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Canopy study: 22,713 plantable spots could raise city canopy to 12.1%, staff warns it will take centuries at current rates
Summary
South Salt Lake's canopy assessment found 22,713 potentially plantable areas that could raise city tree canopy from 7.3% to 12.1%; at 100 trees planted per year the city would need about 227 years to reach that target, and many opportunities are in commercial/industrial zones.
Presenter Sharen Hauri told the council the canopy study used satellite and aerial imagery from 1965, 1985, 2006, 2016 and 2021 to analyze canopy change over time and benchmark the city to neighboring communities.
The assessment identified 22,713 potentially plantable areas that could increase the citywide canopy cover from 7.3% to 12.1%. Hauri cautioned that, “at the city’s current rate of planting 100 trees per year, this would take 227 years,” and that a majority of the identified planting opportunity exists in commercial and industrial zones, which present additional challenges compared with residential front-yards.
Staff said the study’s historical imagery helps show where canopy has been lost and where gains are possible; the report will inform prioritization for plantings, outreach, and potential incentives or ordinance changes to expand canopy in constrained areas.
