Kutztown University Policy 2000-127

A. Purpose

Utility Free Zone:  Those areas of campus where wither underground or overhead utilities are not present, or areas of the campus where trees may be planted that will not interfere with the utilities once the trees reach their mature size.

Deciduous Trees:  Trees that lose or shed their foliage at some point during the year.

Evergreen Trees:  Tress that hold their foliage throughout the year.

• Tree Placement:  Trees shall not be planted on or near underground or overhead utility services.  Consideration of the overall mature size and spread of a deciduous tree must be taken into account when planting near sidewalks, parking lots, roadways, lighting or any other barrier.  The inappropriate planting of deciduous trees too close to these structures may cause subsequent structural damage when the tree obtains its full, mature size.  Coniferous trees shall not be considered in locations where there are sidewalks, parking lots, roadways, lighting or any other barriers due to risk of inappropriate pruning of trees for safety reasons.  In general, newly planed trees shall have a caliper of no less than two (2) inches for larger species of deciduous trees.  Examples of larger deciduous trees are oaks, maples, ginko, beech, and birch.  Smaller deciduous trees shall be no less than one and one-half (1 1/2) inches in diameter when planted.  Examples of smaller deciduous trees are dogwood, crabapple, hawthorn, ornamental plum and cherry.  If the location of the tree is such that it is deemed to be a high probability target for rough treatment by students, then larger deciduous trees should have a caliper of at least four (4) inches and smaller deciduous trees should have a caliper of at least two (2) inches to reduce the probability of damage.  All coniferous trees shall be a minimum height of no less than ten (10) feet at the time of planting.

• Tree Replacement:  Trees that must be removed during construction projects shall be replaced on a one-for-one basis either within the construction limits of the project or as designated by the University.  The design firm for the construction project shall select the species of tree(s) from the University's recommended tree list (Appendix A), and shall determine the location and planting requirements of all replacement trees within the confines of the construction contract.  The design firm will be expected to follow procedures listed in the tree placement portion of this document.  The landscape design plans will be reviewed by the Associate Director, Facilities Management, in conjuction with botany faculty members of the Biology department and will be modified (if necessary) based on their input.  The replacement trees will become part of the overall landscape design of the project.  Trees shall not be planted on or near underground or overhead utility services.  Consideration of the overall mature size and spread of a deciduous tree must be taken into account when planing near sidewalks, parking lost, roadways, lighting or any other barrier.  The inappropriate planting of deciduous trees too close to these structures may cause subsequent structural damage when the tree obtains its full, mature size.  Coniferous trees shall not be considered in locations where there are sidewalks, parking lots, roadways, lighting or any other barrier due to the risk of inappropriate pruning of the trees for safety reasons.  Funding for the replacement of trees shall be part of the funding structure of the construction contract.

  
  Trees that are removed from the campus for any reason will be replaced on a one-for-one basis.  All requests for tree removal will be directed to the Associate Director, Facilities Management in writing stating the reason for the tree removal.  The Associate Director, Facilities Management, in conjunction with botany faculty members of the Biology department, will evaluate the tree for removal and it's replacement and forward their recommendations to the Campus Beautification Committee.  The Campus Beautification Committee shall review and approve/disapprove of the request for tree removal and replacement.  Approved requests and recommendations from the Campus Beautification committee will be forwarded to the President of Kutztown University for approval.  Requests for removal of trees that present an immediate danger to life and property will be evaluated by the Associated Director, Facilities Management whereupon his/her recommendations will be sent to the President for immediate action.

  Once approved for removal, a professional tree service company will remove trees.  The replacement tree will be selected from the University's recommended tree list (Appendix A) and planted in a "utility free zone" taking into consideration the cultural requirements of the tree species, surrounding or adjacent landscaping and future expansion of the University's infrastructure.

  In general, the replacement tree shall have a caliper of no less than two (2) inches for larger species of deciduous trees.  Examples of larger deciduous trees are oaks, maples, ginkgo, beech and birch.  Smaller deciduous replacement trees shall be no less than one and one-half (1 1/2) inches in diameter.  Examples of smaller deciduous tree are dog wood, crabapple, hawthorn, ornamental plum and cherry.  All coniferous replacement trees shall be a minimum height of no less than ten (10) feet.
   

• Tree Protection Methods During Construction:  Those trees whose size and species permit transplantation, and which cannot be protected during construction, shall be transplanted to other locations designated by the University.  Trees larger than 12" in caliper are difficult to transplant.  Deciduous trees are generally easier to transplant than coniferous trees.  Trees should be transplanted only during the cool weather months of October through April.

