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Parks department updates board on urban forest master plan: lidar inventory, emerald ash borer and goats in focus
Summary
Parks staff briefed the board on progress toward the city's Urban Forest Master Plan, including a multi-year tree inventory, lidar mapping, emerald ash borer monitoring and a pilot vegetation-management program using goats.
Brett Johnson and Parks Department staff updated the Parks and Recreation Board on work to implement the City of Dallas Urban Forest Master Plan, reporting progress on tree inventories, pest monitoring, hazardous-vegetation reduction and volunteer training.
Johnson said the citywide objective remains to increase canopy from about 32% to roughly 37% by 2040, a goal that the plan estimates will require planting approximately 350,000 trees. He told the board that Dallas Water Utilities began a public-tree inventory in December 2024 and has recorded more than 80,000 trees so far; the Parks Department has started a parallel smart inventory using lidar and expects to have roughly 18,500 park trees entered into its system by fall.
Staff described the inventory work as reimbursable under a U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service grant. Sarah Standifer of Dallas Water Utilities said the grant is reimbursable and that staff are submitting invoices promptly to accelerate reimbursement; she said the funds currently are not at risk.
The presentation highlighted several management priorities: emerald ash borer (EAB) detection and treatment, where Johnson reported approximately 20 detection traps citywide and more than 200 significant ash trees already treated; a pilot “alternative vegetation management” program that used goats to clear understory on about 16.2 acres to reduce fire risk and improve trail visibility; and an ongoing program to trap feral hogs where needed.
Staff also said they will host an in‑house arborist school to increase staff and volunteer capacity, are formalizing a memorandum of understanding with the Texas Trees Foundation, and plan a Dallas Tree Summit in 2026 to mobilize partners and volunteers. Volunteers and staff have carried out multiple projects this year: staff projects removed roughly 33 acres of overgrowth, volunteers removed about 3 acres, and the goat pilot cleared 16.2 acres.
Board members asked that staff increase public education on EAB impacts, homeowner tree-identification services and potential removal-and-replacement programs for hazardous trees. Staff said service-request tools and outreach workshops are in development.
Ending: Parks leadership described steady progress on inventory and pest response work while urging stepped-up public outreach and workforce training to manage a multi-year canopy and tree-health program.
