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Norwalk has $360,000 for tree work; city seeks to boost annual plantings toward 1,600 target
Summary
City staff reported about $360,000 available for tree work through multiple city accounts and said the city seeks to expand annual plantings toward a 1,600‑tree annual goal tied to a 2050 canopy target; committee members urged prioritizing major arteries and South Norwalk planting pits.
City staff and committee members described funding and planting targets for Norwalk's public tree program at the Tree Advisory Committee meeting on Aug. 26.
Sarah, a city staff member, said the city planted “just over 50 trees” in spring 2025 and is aiming “to hit between 300, 3 50, maybe 400, trees for the year” for 2025–26. She detailed multiple funding sources: “just a little bit under a 100 k, a 100,000 in the MLKECD account,” a newly approved Department of Public Works tree planting account of $200,000 for fiscal 2025–26, about $30,000 remaining in the GGP account, and about $30,000 in a Recreation and Parks tree-planting account. She summarized: “So in total, we have $360,000 at the moment, to be utilized between now and, basically, June thirtieth of of 20 26.”
Why it matters: Committee members said the city should prioritize funding for major commercial and arterial corridors rather than concentrating limited funds on dispersed homeowner requests. Committee member Peter asked that the group ensure planting strategies target major arteries and areas such as Martin Luther King Boulevard and West Avenue.
Longer-term target and costs: The committee reviewed the tree master plan benchmark calling for a canopy target of 53% by 2050. Sarah said the city’s 2023 canopy assessment put current canopy at about 43% and that “in order for us to get to 53% coverage by by 2050 is to be able to add, you know, 1,600 additional trees per year across all land types and, you know, ownership and all of that.” A committee member estimated that 1,600 trees a year would cost roughly $1.2 million annually at contracted planting rates.
Prioritization and integration: Committee members and staff discussed integrating tree plantings into capital projects so tree costs are included in project budgets, referencing Complete Streets guidance that encourages amenity-zone plantings where street typologies allow. Staff also noted work with engineering to include trees in project scopes to avoid depleting tree-planting accounts.
Discussion vs. decision: The committee discussed priorities and funding but took no new appropriation vote. Staff said the DPW planting account increase to $200,000 was already approved for FY25–26; no new formal action was recorded.
