Agenda Item 8B - Guide to Assessing Urban ForestsAGENDA ITEM # 88
NOVEMiliW. 24,2014
A Guide to Assessing
Urban Forests
INTRODUCTION
Urban fores ts provide num ero us ecosystem services. To quantity these services and gu ide
management to sus tain the se servi ces for futu re generations, th e structure or composition of the fore st
must be assessed. Th ere are two basic ways of assess ing the structure or composition of th e urb an
forest:
Bottom-up approach. Field-based assessme nt s to measure th e physica l structure of the for es t (e.g .,
species composition, number of trees)-typically use d for strategic reso urce manag eme nt or advocacy
by conn ecting fore st structure, function s and valu es with management costs, ris ks, and ne eds.
Top-down approach. Assess ments of ca nopy cover us ing
ae rial or sa tellit e Images-use d to dete rmin e amo unt and
distribution of tree cover, potentia l pl anting space and other
cover type s.
These two approaches provide different types of urban
fo res t Information. The purpos e of this gu ide Is to outline the
advantages, disadvantages and costs associated with various
common assessment alternatives under these two approaches.
USDA United States
~ Department of Agriculture
m Forest
~Service
Northern
Research Station NAS·INF-24-13
2 A Guide t o Assessi11g Urbn 11 Forests
THE BOTTOM-UP APPROACH:
FIELD-BASED ASSESSMENTS
The bottom-up approach Involves co lle cti ng fi eld data on
vegetation. It provides th e most detailed Information needed
fo r urban forest management and to assess urb an forest
stru ct ure and Its assoc iat ed ecosyste m services and values
(Tabl e 1 ). To aid In sampli ng or Inventorying urban trees and
forests, and for calcul ati ng their ecosystem
serv ic es and values, th e fr ee I-Tree Eco
and Streets mode ls were developed
(www.llreetools .o rg).
Advantages:
• Provides good estimates of basic
forest In fo rm atio n need ed for
management (e.g., num ber of trees and lo cation s,
species composi ti on, tree sizes, tree health, ris ks)
• Pro vides estimates of num erous ecosys tem se1v lces
and th eir va lu es
• Can be use d for mon itoring changes in fo rest
composition and values
Disadvantages:
• Mu st co ll ect ac curate field data using techni cal metrl cs
• Cost of data collection
Cost:
Varies with size and scop e of project. Volun teers, in-h ouse
crews and hired cons ul tants have all been employe d fo r
co llecting data. Hiring a co nsultant to carry out a typical I-Tree
Eco sample of 200 plots could cos t $40,000 at a contracted
rate of $200 per plot. Costs would decrease with volunte ers
or stud ent labo r (e .g., $20,000 with stud ents; even le ss with
volun teers). Sampling Intensity Is determin ed by the use r
based on accuracy desired and reso urces ava il able.
Accuracy:
Vari es with sample size and accuracy of data collection; 200
one-t en th acre plots typically produces a relati ve standard
error less th an 15 percent for the tot al pop ul ation estimate.
THE TOP-DOWN APPROACH :
URBANTREECANOPYCOVER
ASSESSMENTS
Thera are thre e co mm on top-dow n ap proach es for asse ssin g
urban tree canopy cover and all three meth ods will prod uce
estimates of tree and oth er cover types in an area, but with
diHerlng reso luti on, costs, and accur acy. The th ree methods are:
• NLCD analyses
• High -resolution Image analyses
• Aer ial photo Interpretation
NLCD a nalys es
AGENDA ITEM # 88
NOVEM BE R 24,2014
Th e Nation al Land Cover Da tabase (NLCD ) has tree and
Impervious cove r maps (30-m resolution) for the entire
con tiguous 48 states with percentage tr ee and percentage
Impervious cover estimated for eac h pixe l. Th ese maps
and data are av ail ab le for free an d can be loaded Into the
free I-Tree Vue pr ogram to estimate tr ee cover and general
ecosys tem services.
Advantages
• Free
• Wall -to-wall
cove rage of lower
48 states
• Map s ecosys tem
services In
ad dition to tree
cover dis tribution
D isadvantages H igh rc.1olu li on (bel ow) v.(. 30-m im agery.
• Relati ve ly course
re solution (cannot see trees)
• Better suited for state or regional analyses rath er than
city scale or below
• Typi ca lly und erestimates tree cover, on average, by
about 10 per cen t. That Is, If tre e cover Is 30 percent,
NLCD tends to estim ate 20 perce nt
• Da ta from circa 2001 (updated map s are being
developed )
C ost:
Free
Accuracy:
Vari es with mapp in g zone, but tends to un derestimate tree
cover by abou t 10 perc ent on average; use r ca n adjust ca nopy
cove r percen tage In Individual pixels In I· Tree Vue to improve
accuracy.
