Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Urban Forestry Greenspace topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Public Works: UC Law plantings complete; UCSF Parnassus mitigation funds set to plant 105 street trees by 2026
Summary
The Bureau of Urban Forestry reported UC Law SF has completed agreed tree plantings and monitoring; UCSF Parnassus mitigation ($792,615) will fund about 105 24‑inch box trees with contracts and planting expected to accelerate in the next 3–9 months and substantial planting by summer 2026, pending contracting and watering plans.
San Francisco Public Works’ Bureau of Urban Forestry told the Board of Appeals on Oct. 29 that UC Law San Francisco has completed the trees required under its mitigation plan and that UCSF Parnassus mitigation funding will support the planting of roughly 105 24‑inch box street trees.
Chris Buck, urban forester, said Public Works received UCSF’s mitigation payment of $792,615 in February 2023 and has identified 105 candidate planting sites; he said 25 of those sites are targeted for the SoMa West Community Benefits District and the remaining ~80 sites are in District 10. Buck said the department has prepared contract initiation documents and expects to advertise and award a contract within about three months, with planting to follow; he described summer 2026 as a safe timetable for substantial completion if contracting and site marking proceed on schedule.
Buck cautioned that the holdup so far was internal—site identification by the urban forestry inspection team—and said the bureau is handing the site list to contracts for bid documents. He said the bureau’s new superintendent and coordination with appellants improved the process and that the contractor will check underground utilities before planting. On enforcement and quality the bureau noted that field inspection and a contractor‑managed planting program will be used.
Community appellants and advocates pressed for a firmer, date‑certain schedule and asked how watering of newly planted trees will be handled given constrained city watering capacity. Josh Klipp and John Nolte (Friends of the Urban Forest and Tenderloin advocates) requested a clear watering plan; Buck committed to providing a more detailed timeline within a month, to include watering responsibilities and potential reallocation of watering resources if CBDs assume watering in some locations. Buck also confirmed that Public Works will return with a standing update in early 2026; commissioners discussed scheduling that follow‑up in May 2026 to allow a firmer planting timeline.
Rhiannon Ballard, chief operating officer of UC Law SF, told the board her institution had completed planting at a better‑than‑3:1 replacement ratio and described a three‑year maintenance commitment; she said the school will continue to consult with public‑works staff and neighborhood groups. Buck and commissioners emphasized priority for Districts 9–11 and environmental‑justice areas, while also noting planned plantings in District 3 around Arbor Day 2026.
The board asked staff to tighten the schedule and to provide a more specific watering plan so appellants and the public can track implementation.