  
  Trees that will be retained on construction sites shall be protected by a barrier chain link fence that shall be the responsibility of the general contractor  to erect and maintain.  In most cases, the fence should be established at the drip line of the individual tree or group of trees.  For trees that are columnar, the fence should be located a minimum distance equal to three times the diameter of the crown of the tree or group of trees.

  Because different tree species have different root growth patterns, and these are affected by streets, sidewalks, parking lots and other barriers, a registered landscape architect shall recommend the tree protection methods required by the specific circumstance at each proposed construction site.

  Root pruning, hand digging and tunneling under the roots shall be used if construction excavation must pass through the root zone of a tree.  A major area of concern would be for roots that are 1" in diameter and larger since many feeder roots are attached to the larger roots.  Roots of this size can occur both in and outside of the drip line, depending on the variety of the trees.

  The crown of the trees shall be pruned if the removal of roots is necessary.  In most cases, the extent of the tree crown removal should be equal to the pruning of a tree's root zone.  Studies suggest that a substantial amount of a tree's roots extend beyond the tree's drip line.  Soil conditions, watering practice and the type of tree must be considered when calculating root loss.

   The removal of roots from conifers should be avoided wherever possible.  Conifers generally have a shallower root system and removal of the main taproot affects the stability of the tree and increases the possibility of it falling in a windstorm.  Pruning of coniferous trees is very difficulty and  care should be taken not to distort the natural growth of form of the tree.

  Neither excavation nor filling shall occur within the drip line of the trees that are to be preserved.  Depositing fill material on tree roots and the compaction of soil from parking vehicles under trees contributes to the partial or total destruction of the trees.  When air circulation is cut off from the roots, the tree experiences a reduction in its capacity to draw moisture and nutrients from the soil.
   

• Tree Removal:  The decision to remove a tree will be based upon any of the following considerations:
  • Trees that are dead or have either reached or exceeded their useful life span and may present clear and present danger to life and property.
  • Diseased or unhealthy trees.
  • Trees that are growing in inappropriate locations such as too close to structures, sidewalks, parking lots, utilities and other components of a landscape.
  • Damaged trees from natural causes such as lightning strikes and ice, wind and snow storms.
  • Damaged trees from human activities such as inappropriate cultural practices, vehicular accidents and other human induced damage.
  • Trees that detract from or are inconsistent with the University's overall landscapes design plans.
  • Trees that must be removed due to construction projects.

• Tree Evaluation:  On an annual basis, the Associate Director, Facilities Management, Associate Director, Housing and Residence Life, Facilities and Custodial Services, appointed member of the Campus Beautification committee and Botany faculty members of the Biology department will assess the health and condition of the campus trees.  Recommendations for ongoing care or removal will be forwarded to the Associate Director, Facilities Management for further action.  Appendix "A" will also be reviewed at this time and amended as necessary.
   

  APPENDIX A

  1.  STREET TREES (No Overhead Power Lines)
   

  SPECIES	COMMON NAME
  Acer rubrum	Red Maple
  Aesculus hippocastanum	Horsechestnut
  Fraxinus americana	White Ash
  Fraxinus pennsylvanica	Green Ash
  Ginkgo biloba	Ginkgo (male only)
  Gleditsia triacanthos 'Inermis'	Thornless Honeylocust
  Koelreuteria paniculata	Goldenraintree
  Tilia cordata	Littleleaf Linden
  Zelkova serrata	Japanese Zelkova

  2.  STREET TREES (Under Power Lines)
   

  SPECIES	COMMON NAME
  Acer campestre	Hedge Maple
  Crataegus spp. ('Inermis' variety)	Thornless Hawthorne
  Malus spp.	Crabapple
  Prunus serrulata 'Kwanzan'	Kwanzan Cherry
  Styrax japonica	Japanese Snowball

  3.  EVERGREEN TREES
   

  SPECIES	COMMON NAME
  Abies balsamea	Balsam Fir
  Cryptomeria japonica	Japanese Cedar
  Ilex opaca var.	American Holly
  Picea abies	Norway Spruce
  Picea omorika	Serbian Spruce
  Pinus nigra	Austrian Pine
  Pinus strobus	Eastern White Pine
  Pinus thunbergiana	Japanese Black Pine
  Pseudotsuga menziesii	Douglasfir
  Tsuga canadensis	Candian Hemlock

