Alachua County wins technical-assistance grant, plans 5,000-tree inventory and a 2027 urban forest plan

Jessica Hong, senior planner in the county's Environmental Protection Division, told the Alachua County Commission that the county received a Florida Forest Service Technical Assistance Program award to support an urban forest inventory and management plan.

Jessica said the consultant (Legacy Arborist Services) will sample around 5,000 trees to provide a snapshot of species, size and condition on county-owned lands and rights of way in unincorporated Alachua County. The inventory is planned for the fall, and staff expects a draft urban forest management plan in spring 2027.

Commissioners pressed staff on whether citizen-science methods or participatory inventory approaches could be incorporated to help cover private lands and sustain public engagement. Commissioner Prizia and others suggested short training sessions and mobile apps (similar to iNaturalist-style workflows) to let volunteers contribute tree observations; Jessica said the approach is feasible but would require staff time, training and technical infrastructure and is not yet part of the current grant deliverables.

Board members also discussed using inventory and outreach to support canopy increases on affordable and workforce housing projects and to tie tree planting into energy-conservation efforts. The commission moved and seconded a motion to accept the staff update and to explore citizen-science participation; the motion passed unanimously.

Staff committed to return with grant deliverables, more detailed inventory plans and a stakeholder engagement process for the community forest management plan.