Hurricane Gustav takes toll on urban forest

The Louisiana Urban Forestry Council quarterly newletter, The Canopy, explains how Urban Forest Strike Teams assisted Baton Rouge with tree damage assessments after Hurricane Gustav.

Thousands of trees were felled by Hurricane Gustav as it made its way through Louisiana after making landfall in Terrebonne Parish. The Louisiana Urban Forestry Counicl decided to delay the publication of this issue of The Canopy while members worked to deal with the destruction.

While each issue of The Canopy provides information on the importance of the state’s tree canopy, this issue is no different. With a mission to educate people on the benefits of trees, the council recognizes it is difficult for some people to understand this, especially in the wake of a destructive storm like Gustav. 

Yet, the council also believes that this is the most opportune time to teach people the importance of trees and the concept of “planting the right tree in the right place.”

Work has already begun to enhance the state’s tree canopy. For example, damage assessment teams, funded with monies from the U.S. Forest Service and comprised of licensed arborists from Virginia, Georgia, Arkansas and North Carolina, collaborated with LDAF’s State Forester Wade Dubea, Urban Forestry Program Director Mahlon Doucet, Urban Forestry Specialist Tom Campbell and Forestry Education Program Director Waylon Bennett.  They examined the destruction to the state’s tree canopy for two weeks and estimated the amount of damage. 

The teams followed FEMA-guidelines and did risk assessments on public property. Surprisingly, Baton Rouge suffered a great deal of damage to its tree canopy.  Steve Shurtz, EBR DPW Urban Forestry and Landscape Manager, and members of his department assisted in the post-storm assessment and clean-up.

The Canopy salutes everyone’s efforts to restore the state’s tree canopy and prepare for future storms.  For more information, visit the council’s redesigned website (www.louisianaurbanforestry.org).