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Committee hears tree canopy master plan and monthly tree operations update
Summary
Public Works staff presented a monthly tree operations report and an aggressive tree canopy master plan recommending expanded planting and maintenance; committee members urged coordination with planning and zoning and called for continued public outreach.
Public Works staff presented last month’s tree removals and pruning, and updated the committee on a draft tree master plan that aims to expand the city’s canopy and set maintenance priorities.
Chris Torrey, a Department of Public Works staff member who delivered the report, said the department removed trees across parks, schools and city right-of-way (three park removals, two school removals, and 11 right-of-way removals listed in the report) and pruned an additional 24 city right-of-way trees. He described two workshops — a Parks & Recreation tree canopy workshop and a Traffic Mobility & Parking workshop — that identified priority planting locations and obstacles to establishing sustainable trees in the right-of-way.
Torrey said the draft master plan maps areas needing canopy expansion and that staff are aiming to raise canopy coverage from about 43% to 53% over a multiyear program, a goal Torrey characterized as "very ambitious." Torrey and other staff emphasized that achieving the goal will require both increased planting and ongoing maintenance, and that the master plan will include maintenance protocols and hazard-tree removal guidance. Torrey said the council should expect to see the plan on an April or early-May agenda for formal acceptance.
Committee members welcomed the plan and urged stronger coordination with the planning and zoning department to ensure development requirements and tree-replacement rules support canopy goals. A member noted the city already applies a 2-to-1 replacement ratio for trees removed during development — if developers cannot replant on site they must fund equivalent plantings or pay into the program — and staff said the arborist will direct where replacement plantings will be located. Members also pressed for public education and volunteer coordination to maintain plantings and for leveraging funding sources.
Why it matters: committee members called the master plan a turning point for canopy policy, noting both the long-term timeline for new plantings to mature and the need to align internal permitting, development review and public outreach to protect and expand street trees.
There was no formal committee action on the master plan during the meeting; staff said they will finalize comments and return with the plan for council acceptance.
