Meeting Minutes – May 30, 2025

The meeting covered financial updates, event planning, and various training initiatives, including discussions on sponsorships, budgeting, and upcoming workshops. Urban forestry initiatives were addressed, focusing on tree management, volunteer programs, and partnerships with local organizations. The group also discussed website improvements, social media efforts, and logistical planning for future events and workshops, while addressing challenges with domain control and seeking volunteer assistance for website maintenance.

The meeting discussed financial updates, including a $16,000 change in the bank account and concerns about outstanding money from Pepsi and a license. The group planned to request upfront funds for future events and discussed sponsorship for an upcoming lunch event, aiming to raise around $2,300. They also considered reaching out to potential sponsors like Maple Leaf Road and Plano Powell to support the event.

The treasurer expressed concerns about breaking-even events and emphasized the need to monitor spending due to financial constraints. They discussed upcoming events, including a June 1st meeting and a Fort Worth Arborist Association event, and noted that last year’s tax work would begin in September. The group reviewed the success of their first certified arborist prep course, which had 29 registrants and 25 attendees, and discussed plans for the next session, including the need for speakers and a lunch sponsor.

The team discussed several training initiatives, including a precision pruning workshop at The Tree Place on the 19th, which was successful and will be repeated in New Braunfels and Houston in the fall. They explored the possibility of offering a bilingual “Stop the Bleed” and CPR training class in Spanish, which could accommodate 60 people for around $3,500. The meeting also covered shake training scheduled for November 8th at the Granbury Main Library and December 12th at Shady Grove cemetery.

The team discussed several urban forestry initiatives, including tree printing training for community volunteers and plans for Saluting Branches events, though approval from the park director is still needed. They reviewed the status of EAB (Emerald Ash Borer) management in Dallas, where 5 new sites were identified with positive results, and noted that approximately 25% of the city’s canopy is at risk due to flooding and neglect, with over 1,000 trees already collected for inventory. The team also discussed creating a service request system for homeowners to report dead or dying ash trees, with a need for volunteer assistance in assessing these reports.

The group discussed tree removal assistance programs, including a Dallas fund that provides up to $1,000 annually for code violations and potential use of the reforestation line if the city council declares EAB a natural disaster. They explored partnerships with organizations like Texans on Mission for private property tree removal and discussed a monthly meeting schedule to address tree management more aggressively. The conversation also covered a partnership with Green Space nonprofit for park maintenance and trail buffers, with an ongoing legal review of their credit system.

The team discussed website updates and content management, with plans to add a form for article submissions and improve security. They reviewed social media efforts, including daily Facebook updates and plans to develop LinkedIn and Instagram presence. The group also addressed the need to establish a clear process for sharing content and photos, with PBS support email suggested as a central hub. Finally, they mentioned an upcoming Urban Forest Master Plan Workshop in June, which has been posted on the ISA Texas website with 8 people currently registered.

The team discussed logistics for an upcoming workshop, including attendance numbers, venue details, and sponsorship opportunities. They decided to add a language translation tool for an additional fee per user and agreed to include a post-workshop survey. The group also reviewed plans for the Speakers Bureau, which will be launched with bios and topics by the end of June. Lastly, they briefly touched on the Texas Tree Trails update, though Mr. Houser was not present to provide details.

Steve provided an update on the website transition, explaining that their long-time volunteer webmaster, Doug Pearson, has not been responsive and may have passed away, resulting in incomplete transfer of domain control. The group is working with Parabida to create a new WordPress site, with a temporary domain (texastreetrails.com) registered as a backup. Steve requested volunteer help from Trinity Blacklands and Cross Timbers to manage the champion tree list and basic website maintenance, while Michael Levy offered to assist with more complex technical aspects.

The meeting covered various updates and discussions, including TBUFC’s involvement with Civil Air Patrol and their progress in learning to fly planes for forestry tasks. TBUFC shared their experience with the Garmin 1,000 system and their efforts to promote aviation and tree-related initiatives. The group discussed outreach efforts in urban areas, particularly in Southern Dallas, and the need for more tree planting in underserved communities. The next meeting was scheduled for April 25th, and the group agreed to move it up due to a conflict with an event.