Planning and Zoning recommends 'Rooted in Community' urban forest strategic plan to council, urges fiscal commitment

FORT COLLINS — The Fort Collins Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously recommended on Feb. 20 that City Council adopt the "Rooted in Community" urban forest strategic plan as a component of City Plan and asked council to consider an aligned fiscal commitment to help implement the plan.

Kendra Boot, the city forester, presented the plan as the city’s first comprehensive 20-year vision for its urban forest. "This is the first urban forest strategic plan that our community has ever had," Boot said. She outlined the plan’s findings: an average community canopy cover of roughly 14 percent, an increase of about 4 percentage points since 2011, and identified priority planting and equity areas across the growth-management area.

The plan recommends seven growth strategies that include strengthening city policy, targeting planting where social and environmental need intersect, and improving maintenance funding and staffing. Boot told commissioners staff requested three additional forestry full-time positions (FTEs) and equipment in the recent budgeting process; those requests were not funded and may be revisited mid-cycle.

Commissioners praised the plan as long overdue and generally supported its goals, while several voiced concern that the city adopt plans without a realistic path to implementation. Commissioner Saas moved, and Commissioner Peel seconded, a motion recommending adoption and asking council to make an aligned fiscal commitment for this and other plans to maintain momentum; the motion was approved unanimously.

Commissioners and staff discussed implementation tools mentioned in the plan, including updates to municipal and land use code, incentives and outreach to promote "right tree, right place," and opportunities to prioritize public planting sites. Boot said the plan does not set a single canopy-cover target because of local variables (including emerald ash borer) but provides a prioritization framework to guide where new canopy would yield the greatest public benefit.

Action taken: The commission recommended City Council adopt the Rooted in Community urban forest strategic plan as a component of City Plan and asked council to consider aligned fiscal commitments and use of partnerships, grants and other funding to support implementation.

Next steps: The plan passed first reading at council earlier in February; the commission’s favorable recommendation will be included in staff transmittal to City Council for final consideration.