Agenda

• Welcome

• Old Business
• Approval of November 6, 2014 minutes

• Subcommittee Reports
• Campus Planning & Design and Campus Resource Conservation Subcommittee – No Report
• Parking & Transportation Subcommittee – No Report

• New Business
• Campus Trees – Barbara Fair

• Next Meeting: January 8, 2015
  Location: Winslow Hall Conference Room

Minutes

Administrative Services III Building, Room 301

Chair Barbara Fair called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m. The following voting members attended the meeting: Ronald Baynes, Dick Bernhard, Barbara Fair, Gabriel Firestone, Matthew High, David Kelly, Susan Lisk, Steve Shannon, Alan Tonelli, and Willy Yamamoto.

EX-OFFICO: Cathy Reeve and Tom Skolnicki

GUESTS: Sarah Ketchem, Jeff DelPinal, Rick Hilburn, and Mark Davin from Grounds Management

OLD BUSINESS:
Barbara Fair called for a motion to approve the minutes for the November 6, 2014 meeting. The motion was made and seconded and minutes were unanimously approved.

NEW BUSINESS:
Barbara Fair provided a detailed slide show about the state of campus trees. Her purpose was to:

• Increase awareness of tree issues on campus
• Provide an observer’s view from outside Grounds Management
• And with help from the committee, provide suggestions to increase tree health and longevity

She told the committee and guests that she had over 25 years of experience in the tree care industry, has been an International Society of Arboriculture Certified Arborist since 1994, has an urban forest management background with over 10 years in tree research, and she is a tree lover – always.

She said she was concerned about plant selection, installation and site preparation, and pruning. Concerning selection she said we need greater diversity on campus. Presently, Main Campus has 1,123 oaks out of 6,983 trees (includes trees in wooded areas). The oak population accounts for 16 percent of the trees. Of that, 48 percent of the oaks are willow oak, meaning that eight percent of the total tree population is willow oaks. It likely is much higher once Centennial Campus is included.

Most researchers indicate there should be no more than 10 percent of single genus and no more than 5 percent of single species. Diversity is needed to reduce chance of losses to insect and disease, to diversify age groups, and to provide greater diversity for desirable wildlife. Fair added that we need to understand why a tree may fail to thrive or die outright and not replace with same species.

Focusing on installation and site preparation, she said the university should follow American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards, which are developed by expert practitioners and researchers that are based on research.

She said the reason so many young trees have had to be removed recently is due to standards not being followed and planting areas not properly prepared. Plant placement needs to be refined.

Problems with pruning on campus include:

• No consistency on campus
• Pruning is done with little to no oversight and is done by untrained crews
• The mistaken belief that pruning technique is opinion based

Throughout her presentation, Fair provided photos to substantiate her assertion about poor plant selection, incorrect installation and site preparation, and improper pruning. Photos of diseased and dying trees, showed the resulting problems.

She concluded her presentation by asking what we can do and what we want. She said that we can:

• Provide definitive recommendations for NCSU Grounds Management
• Develop an internship program with Grounds Management to have students trained and involved in young tree training
• Develop handbook for:
  • Plant selection
  • Plant installation and site preparation
  • Pruning techniques, timing, amount. (There should be no tree pruning without authorization from the campus arborist.)

We want healthy, long-lived, safe trees, species diversity, use of appropriate industry standards for installation and maintenance techniques, and consistency across campus. All new building projects should be held to same practices – species selection and site preparation.

The Grounds Management team in attendance headed by Director Sarah Ketchem responded to Chair Fair’s presentation. Ketchem said we have done things well and meet often to discuss plans and progress. Jeff DelPinal said that Grounds is aware of the concerns mentioned. They have a dedicated staff and want the same results as outlined by Fair. DelPinal continued that the team does meet often and learns from its mistakes. Rick Hilburn commented that he continually tries to ensure that his crew gets the proper training. He added that Grounds does have an extensive tree and plant replacement program. Mark Davin noted he has been in the tree care business all his life and worked for a number of companies. Grounds Management is a dedicated group open to change. Ketchem concluded the group’s comments saying that they want Chair Fair there when trees are planted.

Tom Skolnicki responded to a concern voiced by Chair Fair to have access to the landscape plans for each building project. Skolnicki said that she could be added to the list of those who review projects and would be expected to attend all project meetings where differences are resolved. He advised that he thought her time would be better spent in updating the landscape guidelines – a task in progress now. He said he would send her an invitation.

SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS:

CAMPUS PARKING & TRANSPORTATION SUBCOMMITTEE:
The subcommittee did not meet and thus had no report.

CAMPUS PLANNING & DESIGN AND CAMPUS RESOURCE CONSERVATION SUBCOMMITTEE:
The subcommittee did not meet and thus had no report.

OTHER NEW BUSINESS:
There was no other new business. The committee adjourned at 4:30 p.m. The next meeting of the full PEC is scheduled for January 8 from 3:30-5:00 p.m. in Winslow Hall Conference Room.