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We have several critical challenges facing the “urban forest” of our living environment in the city. First, we continue to remove trees faster than we replace them in mature areas of the city. Damaged, diseased, or encroaching trees near power lines are being cut down and fewer trees are being replanted. Secondly, nearly half of all the trees in the city (both native along the Big Sioux River basin, as well as those planted by home and business owners) are ash trees. The Emerald Ash Borer is a voracious insect moving through communities in the eastern and midsections of the country. The insect is extremely difficult to combat and is very thorough in its destruction of ash tree populations. The ash borer is forecast to be as destructive as the Dutch Elm Disease was in the 1960s and 1970s. A program of diverse tree planting, utilizing non-ash tree species, is critically important to prevent this new biological tsunami from taking out nearly half of the trees in our city. It is critically important to preserve and protect our forested areas as they provide shade and a natural cooling effect for our homes, yards and public spaces. Trees help with water retention in the soil, provide habitat for wildlife, and soften the spaces around our built up structures; they create desirable park-like venues in every part of the city. Sioux Falls Beautiful has a supreme commitment to preserving and enhancing our urban forest for generations to come. < Back to List |
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NeighborWoods