Norwalk moves to buy mapping inventory to add 25,000 trees using federal grant

The Recreation and Parks Committee on Tuesday authorized the purchasing agent to issue a sole‑source purchase order not to exceed $125,000 to Planet Geo to survey and map an additional 25,000 trees, part of a city effort supported by a $1,000,000 federal grant.

Committee members said the work will extend the city’s tree canopy master plan and add the new inventory to the department’s mapping software. Robert Stowers, Recreation and Parks staff, told the committee the federal grant covers master‑plan work and early implementation and that a change in grant personnel created an opportunity to request some funds upfront.

"We received a $1,000,000 federal grant to continue work on our master plan for trees and also to start the implementation of the master plan," Stowers said. "We were given permission to request some of the money upfront...so we want to get this started while, you know, strike while the iron's hot."

The motion, added to the agenda that evening, asked the city to contract Planet Geo — the company that prepared the city’s initial master plan — to inventory an additional 25,000 trees and add them to the department’s mapping system. Committee members described the extra inventory as a substantial expansion of the city’s existing tree dataset and voiced support for moving quickly so grant funds could be spent before any program changes above the city level.

The committee approved the sole‑source purchase order unanimously. The agenda packet did not list a contract number or the specific grant account citation beyond noting a grant account would be used.

City staff said the additional inventory will be surveyed and incorporated into Norwalk’s tree mapping software to support future planting, maintenance and canopy planning.