This year Parks Canada completed several infrastructure projects in Glacier and Mt. Revelstoke National Parks.

The infrastructure projects were funded by a $122 million Government of Canada investment, over the last five years, with some projects continuing in 2020.

These projects include $95 million for avalanche mitigation and Trans Canada Highway improvements.

READ MORE: Worlds most extensive avalanche detection system launched on Rogers Pass

The highway improvements included:

Projects in the Rogers Pass area had an estimated cost of $20 million, including:

In September, 470 tonnes of rock were placed around the Illecillewaet Stone Arch Culvert to reinforce its concrete footings and protect the historic 115-year-old birdge against future erosion. The project included fish passage considerations. This project cost an estimated $280,000.

READ MORE: PHOTOS: Highway 1 improvements restoring fish habitat in Glacier National Park

Hiking trail improvements such as erosion control, upgraded signing and repairs to structures cost an estimated $600,000.

Projects that will continue in 2020 include the campground at Mt. Revelstoke National Park. Snowforest Campground construction is estimated to cost, upon completion an estimated $6 million.

READ MORE: Opening delayed for new campground at Mt. Revelstoke National Park

Hazard tree removal is also ongoing. Due to major spruce beetle infestation, many old-growth spruce trees in Mt. Sir Donald Campground and other day use areas needed to be removed for public safety. The estimated cost for this project is $600,000.

Restoration of the former Glacier Park Lodge site will also continue in the new year.

Sampling and monitoring of sub-surface contamination will be ongoing throughout the Rogers Pass summit area for the foreseeable future to ensure the extent of contaminated soil and groundwater is well understood and any potential risk to human health or the environment can be mitigated, said a news release from Parks Canada.

READ MORE: Parks Canada moving ahead with demolition of Rogers Pass summit buildings

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Parks Canada on the way to completing $122 million in infrastructure projects - Revelstoke Review

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WELD COUNTY, Colo. -- A massive cottonwood holding a bald eagle's nest has been torn down in Weld County, frustrating neighbors.

The tree, off County Road 13 and County Road 34, was torn down by the property owner Thursday.

"I was driving down this road this morning, and their tree is gone, the nest gone. And it just makes me heartbroken," one woman who lives in the area said. "As I saw that, I started to cry because it's an American icon. I don't know why you would take anything away from an animal like that."

The news created angst on Weld County social media pages, with some questioning the legality of the move.

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a rancher applied for and received a permit, allowing him to remove the tree as part of an irrigation project.

It's illegal under federal law to harm or disturb a bald eagle or its nest without a permit.

"In this case, we issued a permit for removal of a nest that was not being used by eagles for nesting," said Kevin Kritz, a wildlife biologist with Fish and Wildlife. "That's because it's outside the nesting season."

Kritz says he personally visited the property over the summer and signed off on the permit.

He says while some eagles remain in Colorado over the winter, they are not actively using the nests this time of year.

He says the eagles should have no problem relocating to another tree before breeding season begins in January.

"There's other trees present there that could still serve as potential nests trees," Kritz said. "That's basically what they're going through now, because the one they were in last year is gone."

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Weld County tree with eagle nest torn down; officials say its legal - FOX 31 Denver

BAY CITY, MI - One local couple is giving a special gift to the Bay City community for this holiday season.

Gerald and Patricia Pett are donating their beloved blue spruce tree as the Christmas tree in Wenonah Park this year. The tree will be set up by Dave and Sally Clements, who are in their fourth year of finding and decorating a Christmas tree for Bay City.

The Clements seek out trees each year that are beautiful but need removal for one reason or another. Gerald Pett said his 35-foot blue spruce is damaging their patio system and the roots are heading for the house foundation.

But the tree has sentimental value for the Petts. Theyve had the tree for approximately half of their 50-year marriage. In 1995, Gerald was approached by a neighbor who had bought a nearby lot and was looking to get rid of two small pine trees.

