HERMANN — The city of Hermann may not be in an urban forestry crisis mode, but in the last 20 years, it has lost more trees than have been planted along the city’s streets, according to John Fleming, of JR Fleming Forestry LLC and president of the Hermann Tree Commission Board.

“Fifty-one percent of the trees that were present in 2012 are now gone, when compared to our 2024 partial census,” said Fleming, referring to a 2024 “Hermann Tree Management Plan” report, prepared for the city’s Board of Aldermen. “(We found) this loss occurred in the inventory area bounded by 6th Street to the south, Frene Creek to the east and the city limits to the north and west.”

A grant awarded to the city in 2024 included tree planting, tree removal of dead and dying trees and a partial inventory. Using a tree inventory system program developed by Forest Matrix, the last Hermann tree inventory from 2012, completed by Davey Resource Group, was imported to serve as a tracking and measurement base for the partial 2024 tree inventory comparisons for the last 12-years.

Fleming said there were 330 new tree planting spots identified in the partial inventory. 

“If planting strictly on city-owned property, there were 31 large tree spots, 37 medium tree spots and 262 small tree spots,” according to Flemming. “There is room for three times as many trees as currently exist along the streets.”

As a Tree City USA town, Hermann’s urban forestry efforts are coordinated between the Hermann Tree Commission Board and the city. The Tree Board has been effective obtaining grant money through the Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) Tree Resource Improvement and Maintenance Program (T.R.I.M) on a cost-share basis, with Hermann’s share completed with city staff and volunteer man hours on designated forestry projects, in lieu of cash funds. Fleming says Hermann is only responsible for a 25-percent share, as opposed to 50 percent, because of the city’s Tree City USA designation.

Projects for the 2025-26 year involve planting approximately 42 trees and removing 21 trees.

“All trees being removed are either in serious decline or already dead,” said the city’s Public Works Director, Jesse Geltz.

He is waiting to hear from MDC to know how much forestry work the city can do this year and says the city staff will do the easily accessible removals. An International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) certified arborist will be contracted to do all the deadwood cutting and tree removals in difficult and high liability areas.

“I’m estimating the value of those removals to be $14,700,” said Geltz.