From:	Linda Shaffer
Sent:	Monday, October 27, 2014 12:44 PM
To:	SFUrbanForestCouncil, ENV (ENV)
Cc:	Hui, Mei Ling (ENV); Fish, Monica (ENV); Ruth Gravanis; Jake Sigg
Subject:	Public comment for UFC meeting Oct 28 2014

I am unable to make the meeting of the Urban Forestry Council scheduled for Oct 28 2014.  I would 
like to submit the following as public comment, if I may.

Members of the Urban Forestry Council,

I have just three points to make:

1)  I am delighted to see that the Listening Series concerns best management practices.  There are those 
who think that mature and historic tree stands do not need to be managed at all.   Think of those tree 
stands as large unhealthy overgrown gardens.  They do need to be managed, for the health of the 
"garden".

2)  After the Listening Series is finished, and the Council begins to deliberate on the topic, please include 
in the material used as references the recommendations contained in RPD's Significant Natural Resource 
Areas Management Plan for best management practices for the mature and historic tree stands  in parks 
and open spaces.  Those recommendations themselves are the result of extensive deliberations on the 
subject, and are made to promote healthier tree stands.  There is no need to re-invent the wheel!

3)  If Council members have not seen Becoming California, a recently released documentary 
produced for PBS at Sacramento State, they might be interested in the segment of its second hour in 
which the concept of cutting some trees in a tree stand to make the rest of the trees healthier is directly 
addressed.  In my opinion, it is very well done.

Linda Shaffer
San Francisco CA
VP, California Native Plant Society, Yerba Buena Chapter
member, Alliance for Natural Areas