Issue 183, Spring 2008 - Telegraph Hill Dwellers

PARKS & TREES REPORTby Robert MatteiTHD has partnered with Friends of the Forest(FUF) to make it possible for landlords, rentersand homeowners in North Beach and TelegraphHill to plant trees outside of their buildings and homes.To begin the process of planting a tree, a propertyowner must sign the FUF Letter of Agreement and theDepartment of Public Works (DPW) Tree PlantingApplication Form and submit both forms to RobertMattei, the Chair of the Parks and Trees Committee forthe Telegraph Hill Dwellers and neighborhood representativefor FUF.The FUF Letter of Agreementand DPW Tree Planting ApplicationForm can be found at www.fuf.net/tree_plantings Theweb site also contains information on the benefits andrequirements for planting trees and the many differentspecies to choose from. For those who apply for a tree,FUF will incur the expenses and costs of permit processing,administrative expenses, underground utilityidentification, concrete cutting and removal, orderingof the trees and supplies and coordination of volunteersand planting logistics. FUF will also recommend thespecies of trees that will do well in the North Beacharea. The only cost a landlord or owner will pay is $165per tree during the mass planting, or if it is a replacementtree (one where there is already a sidewalk cut).This fee covers $45 for an 18 month arborist visit tocheck on the health of the tree and $120 in expenses notcurrently covered by government funding.We need to gather 30 applications in order toschedule a neighborhood tree planting, however Iam only halfway there. Janis Kaempfe a long timeneighborhood resident who has assisted me in composingthis article has also been working with me tofacilitate this process. We really need to gather moretree applications to make this happen. Please feelfree to contact Janis at kjanis@mail.com she is helpingme distribute and collect tree applications so wecan make this planting a reality.16 Issue #183 • Spring 2008