High-resolu tion land cover
With thi s approac h, lan d cover features are extracted from
high-resolution aeri al or satellite Im agery using automated
techniques. This process yie ld s a detailed map of t ree and
ot her cover types f or a given area. Thi s approac h Is us ed for
Urb an Tree Canopy (UTC) Assessments. For more Inf orma ti on
go to: http://www.nrs.fs.f ed.us/urban/utc/
Advantages
• Produ ces accurate, high-resolution cover map
+ Comp lete census of tree canopy loca tions
+ Int egra tes we ll with GIS
Example of high-resolution land cover map.
+ Allows th e data to be summarized at a broad rang e
of sca les (e.g., parce l to waters hed), enabling tree
cano py to be relat ed to a host of demog raphic,
planning, and biophy sical data
• Locates po ten tially availab le spaces to plant trees
• Can be use d to monito r locatio ns of cover change
• The source imagery ne eded for the mapping Is
ava ilabl e for the entire Uni ted States f ree of charge
from the USDA
Disadvantages
• Can be cos tly If the data are low quality or In co mpl ete
• Req uire s highly trained perso nnel along with
spec iali zed software
• Significant effo rt and time neede d to produ ce qu ality
maps
• Change analyses can loca te false changes du e to map
In acc uracies
• Does not Include ecosystem services reporting
Cost:
Varia ble depending up on availab le data. Development of city
cove r maps are on the order of $5 ,000 to 40,000+ depe nd ing
upo n size of city and availability of source data.
Accut·acy:
Depend s on the pro cessor and availabl e data, but Is typically 90
perc ent accura te for tree cover. The Incorporation of ad diti onal
data , such as LIDAR, and/or th e Implementation of manual
corrections can Increase th e accuracy to over 95 percent.
Error matrix of map can detail actual acc uracy of the map.
Photo~ interpretation
Uses digi tal aerial images and a series of random points th at
are Interpreted to determine th e cover typ e at each point
ce nt er. Thi s process produ ces statistica l es timat es of cover
with a known er ro r of est imation. A free tool (i-Tre e Cano py)
AGENDA ITEM 118 U
NOVEM BER 24,2014
A Guide to Asses.ti/Jg Urh11t1 Fo1 •cst 3
ca n be used to photo-i nterpret cover across the globe using
Google Map stM. Photo interpretat ion has been used for
accuracy asse ss ments of th e other top-down methods.
Advantages
• Low cost-most im ages can be
acquired free ly (e.g., Google
Earth or fro m cities or co unties )
• Cover assessment can be done
quickly (e .g., availabl e pl anting
space, tree , Impervious)
• Acc uracy ca n be in creased by
adding more points and can be
ca lcu lated qu ickly
• Can produce sub-area analyses
and maps (e.g ., tree cover by
neighborho od)
• Multi-date paired imag ery can
be use d to as sess change
Phoro-intc tprctation involves
cl:u.,ifylng randomly located points
wicllln prcselcttcJ cover classes
{e.g., trl!c, impe!Vious, wacu).
Disadvantages
• Do es not produ ce detail ed cover map
• Photo-interpreters ca n create
errors though
m Is class I fi ca tio ns
(trai ning and
quality checki ng are
recommended)
• Lea f·off Imagery can
be diff icult to Interpret
O•n•pyu'•'
07"-IQ\O-.
C]llll102010
c:J'liiJid·~
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• I· Tree Canopy
Interp re tatio n
limited to hig h
Neighborh ood tree COVC!r in Toronto, Canada,
dete rmined through phmo-incc rpretation.
quality Goog le Images
• Poor imag e quality In so me areas
• Resulting data ca nnot be summ arize d at multiple,
user-de fi ned scales
Cost:
At $10 per hour, co st Is about 10 ce nts per point (e.g., 1 ,000
points = $100). Costs Involve se t up and Interpretation time.
Accuracy:
A sa mple of 100 points will produce an estimate with a
stand ard error of about 4.6 percen t (a ss uming 30 percent
ca nopy cover) and ca n be Interpreted In about 1 ho ur. A
sample of 1,000 points will produ ce an estima te with a
standa rd error of about 1.4 percent (assuming 30 percent
ca nopy cove r).
