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Titusville City Council adopts 20‑year urban forest management plan, directs staff to amend trust fund rules
Summary
After a presentation by a consultant and extensive public comment, the Titusville City Council unanimously adopted a 20‑year Urban Forest Management Plan, directed staff to amend landscape trust fund language and return with funding and coordinator options, and emphasized a public tree inventory and five‑year monitoring schedule.
Titusville City Council on June 9 unanimously adopted a 20‑year Urban Forest Management Plan that sets a canopy goal, outlines monitoring and implementation steps, and recommends a staff coordinator and a dedicated funding line. The vote followed a consultant presentation and prolonged public comment urging immediate adoption and funding.
The plan presented by a consultant from Eiosen Environmental Group found Titusville currently has about 44% canopy cover, down from roughly 50% in 2010, and estimated about $6 million in annual ecosystem benefits from that canopy. "Titusville already has a pretty solid foundation — you have 44% canopy cover," the consultant said, and described priorities including a public tree inventory, a designated coordinator, and a landscape trust fund line item to pay for implementation.
The plan is structured around six goals and a 20‑year implementation horizon, with near‑term priorities the council highlighted as essential: assigning a coordinator to manage the program, adopting a clear policy for the landscape trust fund to direct mitigation money toward tree planting and maintenance, and procuring a public tree inventory to guide risk management and planting decisions.
During public comment dozens of residents, members of the Titusville Environmental Commission and local volunteer groups urged adoption and immediate funding. "Please approve the TEC recommendation and adopt this excellent plan tonight and recommend a budget line item for FY 2027," said Mary Spar, who identified herself as a resident and attendee of TEC review meetings. Other speakers asked that the roughly $700,000 currently in the landscape trust fund be used to seed a coordinator position and initial plantings.
Councilmember Muscoso moved to adopt the plan with the Titusville Environmental Commission's recommendations, including hiring or designating an urban forester/coordinator; Member Nelson seconded. The motion included direction for staff to prepare an amendment to the city’s landscape trust fund resolution so funds could be used to implement the plan. The council approved the motion unanimously.
City staff told the council the landscape trust fund is funded by tree mitigation fees and can vary year to year depending on development; staff agreed to return with a recommended resolution amendment, an implementation plan identifying potential funding approaches and a temporary coordinator proposal for the council’s next regular meeting. The council also requested annual monitoring and a five‑year effectiveness review be integral to implementation.
The plan calls for community‑aligned targets using a "3‑3‑300" lens — seeing at least three trees from home, neighborhood canopy no less than 30%, and access to a park within 300 meters — and links canopy goals to stormwater, heat mitigation and quality‑of‑life outcomes. The city will return to council with the proposed amendment to the landscape trust fund and recommended next steps for FY27 budget consideration.
