This summer, the city and our forestry consultant will begin a timber harvest and forest restoration project in Fell Park in Urbandale, part of our citywide forestry efforts.
The work in Fell Park will address some of the forestry challenges there:
- Too many mature or declining trees.
- Not enough diversity of types of trees.
- Not enough younger trees.
- Too many invasive trees and shrubs that are replacing native species.
Natural Capital Forestry (NCF), the company we contracted with in 2022, will begin a forest inventory and tree marking this month, which will last through the summer and into early fall. The timber harvest is expected in late fall or winter.
The city plans additional efforts to make sure that Fell Park’s forest resources remain healthy and vibrant. After the timber harvest, staff and a selected contractor will process any excess debris, and treat invasive plants to stop them from spreading.
Neighbors might have seen our forestry assessment begin last year when we harvested trees on Jackson Street West that were in decline, to make room for new growth, and followed up this spring with forest restoration. Over 100 community volunteers planted 11 native tree species, and five shrub species as a screen. They also installed tree protectors to save the trees from hungry deer.
Since working with the city, NCF developed a 20-year Forest Management Plan for 600 acres of priority forest areas, including the Verona Well Field, Jackson Street West near the Kalamazoo River, and Fell Park. The plan aims to best manage these areas long-term; strategic, sustainable harvesting will help promote new tree growth, control invasive species, and diversify and maintain the health of the city’s forest areas.
We will use the money raised from harvested trees to reinvest in the forest areas by planting new trees and continuing forest maintenance. For example, we harvested about 140,000 board feet along Jackson Street, earning $30,561.36, which we have used in part for new tree planting and tree protectors, a greenhouse gas study, and forest management costs. We will use the rest for forest grant matches, additional trees, and related supplies.
In April 2025 we will begin a community-led forest restoration project, with the goal of establishing a more diverse and healthy forest than exists in the city today.