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DeKalb committee adopts urban tree canopy study, urges policy changes and Tree City USA pursuit
Summary
The PECS committee recommended accepting the Urban Tree Canopy Assessment and prioritized updating the county's tree bank, pursuing Tree City USA designation, evaluating ordinances and adding LiDAR-based monitoring to protect forest stands and guide future land-use decisions.
DeKalb County's PECS committee voted to accept the county's Urban Tree Canopy Assessment and instructed staff to pursue a set of near-term policy steps, including updating the county's tree bank language and pursuing Tree City USA recognition.
The committee heard that the new assessment, which compares aerial imagery from 2010 to 2023 for unincorporated DeKalb, found canopy coverage of roughly 60.4 percent and an estimated annual economic benefit from trees of more than $45,000,000. "DeKalb's trees provide over $45,000,000 in economic benefits annually," the presentation stated.
Commissioners pressed planners on how the study arrives at a net 2 percent canopy increase despite many localized losses shown on the map. "How could we have so many red dots and not very many green dots, but then see a net increase in tree canopy?" a commissioner asked. The presenter explained the map shows hexagonal areas where change occurred and that a single hexagon can represent one tree or a large stand, so the dot count is not proportional to the number of trees; canopy change is measured as percent cover from aerial imagery.
The committee approved a motion to adopt the study and its recommendations, prioritizing: revising the tree bank so developers may contribute funds that can be used to acquire and conserve forested land; pursuing Tree City USA designation through the Arbor Day Foundation; and directing staff to report on LiDAR and other monitoring costs and on ordinance updates tied to the county's 2026 zoning rewrite. "Evaluating our ordinances and land use regulations, strategic land acquisitions and a countywide tree management program were all identified as actions," the presenter said.
Members also urged attention to the ecological value of forest stands rather than only replacing tree canopy inch-for-inch. One commissioner recommended tracking not only canopy percent but also acreage of former forest stands lost to development and strengthening incentives to preserve tree stands rather than clear-cut and replant smaller trees.
The motion passed by voice vote. The committee requested staff return with cost estimates for LiDAR and a recommended timeline for tree-bank revisions and potential ordinance changes ahead of the zoning rewrite.
