16
Condition and Maintance Needs
FIGURE 7: Location of Current Street Trees
TREE PIT 1% 8 ' TREELAWN 2% MEDIAN 3%
street tree population
4 ' TREELAWN 4%
6̇ ' TREELAWN 16%
The Town of Wake Forest is currently responsible for maintaining approximately 14,700 trees along the public right-of-way (ROW) (Table 4). The town now contains a street tree population that rivals mu- nicipalities that are known nationally for their trees, such as Burlington, Vermont (6,987) and Charleston, South Carolina (15,244). The total number of street trees has grown rapidly from the 2004 tree inventory, likely due to the large number of trees planted in new neighborhoods. Most of these trees are along streets maintained by the town, while some are found on streets maintained by the NC Department of Transportation (NCDOT), with Main Street (Route 1A) being the most visibly forested. Most of the trees in the right of way are of a size and species appropriate for town maintenance, but a small percentage of the trees were small-growing ornamen- tals, which would not qualify for town maintenance.
YARD 74%
FIGURE 8: Current Use of Potential Planting Spaces for Street Trees
DEAD TREE 1% STUMP 1%
VACANT 26%
LIVING TREE 72%
Planting Site Types Most trees are planted behind the sidewalk, which is ideal for root growth (Figure 7). A large number are also planted in the space between the sidewalk and the street, known as a “treelawn”, “verge”, or “devil strip”. In most cases, this space is 6 feet wide, which is adequate for many species, though 8 feet or wider is better for tree health. Relatively few trees are planted in tree pits, sidewalk cutouts, or in street medians. Stumps, Dead Trees, and Vacant Planting Sites There are approximately 200 stumps from recently removed trees, 100 standing dead trees, and more than 5,000 locations where additional trees could be planted (Figure 8). More than 70% of spaces that could support street trees currently contain a living tree. This “stocking level” is fairly good, but indicates that there is a significant opportunity to plant additional trees. Standing dead trees and stumps are unattractive and potentially hazardous, and should be removed.
RECOMMENDATION: Identify and remove standing dead trees and stumps as soon as possible, and plant additional trees as resources allow.
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