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Hanford adopts first Urban Forest Management Plan and secures USDA grant to plant 600 public trees
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Summary
After presentations and public comment, the council unanimously adopted Hanford's first Urban Forest Management Plan and accepted a $1 million USDA urban and community forestry grant to plant an initial 600 public trees and launch a 10th Avenue gateway planting program.
The Hanford City Council unanimously approved an Urban Forest Management Plan on April 21 that lays out a 30‑year canopy goal, an inventory of the city's public trees and a funded near‑term planting program supported by a $1 million USDA grant.
City staff and consultants presented findings from an inventory and canopy assessment showing about 6,500 living public trees and a decline in overall canopy from roughly 9.5% in 2018 to about 8% in 2022. Consultants said most canopy loss was on private property and identified large disparities by neighborhood; the plan sets a citywide goal of 10% canopy cover by 2055 and estimates approximately 4,500 new trees would be needed over 30 years to reach that target.
The plan includes detailed appendices: a species list, planting and maintenance guidance, a public‑tree inventory and recommended monitoring cadence (update the inventory every five years). Staff also described a USDA grant that will fund planting roughly 600 trees on public properties over two years and seed a program of giveaways and incentives for private owners. To address prior public concerns about sidewalk damage and species selection, staff proposed designating a stretch of 10th Avenue as a city‑maintained gateway where the city would plant and maintain trees (the inventory shows 60 vacant planting sites on that corridor).
Public commenters, including an ISA‑certified arborist who has submitted detailed comments, urged more site‑specific soil testing and clarity about private‑property responsibilities; staff said detailed geotechnical and soil testing will be done site‑by‑site when planting is scheduled. Councilmembers emphasized that the plan is a living document and welcomed continued consultation with local arboriculture experts before ordinance changes are pursued.
The vote to adopt the plan was 4‑0. Staff said planting will begin on funded sites, with additional outreach and a possible fall planting window for some locations to improve survivability.
