Des Moines officials on July 10 told the City Council Committee of the Whole they have identified roughly 61 city-owned parcels with substantial tree canopy and are studying whether the Surface Water Utility should take responsibility for protecting and managing them. Tyler Beekley, Surface Water Utility manager, said the work responds to a 2024 Department of Ecology National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit update that requires the city to map tree canopy on public property and adopt related goals or policies by 2028.

Why it matters: City-owned parcels account for a disproportionate share of local canopy, staff said, and transferring ownership or easements into the Surface Water Utility could secure long‑term protection, centralize maintenance responsibility and shift some costs from the general fund to the utility rate base.

Beekley told council he and consultants used lidar and other imagery to map canopy down to individual trees; the analysis shows about 29% canopy cover citywide and 16% of that canopy sits on city‑owned land even though those parcels represent about 5% of the city's land area. He said preliminary parcel work flagged 61 parcels for further feasibility review; consultants report 57 could be acquired wholly by the utility and 4 would be candidates for partial acquisition or conservation easements. “Wem looking at preserving over 110 acres of tree canopy,” Beekley said during the presentation.

Council members pressed on several implementation questions. Councilmember Ochsiger asked whether the city would go beyond preservation into active forest management and planting, noting some areas contain “trash trees” that may not provide the desired water‑quality or carbon benefits. Beekley said preservation is the immediate priority; active operations and maintenance, including invasive‑species removal and replacement planting, would be a phase two effort once parcels and funding are secured. Deputy Mayor Steinmetz asked about acreage figures; staff clarified the parcel list the utility is evaluating totals about 133 acres of which roughly 110 are forested.

Financial and legal issues were a focus. Beekley said staff are working with FCS Group to test whether existing surface water rates and the utility budget can absorb the new maintenance demands or whether a one‑time rate adjustment and new staff will be needed; he also flagged easement and trail‑use questions (for example, whether the Des Moines Creek Trail sections would transfer to the utility or require easements). Beekley said staff will evaluate current ownership, existing easements, and any utilities that could impede transfer.

Timing and next steps: staff proposed a stepped timeline: finish parcel feasibility and narrow the list this fall; develop a tree preservation program and operations & maintenance manual by the end of 2025 that would cover inspection cadence, arborist use, invasive species control and funding/staffing structure; pursue parcel transfers starting 2026; and, if needed, take a rate action in 2027 before launching ongoing O&M.

Council and staff also discussed community stewardship and volunteer roles. Councilmember Mahoney and others supported volunteer engagement for easier and safer tasks (trail edge stewardship), while noting steep slopes and hazardous work would require professionals.

Ending: Beekley said the mapping provides a baseline to pursue future goals such as private‑land incentives or expanded plantings, but the immediate, Ecology‑driven, low‑bar step is protecting city‑owned canopy in perpetuity through acquisitions or conservation easements. Staff will return with a narrowed parcel list and feasibility details later this year.