For Star subscribers: Here's what environmentalists, business groups and neighborhood activists like about the new vision, as well as the 'big lifts' and other concerns they worry about.
Tony Davis Environmentalists, business groups and neighborhood activists are greeting Tucson's new climate action plan with a mix of warmth, wariness and skepticism.
People are also reading… A University of Arizona researcher otherwise supportive of the plan, Assistant Professor Neha Gupta, warns it will be a"big lift" across our society and culture to make the plan achieve its goals of carbon neutrality, in which Tucson produces no more greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide than are captured by trees and other sources.
Some activists also welcome the plan's emphasis on the basic structure of car-dominated Tucson, with its goal of creating a"15-minute city." She also said the climate plan's proposals to reduce use of gas-powered water heaters, stoves and clothes driers in privately owned homes and other buildings, in favor of electric appliances, and exploring the possibility of various community-run power generating options, will help address inequalities that have kept lower-income communities and communities of color from having the same access to renewable energy as the general public does.
"Most housing will be market rate unless you offer other incentives for affordable housing. To feel that’s going to trickle down to meet the demand, I don’t think so, at least not in the next 5 to 10 years," Ramirez said. Neighborhood activist Colette Altaffer, though, warns that increasing inner-city housing densities won't stop urban sprawl. To do that would require the city to adopt urban growth boundaries limiting development outside them, she said, which voters overwhelmingly rejected in a 2000 statewide referendum.
"Many of the Chamber’s members have acknowledged the need for policies that aim to reduce greenhouse gasses while also ensuring the economic vitality of our region’s future. There should be a balance since policies that over-regulate business in the name of climate action could do more harm than good," wrote Chamber President and CEO Michael Guymon in a February letter to Mayor Regina Romero.
He also mentioned a plan policy to develop incentives, possibly including reduced permitting fees, for businesses installing solar-powered photovoltaic panels or energy storage systems. "At this point in time, we haven’t taken a position" on the overall plan, Godlewski told the Star."We feel like there are still some unknowns, and we're trying to get more information to know exactly whether it’s something we can support or have concerns about."
But ideally, he'd like to see"sustainability measures be incentivized for construction projects rather than mandated." UA's Gupta, another advisory council member, said she's generally happy with the plan, adding,"It's pretty thorough. It doesn't seem cookie-cutter or boilerplate. They took time to incorporate local references and local studies into the plan."
In response, Lane Mandle, chief of staff for City Manager Miguel Ortega, told the Star,"I cannot speak to emission trends but I can tell you that the city is not eliminating the possibility of carbon offsets.""It’s a very tough goal to actually achieve for cities across the world, even in places that are more political culturally aligned with these kind of goals," she said."It’s a big shift in terms of culture, operations and funding and can be a big lift for investment.
There’s also the question of water use. You may be willing to give that little tree extra water for a couple of years, but how about when it’s 30 feet tall? It’s best if the tree you plant gets used to our climate, so it can adapt and survive as it grows to full size. Arizona ash : This is another one of our native riparian trees. It will look best with some supplemental watering. It grows to 50 feet in height, so it will need lots of room. Don’t stake it if you plant one, and don’t trim the lower branches as the bark can become sunburned. It’s also thornless.
Chaste tree : This tree originates in Southern Europe, and is fairly drought-tolerant. It has lovely purple flowers which smell nice and attract pollinators. It has a nice shady canopy with lush green leaves, and is deciduous in the winter. It’s not very large, growing only to 15-20 feet or so, but is a very nice small shade tree. It produces some litter, but has no thorns. It will need supplemental water.
Texas rangers :These plants are near-natives from the Chihuahuan desert, so they’re drought tolerant and very hardy. There are a number of species and varieties, so make sure you investigate their final size to ensure you will get the look you want. If you choose the correct plant, you will not need to prune them, and after establishment they should not need additional watering.
Evergreen sumac : This shrub can grow 10 to 15 feet tall and nearly as wide; it’s native to Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Mexico. It naturally grows on rocky hillsides, so it can adapt to any well-draining soil. It also likes full sun, but can tolerate part shade. It’s a great wildlife plant, attracting birds and small mammals with its fruit and pollinators with its flowers.
Little leaf ash : This large shrub can also be grown as a small tree with appropriate pruning. As with many native slow-growers, it will grow faster with additional regular irrigation. It is thornless and has bright green leaves with grey attractive bark. It can grow up to 20 feet tall and about 10-15 feet wide.
Caliche is a hardened soil layer common to desert soils. It is made up of calcium salts and minerals which are naturally present in the soil. In rainier places, minerals and salts in the soil are flushed through by rainfall. In drier climates like ours, over time these salts and minerals build up and form a hard layer anywhere from several inches to several feet thick.
Remove any burlap or wires gently from around the root ball.When you put your tree in the hole, make sure the very top of the root ball is slightly above the grade of the rest of the hole. This is because you do not want any of the tree’s bark to be under the soil or the mulch layer.Back fill the hole with native soil; avoid using soil amendments with the exception of mulch or compost.Create a berm around the tree to hold water and allow it to infiltrate when you water your tree.
I’ve put together a list of some tall native trees that you can consider in your landscape. Be sure to read more about them if you decide to plant them. Most of these trees are from our riparian zones, and thus will do best in a wetter, shadier area, for instance near a stream bed. If you don’t have the fortune of your own stream bed, you can create one in your yard to capture rainwater or gray water, and improve the conditions for these trees without having to water them constantly.
Texas ebony : This near-native tree can grow as high as 40 feet, but it will take a long time to get there. It’s also quite thorny, and produces large brown pods, so it’s not a good tree to put in patios, walkways, driveways, and the like, but it’s great for low-traffic areas. It’s evergreen in Tucson, and hardy to 10-20 F . It’s beautiful dark green foliage, creamy flowers, and great bird habitat makes up for its downsides.
Arizona sycamore : This native can grow up to 80 feet tall and is hardy to -8 F. It’s deciduous and has beautiful fall color. It will require regular water, however, since it’s used to stream beds, so consider watering it with gray water so it gets a steady supply.
Feather bush : This lovely small tree grows to 15 feet in height. It’s native to our desert and has beautiful lush green tiny leaves that give it a feathery appearance. Its flowers are cream-colored puffy balls that bloom in late spring. It’s only hardy to 25 Fahrenheit, so make sure you put it in a warm spot in your yard.
Pomegranate : This mediterranean plant not only has glossy dark green leaves and unusual orange flowers, it also produces edible fruit. It’s hardy to 10 F but needs a bit more water than our natives to keep it from looking scraggly. It is deciduous, and loses all its leaves in the winter.
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