out because they no longer can afford to live there.

Josey says preventing gentrification requires fully addressing the socioeconomic consequences of redlining. The city must work to offer better employment opportunities and increase home ownership among Black residents, in addition to improving its zoning codes and building more affordable housing (with trees).

“The fact that there has been systemic injustice within housing needs to be righted,” he says. And “the key way to build investment within neighborhoods is through home ownership.”

In order to keep climate equity at the forefront, both Josey and Menard emphasize that a diverse array of community groups—from the Public Housing Association of Residents to the Community Climate Collective—must continue to work together to address this multi-faceted issue.

“This can’t be something that we just lead, because we are just volunteers,” says Josey. “It takes a lot of work, and a lot of stakeholders…It’s not just about putting a tree in the ground.”

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Trees company: A tour of some of Charlottesville’s landmark trees

The Shumard oak outside the downtown library is one of Charlottesville's landmark trees. Photo: John Robinson

“The Charlottesville area has a wonderful diversity of trees, and a climate that allows them to grow into old age,” says Robin Hanes, who heads up the Charlottesville Area Tree Stewards’ Notable Trees Project. “We have some fine specimens just out right where everybody drives or walks.” 

The Tree Stewards, who plant, tend, and advocate for trees all over the area, have identified more than 60 notable trees in town. Twelve of those have earned special recognition as landmark trees.

Landmark trees, marked with a small metal plaque near their trunks, “are the biggest trees that also are in a location where a community is likely to recognize them as important,” says Hanes “They’re noticeable.”

Some of these landmarks are protected under the city’s Tree Conservation Ordinance—once designated, trees can’t be removed or intentionally damaged without the approval of City Council. Seven trees have been officially designated so far, and the city’s Tree Commission is in the process of nominating more.

In the meantime, building a community narrative around the trees offers a different kind of security, says Hanes: “Getting the public to notice them and come to love them—that is the best protection a tree can get.”

American elm. Photo: John Robinson

American Elm

Albemarle County Courthouse

You’ve seen this tree in photographs before—for decades, the twisting branches have served as the backdrop for the confederate monument that stood outside the courthouse. Last month, the statue came down, and the elm tree quietly stepped in to fill that space. The tree’s slender trunk and winding, gravity-defying branches now welcome visitors to the courthouse, an altogether more appealing monument than old Johnny Reb.

In the 20th century, Dutch elm disease killed 75 percent of America’s elms, but this one survived, and in recent years it has undergone preventative treatment against the disease.

Shumard oak. Photo: John Robinson

Shumard Oak

Downtown Jefferson-Madison Regional Library

This knobbly, asymmetrical Shumard oak looks old and wise—a perfect match for its location outside the library. On one side, circular scars are visible where branches have been removed over the years. On the other side, the tree’s sturdy limbs reach horizontally for 20 or 30 feet, far enough to keep you dry while you wait at the corner of Market and Third on a rainy day.

Shumard oaks are native to the Atlantic coastal region. This tree was likely planted in the 1940s, though the exact date isn’t known.

 

White ash. Photo: John Robinson

White Ash

Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society

The crown of this magnificent ash is visible from all around the block, its powerful branches climbing almost vertically into the sky. To see the trunk, though, you have to enter the historical society’s side garden from High Street. There, you can walk up to the base of the huge tree and run your hand along its thick, grooved, moss-spotted skin.

The tree is more than a century old. Ash trees across the country have been killed in scores by the invasive emerald ash borer, but this tree has been treated for protection.

Southern red oak. Photo: John Robinson

Southern Red Oak

Venable Elementary

Standing on the steps of Venable Elementary, the grand white columns of the school’s facade fill your view. Take a few steps back, maybe cross the street, and the picture changes. From here, the splendid Southern red oak next to the school dominates the scene.

The tree’s branches float outside classroom windows, the stuff of daydreams for the elementary schoolers within. In the fall, its crisp brown leaves blanket the playground and the school’s front yard. It’s the 10th-largest Southern red oak in Virginia.

 

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In brief: Tree huggers, get out of dodge (challenger), and more

Paul Summers pulls a Frazier Fur tree, which he sells for $75 each, from a shed near the Knights Gambit tasting room on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019. Summers sources the pre-cut trees from a farm near Mount Rogers. He gives all the proceeds to the Charlottesville Area Community Fund in honor of his late daughter Alex who passed away in 2007. PC: Zack Wajsgras

Tree huggers

On an unseasonably warm December Sunday, Yoseph Asmellash, owner of Little River Christmas Trees, had dozens of Fraser and Douglas fir trees for sale in the parking lot of the Fashion Square Mall—one of many local spots for buying Christmas trees that pop up around the holidays. Asmellash, a native of Ethiopia who’s been selling trees for over 20 years, got into the business after working at a garden center during high school and college.

Business has been brisk, he says, and he orders new trees weekly–ever since the time, about 10 years ago, when he ended up with several hundred extra trees on his hands. He had to offer a buy-one-get-one-free sale (sometimes adding a third tree to the deal). 

When he’s not selling trees, Asmellash, who lives in Arlington, runs several other seasonal businesses across Virginia, including pumpkin patches. In the off months, he operates a tax service.  

Fir facts:

  • Asmellash orders about 800 trees per year for his spot at the Fashion Square Mall
  • His trees come from Whitetop, Virginia, and Sparta, North Carolina 
  • According to the National Christmas Tree Association, the price of Christmas trees has gone up about 10 percent nationwide, due to limited supplies of Christmas trees—caused by hotter weather, too much rain, and the ripple effects of the 2008 recession that cut demand for trees (and led to less trees being planted)

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Quote of the week

“We should declare ourselves as a sanctuary city, as some other communities have done…We should declare ourselves a sanctuary city against monuments, statues, and memorials that glorify slaveholders, that lift up racists and rapists and traitors.” —Rev. Don Gathers, addressing City Council at its final meeting of the year.

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In brief

No go

Five months after James Fields used a gray Dodge Challenger to mow down dozens of people at the Unite the Right rally, killing Heather Heyer, the Charlottesville Police Department added a gray Dodge Challenger, which also featured “thin blue line” decals, to its official fleet. Though the car was purchased in January 2018, the department told C-VILLE last August that it had been “designed and purchased” well before the attack. Asked to explain this discrepancy, spokesman Tyler Hawn called it “a misunderstanding.” Last week, the city announced that the car has been removed from service in response to community feedback. 

CPD purchased a Dodge Challenger in January 2018. PC: Staff Photo

Borer war

Charlottesville’s ash trees are dying, thanks to an infestation of the emerald ash borer, an invasive beetle that arrived from Asia in 2002. The Charlottesville Tree Commission has mapped 107 ash trees in the city, and anticipates that 99 percent of them will succumb to the borer. Last week, representatives from the Tree Commission asked the Planning Commission for money to fight the bugs, but it remains to be seen if there will be enough space in the budget.

Tragic loss

The Charlottesville community mourns the death of St. Anne’s graduate Tessa Majors, who was fatally stabbed in a botched mugging in Manhattan’s Morningside Park on December 11. Majors, 18, was a freshman at Barnard College. A musician, Majors had just released a new album and had a series of local shows scheduled. A 13-year-old boy has been arrested in connection with her death.

Put it in “D”

It’s not just your imagination–Virginia really is home to some of the country’s worst drivers. According to a nationwide study by insurance company QuoteWizard, Virginia drivers earned a “D” grade, losing points for distracted driving and frequency of accidents. The worst city in our driving hellscape of a state, per the study, is Manassas.