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Here is news regarding various tree issues involving trees in San José:
FREE SHADE TREES FOR YARDS TO LOWER ENERGY BILLS
PG&E, in partnership with Our City Forest, is sponsoring a pilot yard tree program for San José homeowners. “Shade & Save” is designed to conserve energy and save money on summer cooling bills.
“Shade & Save”, with the help of local nonprofit Our City Forest, will plant one 5-gallon shade tree in the yards of 500 homeowners. Our City Forest has planted 45,000 trees in San José on public property such as streets, parks and schools. In contrast, “Shade & Save” trees will be strategically planted in private yard locations in order to shade homes from the hot sun and reduce both cooling and heating costs over time.
Applications, available on Our City Forest’s website, will be processed on a first-come, first-serve basis.
If you are a PG&E customer in San José, own your home and have air conditioning (central or window), please visit www.ourcityforest.org to print your application.
Mail your completed application to Our City Forest, 151 Mission St., San José, CA 95110 or fax to (408) 998-1078
For questions regarding a tree request or your application, please call 408-998-7337 x111
Change in Service for City Street Trees
Effective July 1, 2008, the City of San José is no longer able to provide emergency tree services and corrective tree maintenance on City street trees at no cost to the property owner.
When a service request or tree emergency problem is reported, the City will respond and determine if immediate tree/limb removal or pruning must occur in order to ensure safety in the public right-of-way. Emergencies include things such as trees/limbs falling into the street or sidewalk, cracked or hanging limbs, or interference with traffic control devices such as traffic signals and regulatory signs (stop signs, one-way signs, etc.). If an emergency situation exists, the City will utilize a tree contractor to take the necessary corrective action on behalf of the adjacent property owner. The property owner will then be billed for this work by the City.
In non-emergency situations, such as when a tree is blocking a streetlight or interfering with garbage pickup or street sweeping, the adjacent property owner will be responsible for completing the needed work within 30 days after notification. For non-emergency work, property owners will be given the option of having the City do the work and receiving a bill, or making their own arrangements to get the work done. Any required work not completed within the specified time may be completed by a contractor for the City and the property owner will be billed for the work.
In any case where the City is contracting with a tree service provider on behalf of the property owner, there will be a $100 administrative fee that is included in the total cost of the work.
Property owners can contribute to the health of the Community Forest and minimize the risk of costly tree failures by ensuring that trees receive regular preventive maintenance. The general rule of thumb for most trees is a good structural pruning every 4-5 years, and making sure that the feeding root system has an adequate water supply. This is particularly important during times of drought when there isn’t sufficient rainfall. Also, deep watering of young trees reduces long-term potential for sidewalk damage, as this encourages a good underground root structure. Preventive tree maintenance and care is the best way to minimize potential emergency situations which tend to be more costly. Contact the Arborist’s Office at (408) 277-2762 or arborist@sanjoseca.gov if you need advice on the optimal maintenance for your tree.
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