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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Homeless-serving groups get together ... Hanson Howard Gallery in Ashland features bird art ... Ashland woman trying to save family in Kenya ... Homeless-serving groups get together ... Hanson Howard Gallery in Ashland features bird art ... Ashland woman trying to save family in Kenya ... OUR VIEW Our View: Urban forestry Comment DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Apr. 13, 2016 at 12:01 AM Posted Apr. 13, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News A visiting arborist with the singularly appropriate name James Urban has confirmed what city officials have often said about Ashland's downtown trees: Many of them are not healthy. Urban, invited to examine Ashland trees by the Tree Commission, said his evaluation found 70 percent of street trees in the city center are unhealthy. Neighborhood trees are faring much better, largely because they have more room for root systems to spread out and the soil they are planted in has been disturbed less often. Many of the downtown trees, however, are planted too close together, Urban said. He recommended that the city should specify a minimum spacing of 30 feet and a maximum of 50 feet. The idea, he said, is to plant trees for the long term. Urban's emphasis on tree health and longevity make intuitive sense — as does his statement that native trees are not necessarily preferable for urban forest applications. Native trees tend to be more susceptible to disease, he said, so why not install trees that are the most disease-resistant? Everyone appreciates trees, and everyone wants to see Ashland stay green and inviting. But sometimes that means accepting that unhealthy trees need to be removed, and some patience may be required while new ones grow to maturity. Too often it seems the instinctive reaction, especially among Ashland's tree-loving activists, is to save every tree in every location, even if it makes more sense to replace struggling trees those that have a better chance of long-term survival. DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Apr. 13, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501