City moves forward with public tree inventory as 'Green Up' effort returns next year

Webster Groves is moving forward with a contracted inventory of trees on public property, and staff told the Green Space Advisory Commission that a recommendation on the bid award will go to the city council in September. The inventory will record trees in rights-of-way and parks, not private yards, and staff said the resulting dataset is likely to be public and a living resource for maintenance and planting.

City staff said the bid closed recently and they were reviewing proposals; depending on the selected vendor, the inventory could include software that the public can access and that will be maintained by the city arborist. Staff estimated the municipal inventory will cover roughly 8,000–9,000 public trees and described it as a baseline survey that will be updated as trees are pruned, removed or planted.

Commission members asked whether a private-property inventory was possible; staff replied the contract covers public trees only but that broader canopy assessments and satellite-based analyses can be done separately. Commissioners discussed how the inventory can assist long-term canopy planning, detect pests (for example, emerald ash borer vulnerability), and produce statistics on age, species diversity and canopy coverage.

Members also discussed the city’s Green Up City initiative, revived by council direction, and how the inventory would support volunteer-driven tree stewardship and public education. Staff said about 30 right-of-way trees are planned for planting this fall as part of the ongoing program and that final planting plans will depend on the selected vendor and software platform.

The commission noted the inventory could inform future grant applications, volunteer efforts and educational outreach. Staff said they will provide the bid-award recommendation to council in September and will share an excerpted, public-facing report when the inventory work concludes.