Titusville updates urban forestry plan; staff says canopy declining and seeks broader public input
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Summary
City staff said updated satellite analysis shows tree canopy decline and that a public survey and a November visioning workshop produced limited participation; officials asked residents to engage with the plan and vote on vision statements so staff can draft goals and actions.
City staff updated the council on progress toward an Urban Forest Management Plan (UFMP), reporting outreach results, satellite canopy analysis and next steps for goal- and action-setting.
Lily Galeo of Community Development said the project followed two grant-funded assessments and engagement activities, including a public survey that drew 78 respondents and a November visioning workshop with about 13 attendees. "We had 78 people respond to that survey," Galeo said, and she summarized survey priorities: shade and cooling, wildlife and air quality were top priorities while respondents named heat, development impacts and flooding as top concerns.
Consultants (Eocene) completed a canopy assessment using 2023 satellite imagery and land-classification data from 2010–2023; Galeo said canopy is "steadily decreasing." The project team has posted materials and a voting option for competing vision statements and asked for broader participation to inform goal-setting.
In public comment, a representative of the Titusville Tree Team identified community-based planting work—about 220 trees planted in city parks at no expense to the city—and urged the consultant to engage volunteer groups, the Titusville Environmental Commission and other community organizations to improve plan quality and success.
Galeo and councilmembers said broader participation is critical: staff asked residents to use QR-code links to the project page and to attend upcoming events so the plan reflects community priorities. The UFMP remains in the planning and community-engagement stage; no council decisions were made.