4 A Guide to Assessing Urbnn Forests
Table 1.-Summ ary of feature s of four tvpes of urban forest analvses
I-Tree I-Tree
Urban Forest Attribute Ecoa Vueb
Cover
Amount or percent tree cover ./ ./
Specific lo catio ns and distributio n of tree cove r ./
Amount or perc ent potential planting space ./
Specific lo cation s and distribution of plantable space ./
Maps of tree cove r and plan tabl e space ./
Urban Forest Composition and Management
Total numb er of tre es I tree density ././
Species co mpo si tion ././
Diam eter I size distribution ././
Species diversi ty ././
Spe cies Importance va lu es ././
Leaf area and biomass ././
Tree health .,/.../
Native vs. exotic composition ././
Invasive tree s ./.../
Risk to Insects and disea ses ././
Ground cover attributes ././
Ecosvstem Services and Values
Air pollution remova l I hum an health ..././ ./
Carbon storage and annual se que stration ././ ./
Effects on building energy use ././
Rainfall intercep ti on ././
Structural value ././
Mapping of ecosystem services ././
~onltorlng
Change In tree cover
Locations of tr ee cover change
Change In species co mposition , serv ices and va lu es ././
./ -procedure calculates attrib ute
./ ./-reco mm ended procedwe based on resoluti on, accuracy, and cost
./' -broad estimate s of services could be calculated base d on proce dure s In I-Tree
•t-Tree Eco-fr ee program to assess ecosys tem services and values fr om fi eld
bJ-Tree Vue -free progra m that uses NLCD cover data to map cover and estimate
c1. Tree Canopy-free photo -Interpretati on tool to assess ca nopy cover an d monitor
dCover map -hlgh·r~soluti~n cove r maps generated as part of a UTC assessment
For more Information contact:
David J. Nowak
U.S. Forest Service
Northern Research Station
Syracuse, NY
315 -448-3212, dnowak@fs.ld ·~~.
www.ltreetools.org . ~~ ..
The USDA Is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
I-Tree
Canopyc
././
././
.;•
.;•
./*
././
Cover
Map (UTC)d
./
..././
./
././
..././
./*
v•
v•
./
./.../
AGENDA ITEM# 8B
NOVEMBER 24,201 4
AGENDA ITEM # 88
NOVEMBER 24, 2014
Urban Tree Canopy Assessments
Supporting long-term green Infrastructure development, management, sustainability, and resilience.
Urban and community trees and forests are part of the green infrastructure that complements a community's grey
infrastructure (i.e. the built structures that support a city) and should be managed with equal importance. Urban
Tree Canopy (UTC) assessments help communities determine how much of their land area is covered by trees, and
the location/extent of those trees relative to the built structures, impervious hardscapes, and other green
infrastructure components (e.g. parks, wetlands, riparian buffers, trail systems). UTC assessments look at both
public and private tree canopy. These assessments should be developed to integrate with a community's
geographic information system (GIS) so that tree canopy can be analyzed comprehensively in relationship to
environmental, economic, and social issues at a range of scales (i.e. neighborhood, district, municipality,
watershed).
Urban tree canopy assessments can be used to support a wide range of programs within this overall green
infrastructure concept; programs that support policy, ordinances, monitoring, stewardship, sustain ability, and goal
setting to reach optimal levels of canopy and public benefit. UTC assessments should be developed and used to
provide an easily understood measure of the community's progress in reaching community goals.
Properly implemented, UTC assessment is a critical urban forest and green infrastructure management tool. When
combined and analyzed with other readily available geographic information, the UTC assessment becomes a
powerful tool for building coalitions to s.trengthen community resilience-encompassing technical, organizational,
social, environmental, and economic elements. UTC assessment and analysis can be used to ...
"
"
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"
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Establish a baseline measurement to monitor health and ·change
to set policy and goals (e.g. minimum canopy)
support comprehensive plans and land use planning
to develop ordinances
to evaluate programs
Create tree planting prioritization guidelines to support a wide range of objectives
environmental justice issues
urban heat island and energy conservation
EPA voluntary air quality plans (SIP)
EPA stormwater mitigation
physical and psychological health related programs centered on walkable communities
Develop disaster preparedness, response, and mitigation plans
that includes urban tree risk management
floodplain conservation to address catastrophic and recurring flooding
debris planning and management
to build and strengthen overall community resilience
Support green asset accounting (GASB 34)
as an indicator of environmental service productivity
to monitor long-term condition
and support payment for environmental services (PES)
Provide a basis for urban forest sustainability
long-term management of insect, disease, and herbaceous invasives
anthropogenic impacts
urban wood utilization
Enhance green infrastructure development
through the nodes and linkage concept (community scale)
stormwater management (site level scale)
interaction of natural and human systems (range of human activity from passive to active)
Support watershed planning with neighboring partners
Identify and enhance forested riparian zones
stormwater management (flooding, infiltration)
forest to faucet concepts
regional greenspace and recreation planning
Support an Urban Forest Sustain ability and Management Audit
As an inventory and monitoring component
supports Tree City and Tree Campus designations and growth awards
r®~~ ~@J~
Urban Forestry South ~~~ October22,2014
w~,-
---~-.
