Leesburg staff pursues town-wide tree inventory and update to urban forestry management plan

Town staff told the Tree Commission they have released (or are finalizing) a request for proposals for a town-wide tree inventory and an update of the urban forestry management plan. Staff said they intend to start with a partial inventory of town-owned parcels this season and later extend the work to right-of-way trees.

Melissa Westbrook, the stated staff representative, told commissioners she plans to use Wetland Science Solutions as a subcontractor under a contract with WSP to get a partial inventory started quickly despite procurement timing constraints. Staff also said they are considering a subscription for tree-management software (TreeKeeper) to manage inventory data. Procurement officials were expected to process the contract requests even though a stated application deadline had technically passed.

Why it matters: a current inventory and an updated plan will provide the baseline data for decisions on species diversity, canopy projections, replacement priorities and when/where to plant next. Commissioners discussed native species, canopy loss projections, and the timeline for completing the full inventory.

Key details: staff reported four proposals for the landscape maintenance contract (separate procurement item) and said evaluation was scheduled the following day. The tree-inventory contract approach described in the meeting aims to get core parcel data this season, then add right-of-way inventory work in a following phase. The proposed software (TreeKeeper) was presented as a likely choice but not yet contracted.

No formal procurement awards were recorded at the Tree Commission meeting; staff said an award for the landscape maintenance contract will require town council approval if it is a multiyear contract.