Title
Adopt a Resolution to Approve and Implement a Tree Master Plan
Staffreport
SUMMARY
The City contracted with PlanIT Geo in 2022 to develop an inventory of street and park trees, and to develop a comprehensive Tree Master Plan. The purpose of the plan is to improve community resilience; to redress environmental justice in access to clean air, green spaces, and reduced exposure to urban heat; to proactively maintain the urban forest; and to mitigate the impacts of climate change.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff recommends the City Council adopt a resolution to approve and implement the Tree Master Plan.
COUNCIL PRIORITIES
• Infrastructure
• Sustainability & Resiliency
• Quality of Life
BACKGROUND
Urban forestry and carbon sequestration were identified as key strategies in the City’s 2021 Climate Action Plan (CAP) for improving community-wide public health, safety, and wellbeing and increasing resilience of vulnerable populations against the hazards of extreme heat and flooding. The CAP also identifies street trees as an important resource for climate mitigation in the greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory.
The City contracted with PlanIT Geo in 2022 to prepare the Citywide Tree Master Plan for the purpose of meeting the City’s long-term goals for urban greening and climate action. The scope of work for the contract included an inventory of the City’s public trees, an urban heat assessment, tree canopy cover analyses and goal setting, an evaluation of urban forestry operations, strategies for growing and preserving the urban forest, and robust education and outreach.
The contract was extended in July 2024 due to staff transitions and the need to further examine impacts on the Urban Forestry section budget and maintenance operations. The additional scope of work included adjustments to the existing deliverables that align with the new Recreation and Parks Department vision and structure with a focus on clarifying roles and responsibilities, budget and maintenance program recommendations.
Analysis
The purpose of the Tree Master Plan is to improve community resilience; redress environmental justice in access to clean air, green spaces, and reduced exposure to urban heat island; proactively maintain the urban forest and mitigate the impacts of climate change. The plan prioritizes strategies to focus tree planting and canopy coverage in areas that have historically received less urban forest investment. It identifies urban trees as critical infrastructure and specifies proactive maintenance and care of the urban forest with the help of community partners.
The plan is centered on the concept of Community Forest Ethos to prioritize historically marginalized communities in the process of creating more just sustainable cities. Three key themes of the Community Forest Ethos guided the development of the plan’s goal areas: people, performance, and planning, which are carried through to key performance indicators and an implementation framework.
The Tree Master Plan contains the following elements:
1. Plan Summary - provides the purpose, approach and framework.
2. Introduction - provides local context, alignment with existing plans, and information on the benefits of trees.
3. Prioritizing Tree Equity - provides an audit on existing conditions, current canopy coverage, urban heat assessment and tree equity.
4. Community Engagement - outlines engagement efforts during plan development
5. Urban Forest Management - outlines the tree inventory, tree management program, tree planting, canopy goals, resources required for plan implementation, and key considerations for further tree ordinance development.
6. Implementation - provides an implementation framework centered on people, performance and planning with specific actions, priorities, and targets.
Current Agency Policies
• 2021 Adopted Climate Action Plan - Adaptation Strategy 2 includes actions to establish a healthy and resilient tree canopy throughout San Leandro through inventories, assessments, management, tree planting activities and develop a Master Tree Plan.
Previous Actions
Resolution No. 2022-064 to Execute a Consulting Services Agreement with PlanIT Geo to Develop a Tree Master Plan
Resolution No. 2024-084 to Execute Amendment No. 1 to Consulting Services Agreement with PlanIT Geo to Develop a Tree Master Plan
Committee Review and Actions
• Reviewed by Facilities & Transportation Committee on December 4, 2024, with a recommendation to bring before the City Council for adoption.
Applicable General Plan Policies
• Policy OSC-7.10 Open Space and Carbon Emissions. Continue to implement street tree planting and urban forestry programs, recognizing the potential for trees to sequester carbon
• Policy CD-7.1 Greening San Leandro. Promote drought-tolerant landscaping, tree planting, and tree preservation along San Leandro streets as a means of improving aesthetics, making neighborhoods more pedestrian-friendly, providing environmental benefits, and creating or maintaining a park-like setting.
• Policy CD-7.2 Tree Maintenance. Encourage tree maintenance practices that contribute to the long-term health and appearance of the City’s urban forest.
• Policy CD-7.3 Tree Removal and Replacement. Discourage the removal of healthy trees and require replacements for any trees that are removed from street rights-of-way.
• Policy CSF-6.8 Maintenance. Ensure that sufficient funding is provided
• for the ongoing maintenance of City-owned facilities, including streets, streetlights, traffic signals, landscaping, street trees, storm drains, public buildings and other infrastructure
• Policy EJ-1.3: Urban Greening. Develop local urban greening initiatives focused on areas where roadways interface with sensitive land uses (parks, residential, schools) to limit exposure to tailpipe emissions
Summary of Public Outreach Efforts
• Several tree planting events were held in 2022 & 2023 where volunteers planted CalFire grant funded trees in City parks and at school sites.
• An Earth Day event was held in 2023 to educate the community about trees and to gather community input on the Tree Master Plan.
• A community visioning exercise was held in March 2024 to get further feedback from community members about the plan.
• A series of focus group sessions were held in 2023 with various stakeholder groups including local organizations, indigenous communities, youth groups and internal staff to provide feedback for the plan recommendations.
• Two community surveys were developed to share ideas, knowledge, and feedback for the Tree Master Plan. There was a total of 368 responses to the surveys.
Fiscal Impacts
The Tree Master Plan adoption will require no additional Council appropriation for Fiscal Year 2024-2025.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: Draft Resolution to Adopt a Tree Master Plan
o Exhibit A: Draft Tree Master Plan
Attachment B: Tree Master Plan Presentation
PREPARED BY: Jennifer Auletta, Parks & Landscape Manager, Recreation and Parks Department