I was asked to make this letter public, and therefore have published it here.
Situation:
Whereas, (1) We are in the worse drought
on record in Southeast Texas. (2) The
Woodlands is economically dependent on the existence of its natural setting and
resources, (3) Tall mature trees form the basis of our natural setting, (4)
Large reforesting efforts are very expensive and recovery takes decades, (5)
The Woodlands has no evident disaster plan for its resources, (6) Weather
forecasts predict we may be in the 10th year of a 20-year drought
cycle, (7) We will likely lose 10-20% of our trees this year alone. Tree service companies are knocking on doors
trying to convince people to cut their trees down, (7) Even trees on private
property is within the jurisdictional scope of the Township (protected in the
covenants), (8) Residents have indicated in past annual polls that the most
important aspect of this community is its trees, and (9)
The Woodlands Township has a substantial but unknown valued inventory of mature trees
on its deeded properties, including parks and green reserves. As stewards
of these properties and our tax dollars to care for these properties, The Township
is responsible for the health and well being of these properties. Our most basic core value is the forest
setting of our community and the wildlife therein. There are unexploited opportunities to deliver
non-potable and potable water resources to our green areas, to provide a means
to give life to our forests. Esplanade
watering in 2011 started entirely too late to save many of our trees at most
risk. The Township has a forestry
“bible” created by a contractor in 2004 that laid out a forest management plan
for this community; we have a reforestation plan derived from that document. We have grown by leaps and bounds since that
study was conducted. Although we have not executed that plan in its entirety,
the plan itself has a number of pitfalls, one of which we are experiencing
today – severe drought. This plan
provides for normal actions to Texas forests in general; it is tailored
specifically for The Woodlands but is not a disaster plan. We have a strategic
business plan, but it is not comprehensive and does not cover such disasters. We
must take action now to deal with disaster planning for our future, or this
master planned community may cease to exist. A pine tree grows at a rate of two
feet a year. We cannot afford to lose
all of our mature pines. Status quo is not the answer to this situation. Fire
continues to be a hazard for our area as well; the study of 2004 recommended
ways to mitigate that threat.
Request for Action
Scope
As a resident and taxpayer of this community, I hereby
request the board of directors to immediately take short term and long term
actions to save our trees. We should work with the development company, county
and MUD districts who are also stakeholders in the health of our forests. The
scope of these actions considers the risks to our economic prosperity, both in
business and in residential neighborhoods. Home values are significantly at
risk; business volume is also at risk. Therefore, I suggest we develop two
plans. One is for short term planning, where residents, businesses, and the
government partner to provide water to our trees, saving as many as possible. Establish
a partnership with tree service companies to inform residents with a common
message of preservation. Establish a licensing process for tree service
providers, to help prevent misinformation being spread to homeowners on the
necessity of cutting down trees. Establish a research and grant partnership
with educational institution(s) to find best practices and evolving means to
save our forests in the context of current changing issues, including disease
control.
Suggested course
of action
Immediately establish a task force to recommend near term
actionable tasks. Perhaps we could call
the program “Save our Woodlands one tree at a
time”. As the winter approaches, the drier air is likely to stress
the trees even further. We are in our “wet season” but the dry climate over the
past three years has demonstrated the need to pay attention to the problem even
in cold months and “wet” seasons. The devastation to our forests this summer
was predictable. We are way behind in rainfall and have been behind for three
years.
Short term (now): To provide vision and possible specifics,
I can give a possible start of ideas: develop an immediate watering plan to
make sure our trees have sufficient water to survive. Assume this drought continues; don’t wait any longer. Identify the areas most threatened by the drought. Utilize the 2004
study to assist in this process but do not limit an action plan to that study. This
includes the high risk of beetle infestations which is very likely to occur
over the next 12 months. Be willing to displace other projects in the 2011 and
2012 budget plan to make this happen. Be
willing to spend emergency funds to make this happen. Include residential and
business-owned trees in an estimated inventory of mature trees. Track and
report on the general health of our forest at various locations. Use all
resources available – including the RDRCs and DSC which are tasked to protect
the large trees on private and business properties. Communicate judiciously and often with
homeowners and businesses on their responsibilities to care for trees on their
properties. Solicit volunteers to help
with the process. It is implied in the covenants that residents must water
their trees. Establish a partnership
with the water authority to acquire water for this emergency; seek to lower the
cost of watering trees. Communicate
with residents on their responsibility to the community for saving one tree at
a time. Quantify costs and identify
funding resources to make this happen. Encourage residents to help with public
lands. Utilize Township resources to
perform these actions. Prepare a health check of our forests and present it to
the community at a widely publicized Townhall meeting. Participate in the
Houston-Galveston Fall Planning workshop
for the environment and be a regional player to mitigate future risks.
Long term (within one year): Develop the economics of our trees, their
impact on our economy and specific risks to their health. Establish a clear
vision and strategy in the Township business plan that places the proper
importance of our forests and triggers urgent proactive and reactive actions in
the future when the forest is thus threatened again. Inventory our large mature
trees, especially those with a diameter greater than six inches and establish
their location. Have a working relationship with a major university such as
Texas A&M to ensure we are on the front line of loss prevention.
If we were an insurance company, our rating would be very
low right now to provide coverage for our forests. And yes, we actually are an
insurance company. We insure ourselves.
Let’s admit we are in trouble and take action.
Thank you for playing close and urgent attention to this
matter and aggressively seek to protect our property values and the quality of
life in The Woodlands, by saving our forest, what is left of it. Let’s not be
in the same position regarding this subject next year at this time.
Randy Scott, stakeholder and resident of The Woodlands
0 comments:
Post a Comment