Gerald Pett took one of the trees and planted it in his yard. Nearly 25 years later, the tree is a full and healthy specimen. Gerald said that he took care of the tree year after year, constantly trimming it and fertilizing it when needed.

Over the years, the tree grew alongside the couple. Gerald Pett made a cutout in the tree for the two to enjoy a swinging bench beneath it. The tree was decorated for the holidays, with bright lights and large ornaments as long as it was feasible to do so.

In the last five years, however, the tree got too big for the Petts to handle decorating. So they donated the tree to the Bay City community. The couple released a statement that said, In honor of our upcoming 50th wedding anniversary on January 23, 2020, we donate this tree and wish a merry Christmas to all.

Dave and Sally Clements made arrangements to have the tree picked on Monday, Nov. 25 and transported to Wenonah Park.

Moving the tree to Wenonah Park is no easy task. Because of its location, it will have to be lifted over their neighbors fence and navigated onto a flatbed trailer. Gerald Pett said.

The tree will be then decorated with festive decorations and nearly a mile of string lights.

The tree will be lit during the fourth annual tree lighting ceremony in Wenonah Park on Friday, Nov. 29.

The Petts are attending the ceremony to bid farewell to their tree. They will get to witness the tree that stood guard over their house for over half of their marriage bring delight to hundreds of children and their families.

I hope I dont cry, said Patricia Pett.

The lighting ceremony and the celebration of Santas arrival starts at 7 p.m. on Nov. 29. Santa Claus will put on a special performance before meeting area children and Miss Bay County will also sign books after the tree lighting. Refreshments will be provided by St. Laurent Brothers and McDonalds and food trucks will also be on location.

Carriage rides are available for $5 as well as free ice skating at the pavilion.

Children are asked to bring flashlights to help welcome Santa Claus to Wenonah Park.

The Santa and reindeer light display that was rescued from the roof of the F.P. Horak building before the building was demolished will also be lit at this time. The display was installed atop the Bay County Museum on Thursday, Nov. 21.

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Bazaars, performances and other holiday season events in mid-Michigan

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Bay Citys 2019 Christmas tree honors couples 50th wedding anniversary - MLive.com

Proposed changes to parking and landscaping at Hillside Village. (Photo by Jaime Dunaway.)

A zoning change application at the Hillside Village Shopping Center aims to update parking and replace landscaping that was cut down in 2018, according to documents filed with the City of Dallas in early November.

Hillside Village is zoned under Planned Development No. 79. It was established in 1975 for the construction of the center under Shopping District regulations, which set building height and landscaping standards. Parking standards in PD 79 follow rules set in the defunct 1960 Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, which does not allow shared parking.

The purpose of the zoning change application is to amend PD 79 and update the base zoning to a Commercial Retail District, which would allow mix-use parking, according to the application.

The current zoning treats the three buildings in the southeast corner of the shopping center as three separate entities with their own separate parking lots. That creates problems when new tenants want to lease a space because city officials believe theres not enough parking. The zoning change asks the City of Dallas to treat the property as a single lot for parking purposes, so when new tenants move in, there will be sufficient parking.

Parking spaces will not be added or removed, nor will they be narrowed or widened. The only difference neighbors will see is additional tree planters in the parking lot, said Rob Baldwin, principal of the zoning consultant company Baldwin Associates.

The incentive is to increase flexibility to draw more tenants to the space to keep it vibrant and full, Baldwin said.

The amendment also includes an updated landscape plan. The application calls for adequately sized landscape islands for large trees and the replacement of trees on the east and south side of the building, where a tree buffer had been cut down.

Neighbors reported that the trees came down in 2018 near the intersection of Hillside Drive and Winton Street. The trees blocked the view of the shopping center and created a noise buffer from the traffic.

Chief arborist Philip Erwin said in an email at the time that he did not see a tree removal permit for the property on file.

