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Lex Grow Trees update: $1.5 million drives targeted plantings, education and private-property pilot
Summary
City staff told the Environmental Quality and Public Works Committee that Lex Grow Trees — funded by a $1.5 million 2022 budget stabilization allocation — has planted more than 1,800 trees through two grant rounds and private-property efforts, built community outreach and created a stewardship framework to track canopy growth.
Heather Wilson, program manager senior for LFUCG's urban forestry team, told the Environmental Quality and Public Works Committee on April 22 that the Lex Grow Trees initiative is using a 2022 allocation of $1,500,000 in budget stabilization funds to grow canopy in neighborhoods with the greatest need.
The program has set a citywide goal of 30% tree canopy and reported a current canopy estimate of about 25% based on recent USDA flyover data; Wilson said canopy was about 22% in 2012 and rose to roughly 25% in the 2021–2023 reassessments. The initiative has funded pilot projects, two rounds of community grants and a private-property planting pilot, and launched marketing and stewardship work to sustain plantings.
The program was developed with an ad hoc steering committee that Wilson said helped shape “mission, values and grant framework” for Lex Grow Trees. Wilson named members present or active in that committee, including Naki Braga, Councilmember Lynch, Councilmember James Brown, John Chiochi, Jennifer Carey, Diane Atchinson, Jada Griggs, Sandy Burke and Michael Potapov, and thanked Impressions Marketing staff Lauren Gothrop and Lauren McDonald for branding and outreach support.
Wilson said the city has spent roughly $200,000 to update a hazardous street-tree cost-share program and dedicated funding to two grant rounds and a private-property initiative. The first grant round (March 2024) awarded just under $500,000 to nine recipients and resulted in a little over 800 trees being planted, Wilson said. The second round (opened October 2024) funded six projects from roughly $400,000 in available program funds and placed just over 1,000 trees. The private-property program used $150,000 to plant 209 trees on 155 properties in targeted districts 1, 2 and 7, Wilson said.
Wilson also described three pilot partnerships with Permaculture, Seedleaf and Trees Lexington that resulted in community plantings (Wilson said the pilot phase put several hundred trees in the ground). Impressions Marketing senior Lauren Gothrop summarized outreach work for the initiative: an online survey in fall 2024 produced about 450 completed responses (170 from priority districts), and seven focus groups in spring 2025 drew 54 participants. Gothrop said about 63% of survey respondents said they wished there were more trees in their neighborhood.
Committee members asked about tree size and cost, follow-up to confirm trees remain in place, and how the program balances planting larger-caliper trees versus smaller "whips." Wilson said her preference is to avoid planting trees larger than 1.5 inches in caliper because smaller trees establish with less root loss and stress; she emphasized the need for homeowner education on mulching and protection. On follow-up and longevity, Wilson said program agreements include protections against immediate removal and that staff plan to use a tree-plotter canopy database and future flyover data to track growth over time.
Council members and community participants praised youth engagement and volunteer planting efforts, and staff said the mayor's proposed budget includes a request to continue the private-property tree planting program at $150,000. Committee members also asked staff to clarify the tree-plotter and report-card links on the public site; Wilson offered follow-up assistance for council offices to use the interactive map and confirmed the report card requires a separate assessment contract to update.
The presentation closed with staff emphasizing that residents want more trees but also need resources and education on planting and long-term care. Wilson added that Lex Grow Trees pairs canopy goals with an equity framework to target neighborhoods with lower canopy coverage.
Ending: Staff said they will provide additional detail when requested by council members, including links to the interactive tree-plotter map and the steering committee's focus-group analysis when finalized. The committee took no formal policy vote on the initiative at the April 22 meeting.
