The Parks & Trees Department maintains the Banks Urban Forest. The bulk of the forest is on public property (parks, etc.) and public Right of Way (ROW) maintained by the adjacent abutting property owner. The Banks Municipal Code (BMC) Title IX, Chapter 94 Urban Forestry, provides the information for maintenance required by the property owner.
Anyone who might be contemplating replacing a tree either on private property or on public right of way should review the City of Banks Approved Street Tree List before planting. If the tree is in a public right of way, a Application to Remove and Replace a Tree must be completed and submitted to the City of Banks for approval
We have just moved to a new house in a development with no trees. What do you recommend we plant as an attractive tree in our front lawn area?
This is really a question that only you can answer. However, you can narrow down your choices by answering a few basic questions. Better yet, we make it easy and guide you through the process at www.arborday.org.
Just start by clicking on http://www.arborday.org/trees/righttreeandplace/index.cfm and consider:
- Your hardiness zone. This eliminates trees that could not survive or would not do well during your average coldest winter weather. You can just enter your zip code if you don't know your hardiness zone.
- Space available for your tree. Think of what the tree will look like at maturity and then consider any limitations on height or crown width. 'Right Tree, Right Place' has a handy sizing guide to help with this decision. If you have overhead wires or limited space, there are many flowering trees or columnar varieties that will fit. If there are no limitations, we recommend tall-maturing, long-lived trees like an oak or tulip tree.
Next, visit the 'Tree Guide' and click on 'Advanced Search'. You can either type in the species that you already have in mind, or fill in the blanks to answer a list of questions.
One of the important questions is 'Tree Type'. That is, what is the purpose for planting your tree - shade, nut or fruit production, spring flowers, etc.? It only takes a few minutes to answer the questions. when you finish, a list of trees matching your criteria will appear, complete with a picture of the trees at maturity.