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Council adopts strategic tree canopy plan, hires city arborist and schedules community plantings
Summary
Petersburg City Council adopted a strategic tree canopy plan on June 17, endorsing a goal to maintain roughly 43% canopy over 20 years, confirming the new city arborist position, and approving outreach and implementation steps including a pilot planting program along East Washington Street funded through a Crater PDC grant.
Petersburg City Council unanimously adopted a strategic tree canopy plan on June 17 after a presentation by the Green Infrastructure Center consultants and staff. The plan sets a 20-year goal of maintaining approximately 43% tree canopy coverage across the city while prioritizing equity, heat mitigation, and stormwater benefits.
Consultants reported that current canopy coverage across the city is approximately 45% but unevenly distributed, with some neighborhoods possessing much lower coverage and correspondingly higher heat exposure. The plan identifies objectives including (1) increasing city capacity to plant and maintain trees, (2) expanding community stewardship and education, (3) aligning tree preservation with development review, (4) planting along transportation corridors and gateways, and (5) expanding canopy in underserved neighborhoods.
Council acknowledged the recent hire of a city arborist, Janine Lester, who introduced herself from the audience and asked for council's support in rolling out the plan. Staff and consultants described planned next steps including community Greening Petersburg workshops in identified project areas, a tree-care 101 education series beginning in July, and an East Washington Street pilot project funded via a Crater Planning District Commission grant of approximately $335,000 for study and implementation. Council directed staff to return with ordinance and code updates needed to support tree preservation and planting efforts.
Councilmember Jones asked about pilot timing and utility coordination; staff said the planting season targeted for implementation would be the winter planting window (December–March) and that final plantings require coordination with public-works and utilities to identify feasible locations. The motion to adopt the plan passed unanimously.