  4.  SHADE TREES
   

  SPECIES	COMMON NAME
  Acer platanoides	Norway Maple
  Acer rubrum	Red Maple
  Acer saccharum	Sugar Maple
  Carpinus betulus	European Hornbeam
  Fagus grandiflora	American Beech
  Fraxinus americana	White Ash
  Fraxinus pennsylvanica	Green Ash
  Ginkgo biloba	Ginkgo (male only)
  Gleditsia triacanthos 'Inermis'	Thornless Honeylocust
  Gymnocladus dioicus	Kentucky Coffee Tree
  Liquidambar styraciflua	Sweetgum
  Platanus x acerifolia	London Plane Tree
  Quercus spp.	Oak
  Salix spp.	Willow
  Sophora japonica	Japanese Scholar Tree
  Tilia spp.	Linden (Except tilia americana)
  Zelkova serrata	Jaapanese Zelkova

  5.  ORNAMENTAL TREES
   

  SPECIES	COMMON NAME
  Acer grisium	Paperbark Maple
  Acer ginnala	Amur Maple
  Amelanchier arborea	Downy Serviceberry
  Betula spp.	Birch
  Cercidophyllum japonicum	Katsura Tree
  Cercis canadensis	Eastern Redbud
  Cornus florida	Flowering Dogwood
  Cornus kousa	Kousa Dogwood
  Crataegus spp.	Hawthorne
  Halesia carolina	Carolina Silverbell
  Koelreutaria paniculata	Goldenraintree
  Magnolia soulangeana	Saucer Magnolia
  Magnolia stellata	Star Magnolia
  Malus spp.	Crabapple
  Prunus spp.	Flowering Cherry
  Prunus cerasifera	Plum
  Pyrus calleryana	Pear
  Stewartia pseudo-camellia	Japanese Stewartia
  Styrax japonicum	Japanese Snowbell

  6.  EDUCATIONAL TREES
   

  SPECIES	COMMON NAME
  Abies balsamea	Balsam Fir
  Abies nordanniana	Nordman Fir
  Abies pinsapo
  Acer burgueranum	Trident Maple
  Acer miyabei	Elegant Maple
  Acer negundo	Boxelder
  Aesculus glabra	Ohio Buckeye
  Aesculus parviflora	Bottlebrush Buckeye
  Aesculus pavia	Buckeye
  Aralia spinosa	Devil's Walking Stick
  Betula nigra	River Birch
  Carpinus caroliniana	Ironwood
  Carya spp.	Hickory
  Castanea mollissima	Chinese Chestnut
  Catalpa bignoniodes	Catalpa
  Cedrus atlantica	Blue Atlas Cedar
  Cercis canadensis	Eastern Redbud
  Chamaecyparis lawsoniana	False Cypress
  Chamaecyparis obtusa	False Cypress
  Chamaecyparis pisifera	False Cypress
  Chionanthus virginica	Fringetree
  Cladastris lutea	Yellow Wood
  Cornus mas	Cornelian Cherry
  Diospyros virginiana	Persimmon
  Eucommia ulmoides	Hardy Rubber Tree
  Fagus sylvatica	European Beech
  Fagus grandifolia	American Beech
  Franklinia altamaha	Fraklinia
  Gymnocladus dioicus	Kentucky Coffee Tree
  Halesia carolina or monitcola	Silverbells
  Hamamelis virginiana	Witch Hazel
  Hamamelis vernalis	Spring Witch Hazel
  Juglans cinerea	Butternut
  Larix laricina	Tamarix
  Larix kaempferi	Japanese Larch
  Liquidambar styraciflua	Sweet Gum
  Lirondendron tulipifera	Tuliptree
  Maclura pomifera	Osage Orange
  Magnolia grandiflora	Bull Bay Magnolia
  Magnolia virginiana	Sweet Bay Magnolia
  Magnolia acuminata	Cucumber Tree
  Morus rubra	Red Mulberry
  Nyssa sylvatica	Sourgum
  Oxydendum arboreum	Sourwood
  Parrotia persica	Persian Ironwood
  Pinus bungeana	Lace Bark Pine
  Plantanua ocidentalis	Sycamore
  Quercus spp.	Oak
  Rhododendron spp.	Rhododendron
  Robinia pseudo-acacia	Black Locust
  Sassafras albidum	Common Sassafras
  Sciadopitys vericillata	Umbrella Pine
  Sophora japonica	Scholar Tree
  Sorbus alnifolia	Korean Mountial Ash
  Stewartia koreana	Korean Stewartia
  Stewartia monadelpha
  Stewartia pseudo-camellia	Japanese Stewartia
  Taxodium distichum	Bald Cypress
  Thuja plicata	Giant Arbor Vitae
  Tilia americana	American Linden
  Ulmus camperdownii	Camperdown Elm
  Ulmus pavifolia	Chinese Elm
  Viburnum spp.	Viburnum