Council hears tree fund and canopy update; city reports $1.9 million in mitigation receipts and targeted replanting after Hurricane Helene

City staff briefed Greenville City Council on the status of the city’s tree mitigation fund, recent canopy losses from Hurricane Helene and a multi-pronged plan to replant and better track the urban forest.

Edward (city staff) and Drew Smith (urban forestry staff) said the fund has received about $1,900,000 since the tree ordinance's 2021 inception and currently holds approximately $1.16 million after expenses. “All of this is done when developers come and they remove trees,” Edward said, describing the mitigation mechanism.

Why it matters: Council members pressed staff on whether the ordinance’s fee structure incentivizes replanting versus paying fines or mitigation payments. Staff said mitigation fees are currently set at about $50 per caliper inch, with higher rates applied to large or heritage trees and exceptions for diseased trees or properties that predate June 2021.

Key points from the presentation and Q&A

- Fund history and balance: Staff said the tree mitigation fund began with about $4,000 from donations in 2021 and has grown to nearly $1.9 million in receipts; the current cash balance after expenditures was reported at roughly $1.16 million.

- Eligible uses: Per the ordinance, mitigation revenues can be used only to strengthen tree canopy, including plantings, plant-health treatments, land acquisition for green space and administrative costs such as training and software.

- Expenses and projects: Staff listed plantings, giveaways, plant-health care, more intensive removal work and a 2025 land purchase on Church Street in the Haney Serene neighborhood as a major expenditure from the fund.

- Post-Helene response and replanting: After Hurricane Helene, staff recorded approximately 481 work orders for trees across roadways (including private trees that fell) and said crews planted 345 trees from September–December and additional plantings through the current planting season. The city also reported almost 1,500 giveaway trees in 2024 (some targeted to neighborhoods affected by the storm).

- Inventory and mapping: Staff described use of TreePlotter software to map individual public trees and integrate USDA canopy mapping. Staff said individual-tree data support species-diversity goals (10–20–30 rules for species/genus/family) and guide small-area planting plans.

Council questions and staff responses

Council members asked whether the current mitigation fee makes it cheaper for developers to pay to remove trees than to preserve or replant them. Staff and council agreed the $50-per-caliper-inch baseline should be reviewed; staff acknowledged construction math and maximum penalty caps can create scenarios in which removal plus the fee is less expensive than preservation. Edward said the ordinance contains enforcement provisions that can require replanting where trees were removed to meet initial construction requirements.

Council members also discussed prioritizing right-of-way replanting requests for locations that lost trees in Helene and urged staff to consider a public outreach review to refine incentives and enforcement. Staff said canopy-flyover data from USDA will be available later in the year and can be overlaid on parcel and small-area plans to help target plantings and open-space acquisitions.

What was not decided

Council did not change the ordinance or adopt a new fee during the meeting. Staff said they would examine the fee structure, enforcement capacity and incentive options and return with recommendations.

Provenance and next steps

Staff asked the council to consider adjustments to incentive structures and to prioritize canopy mapping and small-area plans once updated USDA flyover data are available in 2025. No formal vote or ordinance amendment occurred at the work session; staff will return with proposals for council consideration.