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Rules Committee recommends Urban Forestry Council slate, highlights canopy funding and tree maintenance concerns
Summary
The Rules Committee recommended a slate of Urban Forestry Council members and discussed canopy expansion, maintenance backlogs, sidewalk liability and a potential parcel tax to fund street-tree care, while ensuring geographic representation.
The Rules Committee on March 12 recommended nominees to the Urban Forestry Council and used the discussion to press for a sustained maintenance program and funding to support the city—s long-term canopy goals.
Chair John Avalos and council-aligned speakers emphasized the need to move from planting to sustained care; Friends of the Urban Forest and the Academy of Sciences described the city—s urban forest plan and the maintenance backlog that has increased average pruning cycles from a three- to five-year best practice to roughly 12—15 years in some neighborhoods.
Why it matters: Supervisors and expert witnesses said a failure to fund maintenance has led to sidewalk damage, falling limbs and declining canopy health. The Urban Forest plan recommends a dedicated funding source for street-tree care; council speakers said a parcel-tax range ($16$40 annual per parcel) was being discussed as one funding option.
Committee action: The committee recommended a slate (including reappointments and a roster that preserved representation from District 11) and forwarded nominees to the full Board. One out-of-city nominee (Meg Lohman, chief of science and sustainability at the California Academy of Sciences) was represented in public comment and the committee discussed the possibility of a residency waiver; supervisors signaled willingness to accommodate her expertise with the appropriate waiver process.
Quotes: "We need trees that really can sequester carbon for a long period time," said an Urban Forest Council representative during testimony supporting long-term planning.
Ending: The committee—s recommendation will go to the full Board; supervisors asked staff to continue work on funding options and the Urban Forest Plan implementation steps.
