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Student analysis shows Avon tree canopy lower than 1995, quantifies economic losses
Summary
Student presenters reported forest coverage estimates (37.5% in 1995; 28.9% in 2025) and estimated economic losses tied to canopy decline: $135,000 (stormwater mitigation), $175,000 (air pollution removal) and $428,000 (CO2 sequestration); presenter noted classification limits in the analysis software.
Student member Collin O'Donnell presented a multi-year tree canopy analysis covering 1995–2025 and said the data show a lower canopy percentage in recent years compared with 1995. He reported sampled forest coverage points of 37.5% in 1995, 25% in 2005, 26.4% in 2015 and 28.9% in 2025, and he cautioned that analysis software misclassification (dark roofs vs. dark ground) produced inconsistencies between pie charts and a trend line.
O'Donnell also presented an economic-impact estimate tied to canopy loss: $135,000 in lost stormwater mitigation value, $175,000 in lost air-pollution removal benefits and $428,000 in foregone CO2 sequestration value. He recommended presenting averaged multi-year values instead of single-year snapshots to reduce the effect of classification noise and to provide clearer guidance for future City Council briefing and policy discussions.
