GROUNDS
...we are committed to preserving and protecting the American Elm trees... GREENKEEPER'S UPDATE By Tim Kennelly, CGCS, Head Greenkeeper As you know, the Club has been working diligently on the Lifestyle Facilities Master Plan and has hosted numerous focus groups and Town Hall Meetings this spring. Throughout the process, Club leadership has made it very clear that we are committed to preserving and protecting the American Elm trees between the clubhouse and adjacent putting green. In early February, Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc. (WSSI) was hired to provide an assessment of the trees and determine their suitability through the proposed renovations and clubhouse expansions. We were recommended to WSSI by Carroll Tree Service, who has cared for our existing Elm trees for numerous years and has a working relationship with their Senior Urban Forester Chris Cowles and Certified Arborist Cene Ketcham. They have worked together on numerous tree preservation projects starting at Johns Hopkins University and recently completed a successful tree restoration project on the North Lawn at The White House. Also, Carroll Tree completed the iconic Elm tree work in Washington, DC with the completion of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool Revitalization Project. They have completed their findings and the report and recommendations have been submitted to leadership for review. Here is a summary of the Tree Inventory and GPR Root Investigation Study Report: The trees were found to be in generally good health, and roots were mapped at various depths around each tree, 10
June 2020
under the bluestone, and in the grass outside the Tap Room. Though root density varied between the trees, most were found to have good density, primarily in the upper 12� range. There was a surprising quantity of deep roots detected under the existing bluestone patio, which will likely need to be verified as we are determining the location for footers, etc. Mr. Cowles and his team are confident that with their recommendations, the preservation of these trees should be possible throughout construction and for the foreseeable future, within the limits enumerated in the GPR report. The Club is committed to the preservation of the American Elm trees at the clubhouse and regardless of how the Master Plan timeline is affected by COVID-19, there are some proactive and immediate steps that should be taken to improve the overall health and vigor of the trees. Questions have been asked, but unfortunately planting any type of ground covers in the mulch area to improve aesthetics or prevent the washing of the mulch during and after storms is not an option since additional plantings will compete for available water and nutrients of the existing elm trees. Our team will be placing stone in between the trees as step-ways from the clubhouse to the putting green areas. As always, please feel free to contact me or Cathy Wagner if you have any questions or concerns regarding this work. ◆