. -
WHAT IS THE TREE
ASSESSMENT
The Tree Canopy Asses sment will p ro vid e data
on the extent, needs, and potential of Chatham
Cou nty's tree cover. It is the baseline data to
measure and accoun t for the community's
essential natural resources.
Using ca nopy cover assessmen t, tree inventories,
mapping, geographic information systems, and
other tool s, the Tree Canopy Assessment provides a
snapshot of where we've been, where we are now, and
whet-ewe should be headed.
A Canopy Assessment is a planning tool,
putting the most reliab le data in the hands
of decis ion make rs:
• Elected Off icials
• Planning Commissio ns
• Park a Tree Departments
• Community Organizations
• Developers
• Natural Resource Ma nagers
• Uti lity Services
• Schoo ls
• Arborists
• Tourism Counc ils
• Engine ering Firm s
• Urban Planners
• Parks a Recreation Personnel
AGENDA I TEM# 81l
NOVEMBE1l24, 2014
Tools for Success
"Know ledge is power, and a thorough
tree canopy study gives busine ss and
government the information we need
to better serve Chatham County."
Cathy Hill,
Georgia Power
Crime reduction
Storm -wate r runoff
Carbon emissions
Stress reduction
Water quality
Energy conservation
Coasta l erosion
Air qua lity
School performance
Reduction of violence
Eco-tourism
Wildlife habitat
Social capital
Property value
Physical fitness
Safety
Clean air
Economic development
Water conservation
Skin cancer rates
Healing
Noise reduction
Shade
Cooling
SAVANNAH TREE
FOUNDATION
Preserve. Protect. Plant. Since 1982.
Knowing Our Trees
"From their beginning, the
Savannah Tree Foundation
has been breaking ground and
revolutionizing the way the
people and governments of
Chatham County think about
and treat trees. With the
canopy study, they are now
taking the next essential step
for the long-term sustainability
of our urban forest."
Bill Hubbard,
Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce
PRESENTS
E
AGENDA ITEM# SB
NOVEMBER 24, 2014
Founded by local citizens over 30 years ago, the Savannah Tree Foundation
is dedicated to the goal of improving the economic, social, health, and
environmental conditions of Chatham County through protecting and
growing the tree canopy.
Trees planted
across Chatham County
Estimated value of just one of
those trees over its lifetime
The Savannah Tree Foundation is addressing opportunities and threats that
Chatham County faces in maintaining a healthy urban forest tree canopy.
Partnering with conununity leaders, local organizations, and the business
community, the Savannah Tree Foundation is working to ensure that all of
Chatham County reaps the benefit of trees into the future.
In early 2014, the Savannah Tree Foundation implemented its new three-
year sh·ategic plan. The cornerstone of this plan is a Canopy Assessment.
The Canopy Assessment measures tree cover and evaluates the
benefits of trees. It establishes the groundwork for unified community
efforts to care for and plant Chatham County's trees.
• Chatham Countis trees produce environmental benefits with 200%
return on investment
• Many of Chatham County's trees are over 100 years old
• On the Georgia coast, trees are instrumental resources in protecting
against flooding and erosion
• Studies show that trees reduce violence, enhance school
performance, make roads safer, and improve human health
Time for a Plan
"Trees are so important to our
community. Our businesses,
residents, and visitors depend
on our trees. We must all work
together today so that 100
years from now, Savannah's
trees will still be one of our
most valuable assets."
MayorEdnalackso~
City of Savannah
FORESTRY
AGENDA ITEM# 8B
NOVEMBER 24, 2014
Chatham County is its trees. Their beauty, their history, their shade-1ve all
appreciate the significance of our community's h·ees. However, Chatham
County's trees are aging, diminishing in number, and are in need of
attention. It is time for a plan for the trees.
In 1991, the Savannah Tree Foundation fast-tracked its understanding of
community forestry and best practices by sponsoring a canopy study. The
first of its kind in the nation and employing relatively new GIS technology,
the study revealed an urban forest under siege.