Landscaping along Hillside Drive requires a minimum number of certain trees along the east and west screening walls, and the trees must be supplemented with numerous shrubs, according to PD 79. All landscaped areas must be properly maintained and kept in a healthy condition, with replacement plants for those that die.

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Without the trees, rain runoff increases and flows across the parking lot into surrounding neighborhoods.

More than 20 homeowners near BlueFair Lake submitted comments at a public meeting Tuesday that said the runoff settles in their backyards and the pond. The volume of water from the parking lot has also increased the erosion of the creek that flows into White Rock Lake, they said.

We are opposed to changes that contribute to the increase of trash and pollutants caused by increased parking, according to a written statement.

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Will the trees cut down at Hillside Village finally be replaced? - Advocate Media

ASCUTNEY The state will delay plans to cut down a beleaguered tree and pay for a second opinion from an arborist as town and state officials seek solutions for a century-old maple that has stirred calls for preservation as the last visible remnant of a farm owned by the late Romaine Tenney.

Selectboard members and state officials with the Vermont Agency of Transportation agreed Monday night that Interim Weathersfield Town Manager Sven Fedorow would contact area arborists and send those names to the state, which would then decide whom to hire for another examination of the tree.

VTrans has agreed to postpone removing the tree until further evaluation, and we will also work with the town on a historical marker (for Tenney), Andrea Wright, the right of way and environmental program manager with the Agency of Transportation, said Tuesday.

The concession to community outcry may help the state stem a controversy that paralleled the events before Tenneys death in 1964. Despite repeated Tenneys repeated refusal to sell the farm, the state seized his property to make way for Interstate 91, after which Tenney burned his farmhouse and took his own life.

Those wounds were reopened for some in the community earlier this year, when an arborist hired by the state determined that the maple tree, which sits on the edge of the park and ride off Exit 8, was mostly dead and could not be saved.

With the pending removal of the last piece of Tenneys farm, a public meeting late last month that was supposed to be about a memorial for Tenney instead became a demand from many residents to save the tree. That was followed by a formal request from the Selectboard to hold off cutting down the tree and an invitation to state officials to come to Mondays meeting, which led to the agreement for a second arborist.

On Tuesday, Selectboard member Dave Fuller, who joined others at the October meeting demanding the tree be saved, said he has softened his position somewhat and has recognized that eventually it will have to come down. About 10 years ago, cables were installed to stabilize the tree, which is more than 100 years old and 80 feet tall.

When it does come down, Fuller and others said, they hope the trees base, about 8 to 10 feet below a large cavity, can be saved. One idea Fuller mentioned Tuesday was an eternal flame placed in a carved-out section of the trunk with a small window.

It could signify Romaine Tenney never left, Fuller said.

The board also discussed removing some of the limbs and branches that pose a danger to vehicles and pedestrians in the park and ride and will have the arborist consider that as well. Fedorow said if nothing is done the state would likely close off about seven parking spaces at the heavily used park and ride to limit its liability.

Losing seven spaces could be problematic, Fedorow said.

Patrick OGrady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.

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State delays cutting down Tenney farm tree, will get second opinion on its health - Valley News

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Lakehead residents said they were concerned about this tree damaging nearby Pacific Gas and Electric Co. power lines.(Photo: Damon Arthur/Record Searchlight)

For the past year, Janeen Pepper has watched a large pine across the street from her Lakehead home slowly die as the needlesturned from green to brown.

So last month, Pepper's neighbor, Brad Church, finally called Pacific Gas & Electric Co. to tell them the tree was dead and may need to be removed because it was near electrical lines and a transformer.

Pepper said she was unable to find out when the tree was going to be removed. With winter approaching, it worried her that wind and snow could break branches off the tree and knock out power to the neighborhood.

"It's dead. Look at it, the limbs are going to start falling off and the snows are going to start coming," Pepper said.

