Natural Resources sticking up for trees

  • Published
  • By Kimberly Woodruff
  • 72nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs

The Natural Resources Office at Tinker Air Force Base is working to bring back the tree canopy that has been drastically shrinking over the past decade.

Tinker’s once robust tree population was significantly impacted after an ice storm in 2007 left 1,300 trees destroyed.

 “In the course of 13 years, we’ve lost 45% of our trees (3,000 of 6,600) which accounted for a 26% loss of our tree canopy cover, and that has a tremendous negative environmental impact to the base,” said John Krupovage, Natural Resources Manager.

A 2019 Central Oklahoma Tree Canopy Assessment completed by Davey Resource Group in cooperation with the Oklahoma City Community Foundation, Oklahoma Forestry Services and the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments, found that Tinker’s tree canopy is 6.8%. In 2006, a tree assessment completed by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University placed Tinker’s canopy at 9.2%.

According to Krupovage, tree loss began with the ice storm, but escalated with a 239-week drought, consequential disease and insect outbreaks, large scale construction projects and the removal of 50 acres of invasive cedars across the base.

Unbeknownst to many, there are benefits to having trees including energy use reductions by shading, cleaner water, pollutant-filtered air, more livable communities and work environments and other human health benefits.

“Sometimes people on base will try to take care of trees by pruning them, but it should be left to a professional,” he said. “Contact CE to request the tree to be properly pruned, and if you see anyone damaging a tree or root zone of a tree, be sure to call CE to report that as well.” 

Krupovage added that many individuals do not know base trees, even felled trees, are legally part of the land and therefore considered real property.  If a base employee sees a cut up tree on the side of a Tinker roadway, helping oneself to it would be theft of government property.  The natural resources program sells salvaged wood products with revenues being used for base urban forest improvements. Individuals may also not be aware that a two-for-one replacement policy exists on base. This policy states that if a tree is removed, two new trees must be planted. “This has ballasted our careening urban forest, with over 1300 trees being planted on base since 2007.” 

Organizations on base can help tree restoration efforts as a self-help project. This was recently done by 552nd AWACS Civil Engineering who mobilized 50 volunteers to plant 78 trees on the AWACS campus.  Another 200 are slated to be planted next spring.  Krupovage urges anyone interested in planting trees to contact Natural Resources at 739-7074 for advice on what kind of trees to plant, where to plant them, how to plant them and how to best care for them.