Urban Forestry

Responsibilities & Guidelines

The Public Works Department is responsible for maintaining all public trees in Emeryville, the majority of which are located along city streets. Pruning must be performed to keep the trees healthy and as safe as possible. Pruning helps to minimize potential for conflict between trees and pedestrians, vehicles, traffic control devices, signage, and buildings. All pruning is performed according to the International Society of Arboriculture's Tree Pruning Guidelines and overseen by a licensed arborist.The Public Works Department has contracted with West Coast Arborists to provide tree maintenance services. These services include assessment and removal of hazardous trees, re-planting, and pruning of street trees maintained by the City. The City will post signs on streets where tree pruning is to be performed one week in advance of work.

Operations

Pruning operations involve City staff attempting to achieve a minimum crown clearance of 14 feet over streets and 8 feet over sidewalks. All dead, dying, diseased, and hazardous branches are removed along with any vines that may be growing into the tree. All branches are pruned back from buildings, away from street lights, and are cleared from utility lines running from utility poles to houses. Throughout pruning operations, trees are checked for any structural problems. If present, all structural problems will be corrected. If beyond repair, the tree will be further evaluated for possible removal. 

All newly planted trees receive additional pruning during the first 2 years post-planting. This additional pruning ensures that the young tree develops a strong branch structure. A tree will also be supported by a tree stake and mulched with wood chips during the first 2 years of its life. 

Climate Resilient Street Tree List for New Development Sites

The following list of recommended tree species is a cross-reference from Steve and Molly Batchelder of SBCA Tree Consulting, Emeryville's current tree inventory, and the iTree Planting Calculator. Trees which only sequester minimal amounts of carbon have been removed from the list and drought tolerant species were prioritized. Developers and architects working on new development plans should consult this list of recommended tree species when configuring landscaping for their properties. 

Download the Climate Resilient Street Tree List

Water use ranges from drought tolerant to high. Moderate to high water use should be used sparingly and in park settings with supplemental irrigation. 

"Stature" refers to tree size at maturity. 

• S is 20-30' tall; 600 cubic feet of rootable soil 
• M is 30-60' tall; 900 cubic feet of rootable soil
• L is 60'120' tall; 1,200 cubic feet of rootable soil

Drought tolerance can be improved by increasing the available soil volume requirements.