"There's been power outages because of the wind and this is one more dead tree close to a transformer," she said

Pepper said she had been unable to find out when crews planned to remove the tree, but on Tuesday, PG&E spokesman Paul Moreno said the company it hired to remove trees plans to cut down the tree within the next couple weeks.

He said the tree did not pose an immediate threat.

"If we had indeed identified it as a hazard tree it would have been removed that day," Moreno said.

Earlier in the year, the tree was inspected and it still had enough green canopy that it didn't warrant removal, Moreno said.

"But after the customer called us we re-examined the tree," he said."Although we found it to have enough green canopy left, we decided to have it removed due to customer concern and the possibility its condition could eventually make it eligible for removal in the future."

Lakehead residents said they were concerned about this tree damaging nearby Pacific Gas and Electric Co. power lines.(Photo: Damon Arthur/Record Searchlight)

PG&E is concerned about more than just trees in Lakehead this week. The company announced Monday that up to 300,000 customers in 25 counties, including Shasta County, could lose electricity on Wednesday due to high winds forecast for that day.

"Worsening dry conditions and expected high wind gusts pose an increased risk for damage and sparks on the electric system that have the potential to ignite fires in areas with dry vegetation," a PG&E news release said.

However, by Tuesday, PG&E said the number of customers affected by the public safety power outages was downgraded and would likely be around 181,000 people in 16 counties.

In Shasta County, PG&E is estimating 8,940 customers in Anderson, Cottonwood, Igo, Millville and Palo Cedro will be affected by the outages.

The outage will also affect some people living around Redding, PG&E said. However, most Redding residents get their electricity provided by Redding Electric Utility.

Damon Arthur is the Record Searchlights resources and environmentreporter. He is among the first on the scene at breaking news incidents, reporting real time on Twitter at@damonarthur_RS. Damon is part of a dedicated team of journalists who investigate wrongdoing and find the unheard voices to tell the stories of the North State. He welcomes story tips at 530-225-8226 and damon.arthur@redding.com. Help local journalism thrive bysubscribing today!

Read or Share this story: https://www.redding.com/story/news/2019/11/19/wind-way-lakehead-residents-worry-dead-tree/4233339002/

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With wind on the way Lakehead residents worry about dead tree near power lines - Record Searchlight

HUNTINGDON VALLEY, Pa., Nov. 18, 2019 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) Researchers are still learning about the Spotted Lanternfly, an invasive insect attacking trees and causing property damage across Pennsylvania. Penn State, along with the PA Department of Agriculture and the USDA, has been researching the habits and life cycle of Spotted Lanternfly since it first appeared in Berks County in 2014.

One thing is certain: the Ailanthus Tree (or Tree of Heaven) is a magnet for these pests. The experts at Giroud Tree and Lawn explain why if homeowners have an Ailanthus tree on the property, removal may be the best way to avoid an invasion of Spotted Lanternfly.

Why Is Spotted Lanternfly Spreading So Fast?Spotted Lanternfly came from Asia, where natural predators keep the species from multiplying too quickly. Unfortunately, here in the United States, its spreading rapidly because those known predators arent around to keep it in check.

What Can Homeowners Do toControl Spotted Lanternfly?Although this insects population is growing exponentially each year, there are many things homeowners can do to control it:

What is an Ailanthus Tree?The main host tree for Spotted Lanternfly is the Ailanthus Altissima, or Tree of Heaven. Ailanthus trees came to the U.S. fromChina around the 1780s. Classified as weed trees, they reproduce by both seed and root sprouts. Shoots can sprout from the trees roots from as far away as 5o feet around the tree!

Ailanthus trees can grow up to 100 feet tall and the trunk can be nearly 6 feet in diameter. They have a great canopy and often thrive easily in conditions other trees dont. In fact, an Ailanthus tree may be viewed as an important part of the yard and homeowners may be hesitant to remove them. However, if there are any other valuable trees on the property, the Ailanthus will attract Spotted Lanternfly and the insects could also swarm other trees.

