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c MANAGING DISEASED TREES IN THE HENDRICKS PARK FOREST Eighteen Trees Slated for Removal Background Hendricks Park, when established in 1906, was predominately a grassy area with few trees. Oak trees dominated the south and west facing ridges with a few fir trees along the peak of the hillside. The past ninety years has seen great change come to the area within the park. Many of these fir trees have grown to majestic heights and still flourish. The natural succession of the forested area continues with oaks and madrones being shaded out by conifers, and Big -leaf Maples becoming part of the understory. While the park's main attraction is the nationally renowned Rhododendron Garden, the forested areas are also important for their scenic natural areas and wildlife habitats. Diseased Trees A number of causes led to the decline of these trees including fungal disease and subsequent decay that could spread and infect the entire fir forest in that area. In the shallow, clay soils, this stand of firs has grown tall and top heavy. Two particular fungi are present in the area that indicate rot in the tree trunks and the tree roots; Phellinus pini, known as Red Ring Rot and Phaeolus schweinitzii, known as Dyer's conk. Bark beetles and flat - headed borers can take advantage of the weakened condition of the trees. The trees have also had to contend with many urban impacts such as road, parking, building and utility construction as well as park usage. In addition, structural damage from winds and storms is present in almost half of these trees. The fir trees proposed for removal (see map) are on the eastern perimeter of the park in a narrow strip of land between residences along Fircrest Drive and Birch Lane. How the Trees Were Evaluated Due to concerns expressed by neighbors and park staff, the City hired a private consultant to review the health of 233 trees at Hendricks Park. This visual evaluation determined that approximately 100 fir trees of the 233 total trees were potentially hazardous. Twelve of these contained serious defects, posed immediate hazards to park users and neighbors, and were removed last fall. Since then, the City's Urban Forester and his staff made a more detailed analysis of 120 specific fir trees on the east side of the park near the picnic shelter. Special attention was given to 42 of these trees designated by the private consultant as potentially hazardous. Ongoing Monitoring To prevent the spread of the fungi, the diseased trees are proposed to be removed. The work will be carefully done by a private contractor to minimize damage to the natural areas. Once removal is complete, a monitoring program will be implemented for the remaining trees. The long term goal will be to establish a healthy forest well suited for the particular conditions of Hendricks Park. Evaluation of the remaining 113 trees from the consultant's report, (233 - 120 trees near the eastern picnic shelter), will take place as funding and staff work load allows. Approximately