Arbor Month

Montana Arbor Day April 23, 1999

Paula Rosenthal

Community Forestry Specialist

J Arbor Month in Big Sky Country

1 Montana Tree Climbing Championships

2 The Lewis & Clark Bicentennial

3 Notes from the Field

4 Montana Community Forestry Council
4 Calendar of Events

The Community Forester 1

As I gaze out the window at the Missoula sunshine,
the radio announcer reports on a late winter storm
that is expected to result in over 15 inches of snow
for central and eastern Montana. This concerns me,
because we’re planning on planting trees for Arbor
Day, which in Montana is April 23rd. If we get
delayed for a few weeks, i.e. if the ground is still too
frozen to dig a planting hole, I won’t worry. Nearly
anytime is a good time to plant a tree, provided you
do it with care and plan for diligent maintenance of
this newest addition to the . park, front yard, or the
boulevard where you live.

It’s shaping up to be a busy year for the Montana
Community Forestry Program. We’re excited to be

continued on page 2

The Montana Tree Climbing Championship

The 2nd Annual Montana Tree Climbing
Championship will be in Missoula, Montana on
May 14-15, 1999.

This two-day event features a full day workshop
followed by the competition on day two.
Participants will learn climbing techniques,
working with ropes, working in trees, safety
refreshers, and more. Those entering the
competition will be vying for some great prizes
and the opportunity to represent Montana in the
regional competition later this summer. Last
year’s Montana Champion, Jon-Paul Paulsen,
place second at the regional competition.

In addition to the workshop and competition,
there will be an International Society of
Arboriculture Arborist Certification Exam on the
evening of May 14th. For information about the
exam, or to sign up, call Mark Lennon at DNRC
in Missoula at 406/ 542-421 5. If you’re already a
certified arborist, there will be continuing
education credits awarded for this event.

A brochure about the Tree Climbing Workshop
and Championship will be sent to all participants
from last year. To request a brochure, or for
more information, contact Missoula City Forester
Dan Rogers at 406/523-2757 or Paula Rosenthal,
DNRC, at 406/542-4284.

/ would still plant a tree today \

— Martin Luther

\

continued jrom page 1

recognizing so many communities again this year
as Tree City USA’s. You may already know that
the Tree City USA awards are presented by the
National Arbor Day Foundation to communities
which recognize the value of the forest resources
within their municipal boundaries. But did you
know that a number of Montana’s Tree Cities have
been such for more than a decade?

We also have a spring meeting planned for the
Montana Community Forestry Council. The
meeting will be in Bozeman on May 25th. We are
looking for new members, too! If you’re
interested, read the article on the Council on page
3 of this newsletter.

There are also some wonderful opportunities for
everyone interested in community forestry in
Montana. The National Urban and Community
Forestry Conference will be in Seattle in August.

This is the first time that this event has been help
in the Northwest. With over 1000 attendees and a
full tradeshow and pre/post conference
workshops, this will be an exciting event!

We’ve been working diligently on a proposal for
special projects related to the upcoming
bicentennial of die Lewis & Clark Expedition in
2003. All three of our congressmen have shown
great interest in funding projects. Please read the
related article in this newsletter and contact our
office if you have any ideas about how we can
work in your community on a Lewis & Clark
project.

Mark your calendars for the 2nd Annual Montana
Tree Climbing Championships to be held in
Missoula May 14-15. We are excited about this
year’s event, and the competition will be fun to
watch as well.

As you can see, we’re headed into Spring and
Summer with a full slate of work, opportunity, and
optimism. Let’s work together to build and
strengthen the Montana Community Forestry
Program. Many hands make light work, and the
more the merrier. Contact the DNRC Community
Forester nearest you to learn more about our
program or for assistance. And, if the snow ever
melts on the east side, we’ll be out to plant trees!

Montana State Library

3 0864 1006 8258 5

LEWIS & CLARK
BICENTENNIAL COULD
RESULT IN FUNDING FOR
COMMUNITY FORESTRY

2003 marks the official bicentennial of the
Lewis & Clark expedition, but Montana’s
tourism officials estimate that the state will see
significant increases in tourism linked to this
event as soon as next summer. Millions of
visitors are expected to trace the routes of
these explorers through Montana. With this in
mind, the Montana Community Forestry
Program is submitting a proposal for
increased congressional funding in
preparation for the bicentennial. Funds for
tree plantings, interpretive sites, beautification
of community entrances, education, and
economic development are proposed. If your
community, tree board, or organization would
like to become more involved, please contact
Paula Rosenthal, DNRC Community Forestry
Program, at 406/542-4284.

COMMUNITY FORESTRY
PROGRAM RESTRUCTURES STAFF
Due to budgetary limitations, the Montana
Community Forestry Program will be
downsizing from three field positions to two.
This will result in the elimination of the
Community Forester position currently located
in Lewistown.

Perry Brzezinski, Central Region Community
Forester, will be leaving his position at the
Northeastern Land Office in Lewistown
effective July 1, 1999. Perry has been an
invaluable member of the DNRC Community
Forestry Team, and integral to providing
services in central Montana. He will be missed.
We wish him the best of luck in new endeavors.

CONGRA TULA TIONS
TO MONTANA ’S
TREE CITY USA ’S!

Tbe Community Forester 2

not&y from/ fh& field/. . .