Spotted Lanternfly have been known to attack other types of trees, including Black Walnuts, Maples, Birches, Willows, and many more.According to the PA Department of Agriculture,they feed from more than 70 species of trees, and 25 of them are found in Pennsylvania. Keeping an Ailanthus tree is like inviting Spotted Lanternfly to a buffet in the backyard!

How to Remove Ailanthus TreesIf homeowners have an Ailanthus tree or are not sure if a tree is an Ailanthus, they should call an ISA Certified Arborist to evaluate the tree look for signs of Spotted Lanternfly. Giroud Tree and Lawn recommends removing Ailanthus trees and grinding the stumps down as deeply as possible.

After removing the Ailanthus tree and stump, sprouts may still pop up on the property.The good news is they are easy to remove! Grab the shoot by its base and pull upward gently to remove the young tree and all of its roots. To see how to identify and remove an Ailanthus tree, watch this video with Giroud Tree and Lawns ISA Certified Arborist, Mike Chenail.

Giroud Tree and Lawn specializes in tree service, lawn care and mosquito and tick control programs that make customers love doing business with the company since 1974. Serving Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties, the company offers professional tree and lawn evaluation, tree pruning, tree removal, insect and disease control, fertilizing, stump removal, traditional and 100% organic lawn programs and mosquito and tick control.

Giroud Arborists are certified by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) and have the knowledge and experience required to properly diagnose, treat and maintain trees and lawn health. The company is Accredited by the Tree Care Industry Association and Better Business Bureau. Giroud has also been awarded the Angies List Super Service Award every year since 2005. The Giroud Treework for Charity program donates free tree care services to parks, historical sites and other non-profit organizations located in the Companys service area.

For more information, visit the company website at http://www.giroudtree.com or call 215-682-7704.

News Source: Giroud Tree and Lawn

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Giroud Tree and Lawn explains homeowners should remove Ailanthus trees, the host plant for Spotted Lanternfly - Send2Press Newswire

Bexley residents have compared the council removing a swathe of trees to fires tearing through the Amazon rainforest.

Lorraine Sheen, who has lived adjacent to the River Shuttle in Sidcup since 1964, said she was devastated to see Bexley council undertaking tree clearing work near her home this week.

Theyve completely cut them down to the ground, she said of the trees which had lined the River Shuttle along her street.

She added the vegetation acted as important cover for local wildlife such as kingfishers and hedgehogs, as well as adding much-valued privacy for residents along the road.

I moved here in 1964 they were what sold me the house, she said of the formerly leafy surrounds.

The houses here are sold as soon as they come on to market. Those trees were a major part of that.

A spokesperson for the council said the tree clearing work on Berwick Crescent, Sidcup, was essential and proactive work being carried outto remove and prune trees that are potentially dangerous or are growing in unsuitable locations.

Some of these trees require regular pruning (coppicing) to ensure they remain healthy and safe for many to years to come.

A small number of residents have expressed concern and we are always happy to discuss and explain why such works are both necessary and so important.

The council added that, following discussions with residents, additional trees would be planted at the site next year.

On 19 November arboricultural officers met on-site with residents and adjusted the programme to soften the visual impact of the remaining works. In addition a commitment was given to plant several new trees in suitable locations in this area early next year.

However, Mrs Sheen claimed the change in plans was due to the council realising theyve made a mistake.

It is like the fires in the Amazon, she said.

Its vandalismthe wildlife that is now gone, the trees that are never going to recoverthe trunks that are a metre around, they wont grow back in my lifetime.

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Bexley tree removal compared to 'Amazon rainforest fires' - News Shopper

The Tpuna Maunga Authority's plan for wairaka Photo: Tpuna Maunga Authority

Were now into the second week of protest over the removal of 345 exotic trees from the slopes of wairaka/Mt Albert, and theres no resolution in sight.

