Committee weighs tree inventory options and software subscription as part of tree-fund strategy

The committee devoted a substantive portion of its April 22 meeting to how to inventory the city's trees and how to manage that data. Members discussed a phased approach that would combine public-property mapping, targeted private-property sampling, and a software subscription for ongoing management.

Sarah Boren and other members said a private-tree inventory would help the commission understand the full urban canopy, but they acknowledged consent challenges for private-property access. "We might be able to do partial, like, lidar on drones and then do a citizen thing," one member said, but attendees warned that canopy and species identification from aerial data presents limits and that ground truthing will still be needed.

The committee discussed software and data-management costs as a separate line item. A ballpark figure of $33,200 was included in the draft as a subscription estimate to support tree-plotter/ArcGIS functionality, mapping of mitigated and planted trees, and visualization for staff and the public.

Members recommended a phased, pragmatic approach: begin with public-property mapping, secure grant support where possible (a pending grant decision was noted), pilot sample blocks for private-property data, and then scale software subscriptions once an inventory dataset exists. Staff were asked to return with clearer scopes, cost estimates, and recommended partners (extension services, universities, or nonprofits) who could lower the cost of sampling and analysis.

The committee identified data needs (size, species, condition) and noted the value of coupling an inventory with outreach campaigns and planting programs to ensure follow-through. The committee will revisit the inventory scope and software subscription once staff report back with concrete options and any successful grant solicitations.