The Roots Revival campaign is continuing to replace damaged and diseased trees in Gibson Park.

Through the campaign, the city sold the original goal of 35 trees.

Todd Seymanski, city forester, said the city could sell the next round of 14 trees and they have six to eight left to sell, according to Jessica Compton, interim city Park and Recreation director.

They’ve raised about $25,000 for trees and planting, Compton said.

A number of new trees were planted in Gibson in May.

City fundraising to replace dead, diseased trees in Gibson; discussing funding for natural resources division [2024]

The project started quietly last fall as Park and Recreation has worked to replace those dead and diseased trees in city parks and the boulevard district.

The Gibson Park Committee, which is comprised of local citizens, including former Mayor Mike Winters, the Gibson Park Adopt a Park group, and the People’s Park and Recreation Foundation, came up with the idea to fundraise for replanting trees in Gibson Park.

City continuing removal of dead, diseased trees

The Roots Revival group includes local citizens and some city staff helping with the tree planting map and marketing, Compton told The Electric last year.

The city removed 23 trees in Gibson Park last year for a contract price of $12,500, Seymanski said.

Another 10 trees were removed over the winter.

Seymanski said in October that he hoped to replace the 23 removed trees with 25 new ones, depending on funding availability, but after further considering the layout of the park, the fundraising goal was increased over the winter to plant 35 new trees.

The replanting will be done through donations that pass through the People’s Park and Recreation Foundation and their Gibson Root Revival campaign.

City working to remove, replace dead trees in parks, boulevard district

The costs listed on the website included different size and type options and include planting.

In 2024, the city applied for a Montana Department of Resources and Conservation grant to help with the tree removal in Gibson Park, but were unsuccessful.

During the Oct. 4 wind storm, the city lost 19 trees in the boulevard district and not one of them had been marked for removal, Seymanski said. The wind also took out a few in city parks.

City forestry completes 7-year project of hazard tree trimming [2017]

Tree maintenance, removal and replacement in city parks is funded through the general funds, so resources are limited, Seymanski said.

The trees in the boulevard are funded through the boulevard district assessment, which is a special fee to property owners within the district.

The assessment covers the care and maintenance of more than 15,000 street trees, including pruning, removal, planting and streetscape design.

The city assesses property owners within that district to cover the cost of those services performed by the Natural Resources Division of Great Falls Park and Recreation.

City officials discussed the natural resources division budget during the Dec. 3 City Commission work session.

City approves parkland sale to Pasta Montana

Steve Herrig, former Park and Rec director, said that the division manages planting, pruning, trimming, disease inspection and removal of all city owned trees. They also maintain flower beds and the compost site, and do leaf pickup in the boulevard district.

The city maintains about 34,000 trees in the boulevard, parks, golf courses and other public property.

City arborists conduct code enforcement of diseased trees and handle tree related disputes between neighbors, Herrig said.

Herrig said the natural resources division has been working on the same general fund subsidy since 2011 but expenses have increased by about 50 percent since that time.

Melissa Kinzler, city finance director, said in December that 57 percent of the natural resources division budget comes from the boulevard assessment, which is a specific geographic area and those funds can only be used within that district.

Kinzler said the city has the ability to increase that assessment and has over the years, but since it’s restricted to use within the district, the overall division is strained without increasing other funding for the remaining operations.

Commissioner Rick Tryon asked how long the city could sustain the division without more general fund subsidy.

Herrig said that outside the boulevard district, the division maintains city parks, two golf courses and other public property.

He said that the boulevard district makes up about 80 percent of funding and pays for four arborists.

Two other arborists maintain city parks and are funded by the park maintenance district.

The general fund subsidy largely goes toward materials and equipment costs, which are increasing, Herrig said.

“How long is this sustainable? I don’t know,” Herrig said.

Kinzler said it’s not a sustainable funding model.

She said the city wide park maintenance district took some pressure off and the department made internal changes to increase efficiencies, but “I think it is at the breaking point.”

Mayor Cory Reeves asked during the December meeting who determines the boulevard district boundaries.

Herrig replied that is set by the commission.

Commissioners established the boulevard district in 1946 and last amended the boundary in 1987, according to city documents.

Homeowners can petition to be added into the district, which would require commission approval, but Herrig said that wouldn’t necessarily increase revenues but would increase their workload.

Kinzler said the city attempted a citywide tree assessment in the past, but it became cost prohibitive.

Park maintenance funds can be used for maintenance and some of that is directed to city trees, she said, but close to half of those funds are tied up in debt service on the new aquatic center.

Tryon said he didn’t believe taxpayers would appreciate an increase in the park district assessment so the other option would be to increase revenues or the general fund subsidy, which he said would take away from public safety.

Kinzler said that’s a commission decision and that general fund dollars can be used for parks, which in some ways help public safety as there are lots of studies showing how parks and trees help communities. She said she doesn’t see trees and parks excluded from the general fund.

“It’s a commission decision on your priorities,” Kinzler said on December.

Tryon said he views public safety as fire, police and courts.

She said trees are also a liability.

The city forester had a list of hazard trees that they worked through for several years.

She said it’s dangerous not to trim trees and it’s the city’s responsibility to take care of the trees and parks it owns.

“Bad trees are bad for the city,” Kinzler said.