Downtown tree pruning has Ukiah feeling bare

UKIAH -- Winter's bare limbs offer no hint of the soothing benefits on hot summer days from the leafy Chinese pistache trees that line downtown's School Street.

Fall brings a spectacular display of color, when tree leaves turn bright red, yellow and pumpkin orange. The color lasts well into November, sometimes even into Thanksgiving week, and the trees gracefully branch out across the wide sidewalks of Ukiah's quaint downtown.

"The trees make downtown so beautiful. It wouldn't be the same without them," said School Street shop owner Karen Record.

So it's no surprise that when recent sharp pruning by city public works crews left the trees unusually bare of limbs, downtown denizens gasped.

Record said she thought the pruning appeared drastic, especially for trees that so identify the downtown core.

"I'm sure they'll come back, or at least we're all hoping so," said Record.

Directors of Mendocino County Releaf, an affiliate of a statewide organization dedicated to planting and preserving trees in urban landscapes, have put their concerns in writing to city officials.

Ukiah resident Miles Gordon, a Releaf spokesman, said Wednesday that it may take three to five years before the effects of this year's pruning are known.

"The city may be well-intentioned, but it needs to rely more closely on professional advice, and properly trained crews," said Gordon.

Currently, the city's tree-trimming efforts are divided between the Public Works and the Parks and Recreation departments.

"We need one properly trained crew to do the trimming of city trees," said Gordon. Gordon said his group's concerns are so great that it's offered to pay for a professional arborist to assist in training city staff.

Interim City Manager Pat Thompson couldn't be reached for comment Wednesday on the bare limbs of downtown. But Thompson has said she believes the trees may have been trimmed more for maintenance than aesthetics.

Still, Gordon said the city needs to develop a formal policy on tree care.

"The downtown trees are truly a community asset," he said.

You can reach Staff Writer Mike Geniella at 462-6470 or mgeniella@pressdemocrat.com.