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Canopy assessment: Evansville tree cover about 24% — down from 26.4% in 2011
Summary
Board members reviewed a CAMPI assessment showing the city’s canopy at roughly 23.9% (reported as 24%), a decline from 26.4% in 2011, and identified the Southeast Side and downtown as priority planting areas.
At its Dec. 5 meeting the City of Evansville Tree Advisory Board reviewed a CAMPI canopy assessment reporting about 23.9% overall tree canopy cover (rounded to 24%), a decline from the 26.4% reported in the 2011 assessment.
Speaker 2 reported the study’s finding that public land has approximately 23% canopy cover while private land registers about 24%, and emphasized the assessment’s priority-planting maps (page 13) that highlight the Southeast Side and downtown as areas of greatest need. Members said the study shows more potential for tree planting on private property than on public land and discussed partnering with nonprofits and university programs to pursue private-land plantings.
Board members noted likely contributors to canopy loss, including storm damage, aging trees, Emerald Ash Borer impacts and private-property removals. Speaker 3 and Speaker 4 urged presenting the assessment to city council in the first quarter so council members—several of whom are newly seated—can be briefed on the board’s priorities and the roadmap for increasing canopy cover.
The board did not adopt new policy at the meeting but agreed to pursue presentation of the assessment to the city council and to explore nonprofit partnerships to expand planting on private land.
