S.F. begins turning tree care over to residents S.F. LANDSCAPE

Urban Forester Carla Short (left) and arborist Wendy Wilkins consult about a tree on Broad Street in San Francisco, Calif. With a dwindling budget, San Francisco's Dept. of Public Works plans to hand over the care of thousands of trees to residents who live nearby. A group of arborists are currently inspecting the health of the trees. less Urban Forester Carla Short (left) and arborist Wendy Wilkins consult about a tree on Broad Street in San Francisco, Calif. With a dwindling budget, San Francisco's Dept. of Public Works plans to hand over the ... more Photo: Brant Ward, The Chronicle Photo: Brant Ward, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 8 Caption Close S.F. begins turning tree care over to residents 1 / 8 Back to Gallery

Thousands of San Francisco property owners will find themselves in the tree maintenance business now that the city has begun transferring the responsibility for more than 23,000 street trees - and their upkeep costs - to local residents.

Starting last week, homeowners across the city found notices taped to the trees outside their front doors announcing that the city's Department of Public Works won't be caring for the urban greenery anymore.

Forcing property owners to pick up the cost for keeping street trees healthy is expected to save the city about $300,000 this year.

"It really is a financial situation," said Gloria Chan, a public works spokeswoman. While it's best to prune most trees every three to five years, she said, "we're in a 10- to 12-year pruning cycle now and the cycle will get longer and longer."

But the maintenance costs aren't going away, they're just being moved. At a city hearing in June, property owners and street tree supporters complained that the change not only wasn't fair but would hurt the trees.

Care not guaranteed

There's no guarantee property owners will spend the time and money needed to keep their trees healthy, said Dan Flanagan, executive director of San Francisco's nonprofit Friends of the Urban Forest, which plants about 1,200 trees a year in the city.

The Department of Public Works "is between a tree and a hard place," he said. "They've got to the point where they can't afford to take care of the trees ... but have a great deal of concern about relinquishing the responsibility."

For Flanagan and his group, street trees are a necessary part of the city and their upkeep should be a public responsibility.

"The trees provide community benefits, like improved air quality, reduced storm water runoff and a home for birds and other small animals," he said. "The city should cover the costs."

About two-thirds of the city's more than 100,000 street trees already are privately maintained. Many were transferred to private property owners several years ago, and trees planted in recent years have automatically been placed in property owners' care.

The city will continue to be responsible for trees in street medians or heavily forested routes such as Sunset Boulevard.

It could take up to seven years before all of the 23,000-plus remaining trees are off the city rolls.

Trees evaluated

Part of the reason for the slow turnover is that each tree is evaluated by a city arborist and certified safe and healthy before it can be moved to private care. Any problems found have to be dealt with at the city's expense.

Last week, a city crew was evaluating the street trees on Broad Street, from Orizaba Street to San Jose Avenue in and around the Ocean View neighborhood. As each tree was certified healthy, arborist Wendy Wilkins logged it in and taped the transfer notice to the trunk. Each property owner also will receive a more detailed notice in the mail.

The 3,500 trees in the first round of transfers are on streets scattered around the city, said Carla Short, the city's urban forester. They are also expected to have the fewest problems.

"We're trying to pick areas where the trees are ready to go," she said. "We're looking at the health of the canopy, the vigor of the tree and the sidewalk to make sure there are no problems with roots."

The arborists also are searching for weak or broken branches, which could become a hazard during rainstorms or high winds.

Pruning costs vary

The trees along the residential section of Broad Street are swamp myrtles, drought-tolerant evergreens that Short described as "a good street tree that's reasonably low maintenance."

Most of the trees are at least 20 feet tall and can grow to a height of 30 feet. Pruning them is best done by professionals, Short said, which can cost up to $300.

But there are about 200 different types of trees along city streets and a number of them are taller and tougher to maintain, with pruning costs up to $1,000.

The notice to homeowners includes instructions on how to appeal the transfer.

"We're definitely going to have residents asking why this has to happen," Chan said.