Boise Community Forestry is responsible for the management of 41,000 trees in public parks and rights-of-way throughout the city.
For information, see http://www.cityofboise.org/parks/forestry

Cynic, notice the “and rights-of-way” in that statement. So why does ACHD have vegetation control within the city?

EDITOR NOTE–Eastern, time to stop whipping the dead horse. Boise Parks takes care “rights of way” like Capitol Blvd., Harrison, Federal Way, places like that. There are many areas which are not designated “park ways” such as along the river, Cartwright Rd. and just next to some streets where trees block drains, cause sight obstructions or actually get into the lane of travel–that’s why ACHD has crews. Those areas are NOT part of Boise Parks responsibility.

The only way puncture vine – aka “goatheads” – can be eradicated is to pull the entire plant up by the root while it’s still green, and remove it with seeds/goatheads still intact. And then repeat the process for a couple years until old seeds quit germinating.

It’s on the Idaho Weed Awareness list.

Isn’t there anything that can be done to eradicate these pesky little thorns that destroy bicycle tubes, Nike Air shoes, bare feet, and anything else they can attach themselves. They are beyond a public nuisance and I am ready to declare war on them but am at a loss on a good strategy to actually do anything that would work long term.

ACHD should ahve someone that goes around and tells property owners to trim back their trees, shrubs and “vegetation” away from roads, signs and ACHD sidewalks. I can tell you lots of places where that doesn’t happen.

It doesn’t make sense for a govt agency to be paying a crew and supervisor year around for the occasional need of trimming shrubs. Does the supervisor’s title change to Ice Melt Supervisor in the winter? I’m pretty sure the ‘cheapest way’ does not align with the ACHD way.

Any observer of nature will observe that trees, weeds, bushes, etc., seem to have a mind of their own! They just grow wherever they want to, without taking the needs and feelings of others into consideration.

Sometimes they grow limbs that overhang roads, interfere with sidewalks and bike lanes, etc. Users of the infrastructure would quickly notice, if somebody didn’t take care of such obstacles.

Boise has a “forestry department” for much the same reason.

Could ACHD contract it out to private companies, like Idaho Power does? Perhaps. I’m in favor of the cheapest way. Personally, I’d like to see the “vegetation crew” supplemented every summer with a “goathead patrol,” made up of Ada County jail inmates.

http://www.idahogeocachers.org/forum/viewthread.php?action=printable&fid=2&tid=4234

So how did this get to you Guardian? Seems like ACHD commissioners got a hold of it and then forwarded it to just for the “advertisement”. Is that about right?

But let’s look at it with a criticial eye.

So they’re paiting the bridge for the birthday. Does the bridge really need painting? Just a coincidence that it happens to fall on the anniversary year, I suppose.

And they’re painting it.
Why is Mr Dewit, a Professional Engineer of the ACHD Design team (Supervisor) involved? To paint an existing bridge? Painter wages or engineer wages?

ACHD Vegetation Crew- who would have thought the road department has a “vegetation crew”?