LEXINGTON, KY – The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government (LFUCG) Environmental Quality and Public Works Committee will hear an annual update on the city’s urban forest and street tree initiatives at its upcoming meeting on Tuesday, July 11.
A significant portion, approximately 90%, of Lexington’s street trees are privately maintained. The LFUCG has introduced support programs for these owners, including the Hazard Street Tree (Cost Share) program and the Courtesy Street Tree Pruning Program. The Cost Share program provides a 50% cost share for the removal and replacement of hazardous street trees and 100% grants to qualifying property owners.
To participate, property owners must obtain bids from two of the city’s pre-qualified certified arborists and submit an application. After an initial inspection by a municipal forest ranger, tree removal and replacement will be carried out by the selected provider.
The Hazard Street Tree program, with an initial budget of $150,000 in fiscal 2020, has been halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the city has since committed additional funds to the program, with $50,000 committed in fiscal 2021 and disbursing $202,122 in fiscal 2023, far exceeding the original budget of $50,000.
Hazard Street Tree (Cost Sharing) Program, FY23 Newly Planted Tree Species (LFUCG)
According to the report, the top tree species removed in fiscal year 2023 were ash, pear, pine oak, and red maple. Species such as red maple, black eucalyptus, eastern redbud, flowering dogwood and kousa dogwood have been favored as substitutes.
A highlighted success story from FY2023 was a homeowner in CD 9 who replaced four pine oak trees with a variety of different species including black gum maple, sugar maple, yellow poplar and yellowwood.
The committee will also review the results of the street tree clearing pruning program. The program, which pruned a total of 31,591 street trees from FY16 to FY23, was commended for reducing complaints related to dead and dying trees, time to hazard remediation, and labor costs associated with enforcement and combat has contributed.
Looking ahead, LFUCG plans improvements for FY24, including a move from “reactive” or “complaint-based” services to a more “proactive” model with a multi-year schedule. This approach aims to allow for more comprehensive pruning and improved tree health.
For the upcoming fiscal year, the city has earmarked $85,000 for the Street Tree Clearance Pruning Program and $150,000 for the Hazard Street Tree (Cost Share) program. An additional $1.5 million will be provided through Tree Canopy’s ad hoc committee, with portions of that earmarked to improve the cost-sharing program and support initiatives by local organizations like Trees Lexington! and geomancer permaculture.
Photo above: An LFUCG handout announces upcoming pruning of street trees. (LFUCG)
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