Malls Versus Trees

Speaking of malls, it seems like Genesee Valley doesn't like the New Boyz, but in Grand Blanc the mall apparently doesn't take kindly to trees, especially maples owned by the city.

Scott Atkinson of The Flint Journal reports:

The Grand Blanc City Council decided tonight to table the issue of how to seek restitution from the owners of the Grand Mall, who cut down trees in the city's right of way along Saginaw Street.

After a disagreement about how to seek restitution for the trees, the council decided to meet with the Grand Mall owners again to further discuss the issue.

At the very least, this gives the Grand Blanc City Council a reason to exist.

More Trees in Bondage and Distress

A recent post comparing the lives of trees in Flint and San Francisco inspired me to do a little more tree monitoring in the Mission District today and elicited this reply from Erin:

"Flint actually has one of the most extensive urban forests, however it is most neglected. We have not had a forester employed by the city in over a decade. USDA money for Ash removal was misspent by the previous administration. I could have taken you to many streets [in Flint] that look worse than your examples."

The Urban Forest

I've written before about how the loss of housing in Flint as the population shrinks has left parts of the city looking downright pastoral. This house in Carriage Town (above) looks a bit like the Little House on the Prairie.

Another lot in Carriage Town with only a checkerboard of cement to remind us this used to be the site of a home.

Some Carriage Town yards rival suburban lawns in size and splendor.

I can't help contrasting Flint's increasing woodsiness with San Francisco. The City by the Bay is fairly leafy compared to most urban areas, but it's often a struggle to get a tree to grow on a sidewalk, where they fall victim to cars, bad soil and general drunken buffoonery. All of the photos below were taken on Alabama Street in the Mission District.

A chicken coop protects a fledgling tree.

Tree protection sometimes doubles as a family memorial.

This tree requires maximum security.


Nature's splendor in the city.

Nature and metal sculpture take a backseat to one of San Francisco's many "art cars."

Flint Photos: Tree Versus Fence in Carriage Town

Hey buddy, do you need a sapling or a manhole cover? I got some. Cheap!

Burton Public Utilities supervisor Mike Holzer stands inside of a storm sewer manhole. (Photo by John W. Adkisson | The Flint Journal)

First it was trees, then it was copper, and now it's manhole covers that Flint thieves have a hankering for:

"Scrap metal thieves have stooped to stealing manhole covers and sewer grates right off the street," reports Bryn Mickle of The Flint Journal.

"Not only is it costly for taxpayers, the disappearing covers create a hazard for drivers and people just walking along the road.

"'That would be a long drop,' said Lyle Hippensteel, utility superintendent for the city of Flint.

"In the past year, the city has had to replace nearly 400 manhole covers and grates that officials believe were likely stolen and sold for scrap."

Tree Stealers

Flint is often labeled one of the most crime-ridden American cities, but now The New York Times is reporting that even the trees aren't safe:

In the United States, forests are not being illegally logged on a systemic scale, as is the case in countries like Indonesia, Malawi and Brazil, where unauthorized harvesting has led to serious deforestation and attendant environmental problems. Here, the issue is often scattered and intimate, and often affects homeowners, parks and public forests.

In Flint, Mich., for instance, thieves last month stole black walnut trees from the grassy landscaped edge of a main city street. Earlier last year, people were snatching saplings from a city park there as soon as they were planted.