Urban Forestry

Takoma Park places special value and pride in its robust urban forest canopy.   The City’s Urban Forestry program seeks to preserve and improve its urban forest canopy through tree planting, tree care, private property regulation, education, and more.  Read on to learn about permit requirements, hiring tree care professionals, tree care best practices, and other useful tree knowledge.

Urban Forestry Updates:

Arbor Day Celebration:

Join the Urban Forest Manager in celebrating Arbor Day on April 20th at the Sligo Creek Stream Valley Park Playground.  We will be offering  two ‘Tree Walks’ to learn some fun facts and identification features of some of the trees in the area.  We will also have a table set up with information on the City’s Urban Forestry programs and all the ways you can promote trees and tree canopy.

• Date: Saturday, April 20th
• Place: Sligo Creek Stream Valley Park, near the bottom of Houston Ave and Kennebec Ave
• Time:
  • Tree Walk 1 – 10:15 – Reserve your spot on Eventbrite!
  • Tree Walk 2 – 11:45 – Reserve your spot on Eventbrite!

Our Arbor Day celebration is in conjunction with the City’s Earth Day Celebration.   The entire event will run from 10:00 to 2:00.  If you can’t make the tree walks, we still hope you will stop by to join us!

Urban Forestry Reports:

 Urban Forest Manager’s Annual Report

The Urban Forest Manager provides an annual report on various aspects of the City’s Urban Forestry Program to the City Council.  See below for copies of recent reports.

Urban Forest Manager’s Annual Report – 2023

Urban Forest Manager’s Annual Report – 2022

Urban Tree Canopy Assessment

The City contracts for periodic Urban Tree Canopy Assessments to be conducted.  These assessments use aerial photo and LiDAR imagery to determine the amount and location of canopy cover in the City.  The assessments are used to gauge changes in the canopy due to various factors and to guide the City’s Urban Forestry Program.

Urban Tree Canopy Assessment – 2022

Urban Tree Canopy Assessment – 2019

Urban Forest Master Plan

The Urban Forest Manager publishes an Urban Forest Master Plan to communicate the goals and strategies of the program.

Urban Forest Master Plan – 2023

Contact Information:

Marty Frye, Urban Forest Manager
Email: urbanforestmanager@takomaparkmd.gov
Phone: 301-891-7612

Table of Contents for Urban Forestry

• City Tree Programs
  • Tree Takoma: Private Property Tree Planting 
  • Public Space Tree Management
• Tree Education
  • Tree Care
  • Preserving Trees during Landscaping and Construction
  • Tree Risk Management
  • Hiring an Arborist
  • The Benefits of Trees
• Tree Permits and Regulations
  • Tree Permits
  • Other City Tree Regulations
  • State and County Tree Regulations
  • Tree Ownership, Right to Prune, and Easements
  • Tree Information for Contractors

Spotlight Topics of Interest: The Spotted Lanternfly

Overview

The spotted lanternfly is an insect pest that recently arrived in Maryland.  It sucks sap from trees and can weaken them but rarely kills them.  It is of most concern to tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima), grapes, and nursery and orchard trees.  The Takoma Park Urban Forest Manager has not yet confirmed a sighting of the spotted lanternfly in the City but it has been sighted in Montgomery County, which is currently designated as part of the quarantine zone.  See the resources linked below for additional information.

What can residents do?

• Maintain the health of your trees so they can cope with any stress caused by potential spotted lanternfly feeding.  This includes mulching the soil tree roots are growing in, maintaining appropriate soil fertility, and watering during dry times.
• Report any sightings of the spotted lanternfly to the Urban Forest Manager and to the Maryland Department of Agriculture via the link below.
• Check vehicles and outdoor items for spotted lanternfly egg masses, nymphs, and adults before moving  them out of the quarantine zone.

Further Details

Spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) is native to China. In 2006, this planthopper spread to South Korea and then in 2014 to Pennsylvania. Since then there have been confirmed sightings in New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. Its favorite host is Ailanthus altissima, the Tree-of-heaven, also native to China but is known to feed on a wide variety of plants. As this invasion is an on-going issue, we don’t yet know the full range of affected plants. Currently, the plants that are affected by this insect include; Almond, Apple, Apricot, Basil, Blueberry, Cherry, Cucumber, Grape, Hickory, Hops, Horseradish, Maple, Nectarine, Oak, Peaches, Pine, Plum, Sycamore, Walnut and Willow. The current understanding is that the insect is of most concern to tree-of-heaven, grapes, and potentially nursery and orchard trees. It seems likely that the health impacts to many of the other species will be minor. However, we must remain vigilant and adapt as new information emerges.

The insect damages these plants in two different ways:

• The nymphs and adults use their piercing mouthparts to feed off the fluid from the stems or leaves. This causes reduced yield, stunted growth, localized damage and in some cases, death.
• The second way damage is caused is through the sugary secretion the Spotted Lanternfly makes while feeding. This substance is called honeydew and attracts ants, wasps and other insects as well as is readily colonized by mold. The mold then causes parts of the plant to blacken which reduces photosynthesis.

For current information please refer to the following links:

• Up-to-date information about the quarantine: Spotted Lanternfly by the Maryland Department of Agriculture  
• General information: Spotted Lanternfly Management for Residents by University of Maryland 
• To report a sighting: Report a Spotted Lanternfly Sighting in Maryland