Local "Loraxes" are building the Capital City's canopy through Rooted in Cheyenne. Why not join them?

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, 

nothing is going to get better. It's not."

-- The Lorax by Dr. Seuss

By Richard Johnson

Cheyenne is fortunate to have the staff we have in Urban Forestry. 

Good things have been happening the last two years in this department that will literally outlive us for a hundred years:

-- Movement in age diversity and species diversity of the urban canopy.

-- Changes in laws that result in downtown tree care by responsible, qualified arborists to let business owners focus on their concerns.

 -- Creation of a nonprofit to encourage the community to buy into increased property values, shaded sidewalks and community activism through education. 

The leader

Rooted in Cheyenne volunteers put up a tree recently.

of this crusade is a super-intelligent man named Mark Ellison. I got wind in 2015 that he was a game changer and was being sought out by multiple agencies because of his knowledge and passion for all things trees. 

I heard he had modified city code to bring it into a more modern era. You know, things like if your neighbors tree falls on your house, verification of tree removal specialists and their qualifications and how to effectively remove blighted trees. 

I approached Mark in 2018 and told him I had 11 months left, so it was time to get this done. With the help of Councilman Pete Laybourne, we pushed the reform ordinance, even with our co-council members calling us the Lorax. We're here for the trees. 

They may have laughed, but the ordinance change went through. Many people noticed the change this year in the downtown. Instead of dead sticks we started to see the workings of a healthy downtown canopy.

Every election year you hear about diversification of the local economy. I’m always sales pitching the diversity of the urban canopy. There is always some disease or bug that can wipe out a whole population. 

The top two species of trees in Cheyenne are cottonwood and ash. One needs only to read a press release last week to know what could be in store:

CHEYENNE – The Cheyenne Urban Forestry Division recently completed an Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) plan for Cheyenne and has begun implementing several of its initiatives, including removing and replacing ash trees in poor health located on city property and providing outreach to the public and green industry. 

In addition, Urban Forestry has offered help to Rooted in Cheyenne, a designated 501c(3) nonprofit dedicated to improving Cheyenne's urban forest, which has pledged to help homeowners with a low-cost option to replacing their ash street trees.

The Emerald Ash Borer is an exotic beetle, native to Asia. It is about a half-inch long, with a metallic emerald-green head/back and a reddish-purple abdomen. Adult beetles cause little damage. But developing larvae can cause rapid tree deaths by feeding on the inside bark. That causes substantial damage, preventing the tree from getting essential water and nutrients to survive. 

As listed on EmeraldAshBorer.info, as of October 2018 the beetle is now found in 35 states. It has killed hundreds of millions of trees nationwide and can cost municipalities, property owners, nursery operators and forest industries hundreds of millions of dollars in maintenance and replacement costs over time. 

While it should be noted that the beetle has not been detected in Cheyenne yet, it has been found as close as Longmont, Colo. And recently it was identified in Nebraska and South Dakota. With these three adjoining states now confirming Emerald Ash Borer populations, it's critical that advance planning occur in Cheyenne due to the potential destruction these beetles can cause to the urban forest.

And cities across the nation have taken the lead in regards to right-of-way issues.

In the words of one enthusiast, “I would love to see the city take planting and maintenance responsibility for all the right-of way trees.” A lot of communities (outside of Wyoming) do this, and it is the only way to insure the health, species diversity and safety of street trees. It is an investment in the urban tree canopy and all of the social, economic and environmental benefits that come with a healthy and growing tree canopy.

As you can see, a little change up is a good thing. 

Last Saturday, Rooted in Cheyenne planted its 500th tree. Due to the selection criteria, these 500 trees are all different species and are being placed all over the city. 

Rooted in Cheyenne has been in place since 2017. At that time, the non-profit Historic Cheyenne Inc. donated $25,000 to replace aging cottonwoods in Cheyenne historic districts. The lifespan of a cottonwood is between 120-150 years. 

Just like James “Flood" Jenkins did back in early Cheyenne with treescapes,

The Emerald Ash Borer could become a local threat.

Rooted in Cheyenne’s crew started replacing these aging giants for the next generation to enjoy. There is something to be said for the northbound drive up Carey Avenue.

Some of you might think Cheyenne has bigger problems than some bug, but positive things are happening. For those of you that would like to know more, you can volunteer and donate to Rooted in Cheyenne, www.rootedincheyenne.com. They are a registered 501c3.

As with most non-profits, fundraising is key. Community members pay $50 to have their trees planted by volunteers in spring or fall planting events. Each event plants roughly 100 trees. The trees cost about $130-$150, so fundraising offsets about $80-$100. 

There are still some rules to make you qualify. In order to be able to plant a tree, you must be within the city limits and have the room legally available to do so. Is there room in your right-of-way for a tree? We will help designate where your tree can be planted.

Did I forget to mention that your tree is watered for an entire year?

Volunteering for Rooted in Cheyenne tree planting depends on you. They have several different ways you can help. For safety reasons they ask that volunteers be age 12 & up.

Volunteering for Rooted in Cheyenne is hard work. You are either in cold, rain and snow or blistering heat. You can either have nice topsoil or feel like you’re an old-fashioned prisoner, chipping away at boulders. The homeowners are either really cool, stone faced or sometimes don’t know why you’re there because someone else paid for the tree and forgot to tell them.

Sometimes people do burnouts in the street in front of the house you’re planting, neighbor kids run away from their parents in their diapers, and there are always plenty of rogue animals to play with. You do build camaraderie with your team and you get the job done. You get dirty, sweaty and sometimes bloody, but your community looks a lot better.

One volunteer explained her experience:

“So much fun! It is great to meet new people in the community and join together to help make the city in which I live more beautiful. It is also fun to travel to various parts of town in which I might not usually spend a lot of time and work alongside city workers knowledgeable in a subject in which I have much to learn. It is great to be active and work with my hands to help a good cause with good company.”

If you have an awesome idea to fundraise for Rooted in Cheyenne, I encourage you to reach out. Accomplice Brewing crafted ales with tree ingredients. The juniper berries actually came from pruning in city parks. Little Lotus Yoga did a session at the High Plains Arboretum. If you’re so inclined, you can just start a two-week fundraiser on Facebook and choose Rooted in Cheyenne as your benefactor. Set your goal at $80 to offset the cost of one tree. 

You may want to investigate if you qualify for a no-cost tree. No-cost trees are on a first come, first served basis on when applications are received. Right now would be a good time to apply for the spring 2020 planting. Here’s a chart to see if you can take advantage of this program.

Person per household and income per household:

1 person, $26,450

2 person, $30,200

3 person, $34,000

4 person, $37,750
Every neighborhood needs trees, and if you see a bare block, let Urban Forestry know. It has been a goal to change an entire streetscape and monitor its progress. 

Here are some reviews from their Facebook page. If you’ve received a tree from Rooted in Cheyenne, please write a review:

 -- “We love Rooted in Cheyenne! Our tree was planted in the first round of the program in Fall 2017, and is now getting ready to leaf out for its second summer in our yard. Such an amazing program!”

 -- “Truly dedicated group.  Dedicated to making Cheyenne Beautiful.”

 -- “What an amazing program! We are so grateful for our new tree! The volunteer crew was fast, efficient and so friendly!! Thank you Rooted in Cheyenne!!”

What else needs to be said?

Richard Johnson is a former City Council member from Ward 3 on Cheyenne’s east side. He also is a regular contributor to Truth to Power.