Expect to see certified arborist crews throughout town in the coming weeks as they conduct a full inventory of Tiffin's urban forest. Davey Resource Group, Inc. (DRG) is under contract for this effort, funded in part by $50,000 from the Inflation Reduction Act grant awarded to the City earlier this year.
DRG estimates that they will encounter 10,000 trees, stumps, and planting sites along Tiffin's public streets. Two professional arborists from the company will inspect and map all the public street trees. The arborists will assess the condition and stability of each tree, looking for any damaged or dead material to be removed, and evaluating any signs of decay or disease.
"We will identify any pruning or removal needs in addition to providing detailed computer mapping of all the trees to aid in the Town in the future planting, planning and management of their urban forest resources." said Lizzie Sords, a certified arborist with Davey who is supervising the inventory project.
DRG's arborists will use handheld computers loaded with information and aerial photographs from existing Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Tiffin's arborists will then transition other GIS and analog systems into this platform to make their management of the urban forest more efficient and productive for years to come.