{"448801":{"#nid":"448801","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Tree Removal to Begin this Saturday","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETrees contribute to the Georgia Tech community by providing environmental, social, economic, and aesthetic benefits. Managing these trees and the urban forest they create is a responsibility that is taken very seriously. Georgia Tech sees the forest for all the trees and makes sure that not one goes unnoticed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter careful and thorough assessments that included engaging with third-party tree specialists and City of Atlanta arborists, beginning this Saturday, the following mature trees on campus will be removed due to the safety risks they pose to the campus community:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPost Oak at the Ferst Drive transit hub\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWillow Oak at Harrison Square \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EEastern Cottonwood at The Historic Academy of Medicine\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cRemoving an iconic tree on campus due to structural failures and safety concerns is one of the most difficult decisions I have to make,\u201d said Hyacinth Ide, associate director of Landscape Management. \u201cHowever, we are very conscientious in making such decisions. Third-party assessments along with replacement and reclaiming strategies all synthesize to ensure that our urban forest campus status is preserved for generations to come.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECharacteristics such as water availability and soil nutrient capacity greatly impact how a tree will fare during its lifetime. In an urban environment, these factors tend to vary over time, especially when major land-usage changes, as seen on campus, are involved. Sometimes, water flow or impacts to root systems change significantly during a major construction project, other times a tree has grown too big to fit in the space available, and, sometimes, a tree dies after it has run the course of its lifespan. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA diverse group of stakeholders works very hard to avoid tree failures on campus. The Facilities Management team includes two certified arborists and a landscape architect. Together with members of the Capital Planning and Space Management department, these Tech employees regularly evaluate tree health and ensure that master planning efforts include greenscapes to support and expand the urban forest. Tree removal decisions are made only after extensive efforts to save the tree \u2014 often involving third-party reviews \u2014 have been made.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo responsibly plan and manage the trees, this team relies on a variety of tools and programs including Tech\u2019s Campus Landscape Master Plan, the Tree Campus USA Committee, and a Tree Bank. In line with this focus on tree management is Georgia Tech\u2019s Tree Care Plan replacement policy, which requires that every 1-inch-diameter caliper of tree removed is replaced by a tree of 1-inch caliper or more in diameter.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETech\u2019s diligent urban forestry management practices as well as its commitment to Tree Campus USA ensure the Institute will keep building a strong urban tree canopy in Atlanta. In fact, Tech\u2019s Fifty Trees Project supports the planning and purchase of a minimum of 50 additional trees per year to improve Tech\u2019s green space and strengthen the urban forest.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Beginning this Saturday, several campus trees will be removed due to failing health and safety concerns.."}],"uid":"27164","created_gmt":"2015-09-16 13:57:27","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:19:33","author":"Rachael Pocklington","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2015-09-16T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2015-09-16T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"448771":{"id":"448771","type":"image","title":"Post Oak Located at Ferst Drive","body":null,"created":"1449256264","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 19:11:04","changed":"1475895189","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:53:09","alt":"Post Oak Located at Ferst Drive","file":{"fid":"203276","name":"postoak_transithub_0.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/postoak_transithub_0_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/postoak_transithub_0_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3237569,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/postoak_transithub_0_0.jpg?itok=WsKikBCP"}},"448781":{"id":"448781","type":"image","title":"Willow Oak at Harrison Square","body":null,"created":"1449256264","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 19:11:04","changed":"1475895189","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:53:09","alt":"Willow Oak at Harrison Square","file":{"fid":"203277","name":"willowoak_harrissquare.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/willowoak_harrissquare_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/willowoak_harrissquare_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3803741,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/willowoak_harrissquare_0.jpg?itok=Ng7f0alj"}},"448791":{"id":"448791","type":"image","title":"Eastern Cottonwood at The Historic Academy of Medicine","body":null,"created":"1449256264","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 19:11:04","changed":"1475895189","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:53:09","alt":"Eastern Cottonwood at The Historic Academy of Medicine","file":{"fid":"203278","name":"cottonwood_acadmed.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cottonwood_acadmed_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cottonwood_acadmed_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3259676,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/cottonwood_acadmed_0.jpg?itok=kBBS5hto"}}},"media_ids":["448771","448781","448791"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/facilities.gatech.edu\/tree_campus_usa.pdf","title":"Georgia Tech Campus Tree Care Plan"},{"url":"http:\/\/space.gatech.edu\/landscapeplan\/","title":"Landscape Master Plan"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.arborday.org\/programs\/treecampususa\/","title":"Tree Campus USA"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.greenbuzz.gatech.edu\/news\/trees-campus-give-back-tech","title":"Trees on Campus Give Back"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2408","name":"campus safety"},{"id":"3157","name":"Facilities"},{"id":"141561","name":"landscape management"},{"id":"141571","name":"tree removal"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jrose38@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJessica Rose\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECommunications Manager\u003Cbr \/\u003EFacilities Management\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}