WESTERN REGION

Anaconda's Washoe Park has seen
extensive maintenance over the winter
and early Spring. Under the
leadership of Bill Hill, a street and
park tree inventory by the Anaconda
Tree Board and a risk assessment by
Natural Path Forestry Consultants of
Missoula identified the hazards of the
older cottonwoods in the Park. As a
result, the Anaconda Parks
Department removed 270 cottonwoods
from the site. The good news? Bill
and his crews are grinding stumps
and preparing the park for a large
planting project this Spring.

The Arlee Historical Museum
landscaping project resumes this
spring, complete with flower and rock
gardens and six new memorial trees.

Dixon will soon welcome some shady
Characters to town, as the result of a
project with DOT and DNRC to plant
trees along the reconstructed highway
200 through Dixon. Harvey Gould of
Dixon says tree planting is scheduled
for later this Spring.

Whitefish, with the help of a Plum
Creek Foundation Grant, is planning
a native tree planting project at the
Central School playgound. Jan
Metzmaker serves on the city council
and says the planting will buffer the
playgound from an adjacent
industrial area, and will also provide
science classes with examples of tree
native to Montana.

Corvallis, Poison, Stevensville, and
Whitefish have all received grants
from the U.S. Forest Service for
community forestry projects ranging
from tree inventories to plantings.
Congratulations!

Congratulations to Vince Galli,
Bozeman Parks Department’s newest
TSA Certified Arborist!

CENTRAL REGION

Fort Benton has been quite active this
year, with an updated tree inventory
and an elm protection program. Elm
trees were injected with Alamo
fungicide to prevent Dutch Elm disease.

Great Falls hosted another great session
on Dutch Elm disease for the Canadian
Urban Foresters.

The city of Lewistown is busy with a
massive project on Spring Creek that
will include a trail along a portion of the
stream. The result will be great for
outdoor education as well as recreation.

Schools, Schools, Schools! Classroom
visits were plentiful last fall, and we’re
gearing up for more this spring!

Thanks to Dr. Bob Gough m
horticulturist with MSU Extension, for
incorporating community forestry and
tree care into Master Gardener
sessions. I know that the gardeners
learned something and a few trees in
the park are better as a result!

Right now, it’s Arbor Month. School
programs, tree plantings, and local
workshops are in the works. Watch for
an Arbor Day event coming soon to
YOUR community.

Mark Lennon

Western Region Community Forester
1401 27th Avenue
Missoula, Montana 59804

Perry Brzezinski

Central Region Community Forester
613 N.E. Main Street
Lewistown, Montana 59457
(406) 538-7789

Jeff Roe

Eastern Region Community Forester
P.O. Box 1794
Miles City, Montana 59301
(406) 232-2034

EASTERN REGION

We’re off and running this Spring in
anticipation of some great Arbor
Month activities.

Thanks to educators in Colstrip,
Wolf Point, Boyd, Wibaux, and
Cohagen for inviting us to present
community forestry programs in
your classrooms.

For another educational
opportunity, watch for another
session of the Tree Care Workshops
later this year.

Miles City is planning for a major
planting project this Spring in
Milwaukee Park. An irrigation
system, donated playground
equipment, and barriers to prevent
motorized vehicles in the park will
make this area a great place for
families and friends to gather in
Miles City.

Big Timber has completed the data
collection for their tree inventory. 1
will be performing the data entry
and analysis for them. I am also
field checking the data for the Red
Lodge and Miles City tree
inventories.

Thanks to the Beartooth RC&D for
inviting the Montana Community
Forestry Program to work with
them to assist communities within
the RC&D on community forestry
related activities. We’re excited to
partner with the Beartooth RC&D
and look forward to the
opportunities that will result from
our efforts.

Rosebud County has received
funding from the Montana DOT for
tree planting to beautify their
cemetary. Tree selection, planting
layouts, and training are all in the
works!

The Community Forester 3

UPCOMING EVENTS...

May 14 -15 Montana/ Tree/Clwvihvng'
ChanipCon&hCp and/
Workshop, MCaoula/.

May 14**

ISA Ejto/W/, MCaoula/
Call/ Mark/ Lennon/ for
info- 542-4215.

May 25^

Montana/ Community
forestry Council/ Mlty.

B o^envan.. CatLpaula/
for infer 542 -4284.

July

ISA £>ca*rv. CalLjeffHoe^
for info- 232-2034.

August

National Urban
forestry Conference
Seattle:

Montana Community Forestry Program
DNRC

2705 Spurgin Road
Missoula, Montana 59804

Address Correction Requested

Montana Community
Forestry Council
Seeks New Members

The Montana Community Forestry Council serves
as an advisor to the State Forester and the DNRC
staff on the implementation of the community
forestry program in Montana. The council is
actively seeking new members! •

The Montana Community Forestry Council mil
meet May 25, 1999 in Bozeman.

Members attend council meetings and serve on
committees for special projects. Council members
are reimbursed for their expenses in conjunction
with council meetings or other activities. Anyone
with an interest in community forestry, or a desire
to learn more about the Montana program should
attend our next meeting May 25th in Bozeman.

For additional information and a meeting agenda,
please contact Paula Rosenthal, Community ,

Forestry Program Manager, at 406/542 4284. ❖

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Tbe Community Forester 4