Index

Photo of Tulsa park ©Amatucci Photography

ReGreen Tulsa

Join residents across Tulsa as we “ReGreen Tulsa”.
20,000 Trees by 2010!

Tree December 2007’s devastating ice storm destroyed or heavily damaged Tulsa’s beautiful tree canopy. The ReGreen Tulsa program is a joint effort of Mayor Kathy Taylor, Tulsa’s Tree Advisory Committee and the local non-profit organization Up With Trees, to reestablish our tree canopy.

ReGreen Tulsa Goal:

Plant 20,000 trees by December 2010 on both private property and public sites. Program efforts will focus on the two areas most devastated by the storm, neighborhoods and parks, and will include educational efforts encompassing how to plant trees so that they thrive in Tulsa soils and how to care for them so that they survive Tulsa’s challenging climate.

NeighborWoods

Modeled after a similar highly successful program in Austin, the NeighborWoods program identifies neighborhoods with the greatest need for tree replacement, as well as the need for economic assistance with associated costs. The program will include educational events in the selected neighborhoods.

Tulsa Parks

Tulsa’s many city parks were full of large, mature trees that offered bountiful shade for picnicking, sports like Frisbee golf, walking or lounging. Those parks are perhaps the areas with the greatest visible devastation. In the Regreen Tulsa program, Tulsa Urban Foresters and horticulturists with the Tulsa Parks Department, will designate the areas of greatest need and coordinate with program planting partners and community volunteers to replace trees lost in the storm.

Additional ReGreen efforts.

Several other programs which allow individuals to participate in ReGreen efforts no matter where they live. Here’s a brief list of additional programs included in ReGreen Tulsa:

Mayor’s Recognition Program. Register any trees you plant in your yard and receive a Regreen Tulsa E-Certificate of Recognition.
Faith-based NonProfit Program. Tulsa’s many faith-based organizations and other non-profit groups will be encouraged to plant 1,000 trees in Tulsa over the three years of the ReGreen Tulsa program.
ReGreen Builders Planting Program. Builders can work to meet voluntary benchmarks established by the Mayor’s office and the Home Builders Association of Greater Tulsa (HBA) for planting trees in new housing and commercial developments.
Seedling Planting Program. Youth volunteers and children’s groups can participate in planting seedlings in public spaces each year, as part of a tree education program.

Face Lift Underway in Tulsa Parks – March 14, 2008

The ice storm of December 2007 will be remembered as an event that changed the face of Tulsa. But because of the help of arborists and forestry specialists from across the southern United States, it may also be remembered as an event that, in the end, made our urban forests healthier and our parks safer.

“Tulsa suffered tremendous losses,” said Mark Bays, Urban Forestry Coordinator for the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry – Forestry Services. Bays led the team of specialists who evaluated Tulsa Parks following the storm. The devastation appeared horrific, but as the study continued, Bays said that upon closer look, things weren’t quite so bad, based on the total inventory of the trees and comparisons with the Parks Department’s urban forest records.

“The Tulsa Parks Department has maintained an inventory of trees for some time,” said Maureen Turner, horticulturist with the Tulsa Parks Department. “Each tree has been identified by exact GPS location, tree species, condition and age. Thanks to our existing inventory, FEMA’s review of the damage to trees in Tulsa Parks was faster and easier.”

“After a careful review of the entire tree inventory, tracking back to records from before the storm, our team could see the true numbers.” Bays said. “The storm exposed some critical problems with older trees that needed to be addressed. Once the cleanup is done, hazards are removed, and remaining trees are rehabilitated and pruned, I am confident that the trees in Tulsa Parks will be much healthier over all.”

Bays added that the storm has created an opportunity for Tulsa. “Now the City can actually plan what the future tree cover of the city will look like,” he said.

Selected tree species for city-wide plantings in parks and right-of-ways include only trees which can withstand the range of temperatures, changes in humidity and windy climate of eastern Oklahoma. This list of suggested tree species is available on the City’s website at www.cityoftulsa.org/ReGreen/TreeList.asp.

More good news: thanks to the excellent records kept by the Tulsa Parks Department, and the assessment of Bays and his team of professionals, Tulsa has been selected as one of the first recipients in a new FEMA Pilot program. The program provides “up front” payment to cover the expenses of trimming and removal of trees damaged during a disaster like the December 2007 ice storm.

“We are grateful that FEMA has selected our city for this pilot program,” said Mayor Kathy Taylor. “We’ve been told that Tulsa is the perfect candidate to lead the way. Hopefully other cities will learn from Tulsa’s experience, and maintain good records about the age, size and condition of trees in public spaces.”