HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 3/22/2022 - Memorandum From Mike Calhoon Re: Interconnected Council Priorities -Trees/Birds
Parks Department
413 South Bryan Avenue
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522
970.221.6660
970.221.6849 - fax
fcgov.com/parks
Date: March 7, 2022
To: Mayor and City Council
Thru: Kelly DiMartino, Interim City Manager
Kyle Stannert, Deputy City Manager
Seve Ghose, Community Services Director
Katie Donahue, Natural Areas Director
From: Mike Calhoon, Director of Parks
Re: Interconnected Council Priorities-Trees/Birds
Bottom Line
This memo outlines the interconnected efforts to enhance and protect the urban forest along with
providing birds with the habitat and conditions to thrive.
Background
Council set two priorities this year associated with urban forest resiliency.
#28. Improve tree policies.
#29. Tree planting subsidy.
One priority was set to address the conditions that have negatively impacted local and migratory
birds.
#9. Help bird species recover.
Staff realize the interconnectedness of these priorities.
In an effort to help the bird species recover the direction has been to work with the Environment
for the Americas to earn a certification as a Bird City USA. The criteria to earn this designation
includes robust cat management policies, habitat enhancement and tree policies that provide
diverse habitat for birds.
There are three milestones associated with completion of the effort to help bird species recover.
1. Create an inter-departmental team.
2. Develop an education program for Migratory Bird Day.
3. Create a resolution for Council’s consideration for World Migratory Bird Day.
The team is established and meeting regularly. They have started working on the Bird City USA
application and are planning a World Migratory Bird Day celebration (May 14). The team is led
by the Natural Areas Department and includes the Gardens on Spring Creek, Parks Department,
Audubon Fort Collins, Audubon Rockies, and Bird Conservancy of the Rockies. All is on track.
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World Migratory Bird Day events on May 13th and 14th are in the works in collaboration
with Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, Northern Colorado Wildlife Center, the City’s night sky
program, Fort Collins Audubon, and City of Fort Collins Utilities and Natural Areas Department.
Potential activities include migratory bird banding, bird box building/decorating, and a program
on night sky-friendly lighting/night hikes. Details and activities will be announced by mid-April.
All is on track.
The goal is to complete all activities and requirements to earn the Bird City USA designation in
2022.
The priorities focusing on improved tree policies and planting subsidies have been progressing
also. Council is scheduled to consider an ordinance to designate trees as infrastructure at the
May 17th meeting. There are several initiatives underway to improve the diversity and quantity of
shade trees in the community including the Share Some Shade, Troxell Tree and the Community
Canopy programs. Budgeting for Outcomes offers addressing additional tree replacement (40.2)
and restoring the previous cut to the tree replacements (40.6) will allow for 544 trees to be added
back into the inventory in 2022. The Co-created Canopy (Private Tree Planting Subsidy) offer
(40.9) will fund 1000 5-gallon trees to be planted on private land.
As the Council priorities highlight specific areas of concern, the reality is these efforts are inter-
related in achieving the overall goal of improving the health of the urban forest and the bird
species in the community.
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