But this is not a surprise thats been sprung on locals. The Tpuna Maunga Authority (TMA) manages 14 of Aucklands volcanic cones returned to mana whenua in 2014 in a Treaty settlement. It has plans to restore and revegetate all the sacred maunga and those plans havent been done by stealth all the proper planning processes have been gone through, with the management plan publicly notified in April 2016. Public hui about the changes have been held over the last year.

Many locals though say they werent aware of the extent of the tree removal until workers arrived en masse, in the early hours of the morning, to start chopping.

And in a city thats lost a huge amount of its mature urban forest through the removal of protection legislation, who wouldnt protest?

Heres a twist in the tale The Tree Council isnt protesting, and nor is Forest & Bird. Both back the iwi.

Tree Council chair Sean Freeman says he spends all his spare time fighting for trees in the city.

Whether theyre individual trees, or groups of trees in parks, roadside trees so of course its difficult and its painful. But if were to manage the urban forest in a modern city, you have to take a rational and logical approach to the way in which you weigh up decisions about what youre going to do, and what youre going to say is fine, and is not fine.

I have that much respect for the passion that people demonstrate when they put themselves in jeopardy by breaking the law so I have no massive negativity towards the protesters at all.

But we stand with the iwi.

There is an opportunity through whats planned to make an immense difference to the environment in this city, and the Tree Council really hopes that that the Tpuna Maunga Authority has the ability to fulfil the plans that its put forward.

The cone of Mt Albert/Owairaka in a postcard from around 1910 Photo: C.O Hawke, New Plymouth

Freeman says if this plan goes to fruition the maunga will be beacons of natural ecosystems located within high density residential areas.

The tihi summit area - of the maunga will be predominantly free of large vegetation, and will be grassed.

One of the keystone elements of healing the maunga is to re-establish the visual connection between the maunga across the city from one maunga to another.

Freeman says communication about what the TMA wants to do clearly hasnt been totally successful.

Hindsights always wonderful its very difficult for any management authority to know with any certainty if it has communicated effectively, and the lack of response is often taken as acquiescence, whereas clearly this is not the case. Its merely the fact that people arent aware.

A letter drop is not the way the planning scheme works, but Freeman says in this case it might have been a good idea.

They certainly tried, with their public hui that they ran following the hearing approval in 2016. But clearly that wasnt effective either in communicating.

Freeman says the Tree Council has received as much support as it has detractors over this issue, but the nastiness on social media has been ridiculous.

Some individuals need to think very carefully about what it is theyre projecting when they say certain things about the Authority, and about their management plan and about their treaty settlement, he says.

And the English-born New Zealand resident of seven years says we should be proud of our treaty settlements, and put them up on a pedestal.

That kind of justice is not common.

Photo: RNZ

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The battle over wairaka is about more than trees - RNZ

The National Capital Commission is vowing to come up with a uniform strategy to protect the trees that cover nearly three-quarters of its lands.

NCC staff told the board of directors Thursday there's currently only a "patchwork" of policies and practices to manage its forests, many of which are stressed by disease andextreme weather.

The emerald ash borer infestation forced the removal of70,000 ash trees since 2013, while thousands of elms have also been lost to Dutch elm disease since 2000.

Trees in the capital regionface other foes, too, including road salt and urban sprawl.

The NCC, along with the cities of Ottawa and Gatineau, recently produced a comprehensive tree survey of the region, and plans to do more mapping to figure out the right places to plant the right trees.

At Thursday's meeting, theboard heard the NCC does a decent job of protecting its forests with limited funds, especially in light of recenttornadoes and flooding.

"I can't tell you how important I think this is," said NCC board member Larry Beasley, who urged staff to make sure the urban areas are planted with diverse species of trees.

The NCC is planning further consultationwith Algonquin First Nations, and will conduct online public consultation in the spring. Its five-year forest strategy is expected to come to the board for approvalin September 2020.

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NCC aiming to fix 'patchwork' approach to protecting trees - CBC.ca