Oct. 2007 - Volume 68, Issue 10
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In this issue
NextGEN Departments
Tree City USA continued...
Wanting to preserve the area’s natural beauty, city officials, working with members of the local garden club, engaged a certified arborist to assess the condition and health of trees on city property. A Tree Resource Improvement and Maintenance (TRIM) grant from the Conservation Department paid for most of the inventory costs.
The inventory determined that the majority of the city’s trees were in good growing condition, though many were old and in need of maintenance. About 10 percent of the trees were deemed hazardous or unsightly and in need of removal.
The inventory became a blueprint from which to plan annual tree maintenance. Participants in the planning agreed that the main goals of the city’s tree program should be minimizing the city’s liability and improving the public tree resources.
Hermann city employees perform most of the tree maintenance. Conservation Department resource foresters conducted several tree care workshops to help the employees learn tree pruning and planting skills.
Hermann City Administrator Steve Mueller said the city’s determination and efforts to improve public trees has increased awareness among the population of the value of trees and the necessity for proper management of trees, even on private land. He gave as an example how proper pruning techniques on city property are now challenging the long-established landowner tradition of “topping” trees.
The commitment and concern that led Hermann to seek Tree City USA certification has united residents and increased civic pride. The improvements to Hermann’s urban forests are already noticeable and will inevitably lead to healthy trees for generations to come. 
About This Article
Author
AARON HOLSAPPLE works in Linn as a resource
forester. He and his wife, Lynne, enjoy camping
with their two very curious daughters, ages 3
and 5. He also plays guitar and enjoys singing.
Photographer
CLIFF WHITE is a life-long Missouri resident. After nearly 10 years as a staff photographer for the Missouri Department of Conservation, Cliff recently took on management duties as Art Director. Now he supervises on an unruly gang of super-creative folks. In his spare time Cliff likes to play old-time folk and bluegrass music, float fish and chase the occasional turkey.