Over the 20 years preceding 1991, Chatham County lost
51,000 acres of canopy cover and the particular impact on Savannah's
south side was deemed "catastrophic."
STF used this study's findings to successfully promote local tree
ordinances, which have mitigated deforestation and encouraged
partial regeneration.
Now, more than 20 years late1~ it is time for new data. Many of the
community's urban forest stewards have made commendable efforts
in caring for the tree canopy and their work deserves to be measured,
recognized, and modeled. Other areas are still in need. With up-to-date
data, historic change can be identified and emerging trends projected.
The Tree Canopy Assessment provides the data and analysis needed for
the nine local govenunents and numerous community partners
throughout Chatham County to develop a cohesive Urban Forestry
Master Plan. It provides a game plan for achieving specific, measurable
goals based on hard data. Having a Master Plan mep.ns improved daily
operations with conclusive data, consistent development standards, and
specific action plans and implementation strategies.
• Prioritize planting for areas throughout the county in the most need
of new trees
• Improve protection and preservation of public trees
• Develop ongoing maintenance plans for public trees
• Create cohesive tree ordinances across municipalities to unify.and
simplify standards for improved development planning
• Promote outreach to students involved in environmental studies
City of Fo nd du Lac
Fond du Lac s tree t trees provide million s of dollars of
environmental, economic and aes thetic benefits to the
community. Over their lifet ime, street tree benefits excee d
the costs of planting and care, representing a 300 percent
return on inves tment. Tree benefit s Inc rease over time
highli ghting the importance of not only plant ing trees , but
of providing ongoing main ten an ce and protection. These
benefit s are a reminder of the worthwhile inves tment in
our community forestry program.
STORMWATER
RUNOFF
REDUCTION
$496,340
C Ol REDUCTION
$67,558
ENERGY SAVINGS
$507,844
Trees:
• Reduce stormwater runoff
AGF.NOA ITEM 118B
NOVEMBE R 24,2014
• Lower summer a ir temperatures
• Reduce air pollution
• Reduce heating and cooling costs
• Reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide (C02)
• Enhance property values
• Provide wildlife habitat
• Improve health and wellbeing
• Improve learning and concentration
• Provide aesthetic benefits
PROPERTY
VALUE
INCREASE
AIR QUALITY
IMPROV EMENT
$82,042
j Trees Reduce Storm water Runoff
and Improve Water Quality
Trees redu ce peak scor mwa cer runoff anti ;~ssocla ced
poll u c;~nts enterin g local warcr bodies. Trees reduc e
storm water volume s by Intercepting a portion of rainfall,
whi ch evaporates and neve r l'eachcs th e groun d. Tree roots
also inc rease rainfall infiJcration and st orage in the so il. And
tree ca no pies red uce soil eros ion by diminishing th e imp act
of raindro ps on barren s urfaces.
Streettrees In Fond dulac Intercept 18,313,847 gallons
of water annually for a savings of $496,340.
Trees Reduce Atmospheric
Carbon Diox id e
Trees red uce atmospheric cm·bon by captutiJJg and scori ng
C02 as they grow. By reduci ng demand for heat ing and
cooling, trees in d irectly reduce C02 by avoiding power
pl;~nc em issio ns associa t ed with energy produ ction.
Street trees In Fond du lac capture 2 ,5 86 tons of
atmospheric C02 per year. Annual savings Including
Indirect costs are $67,558. Street trees a ls o store
approximate ly 24,518 tons of atmospheric C02 for a
total savings of $367,768.
Trees hnprove
Air Quality
Trees improve air quali ty by trapping particu late s, a bsorbing
gaseous pollutants, and releasing oxyge n. By cooling urban
heat Islands nnd shadi ng parked ca rs, trees in direc tly
reduce ozo ne level s. The Environme ntal Pro te cti on Agency
recognizes tree pl an ting as an o2o ne redu ction measu re in
st are impl eme nt ation plans.
Street trees In Fond dulac r e move 1,227 lbs. of
particulate matter, 2,2531bs. of ozone, 1 021bs. of sulfur
dioxide and 378lbs. of nitroge n oxides annua lly. Total
annual savings Including Indirect cost are $82,042.
Wi sconsin De partment of Natural Resources
dnr.wl.gov
lh• W11e0nsln Oep•~ooenl of Natur•l Rt&ourus prcMdes equ1l OjJpM~nlly In Its
employment, programs. servl~es. •nd lunellons Under illl Allltnullvt l,r.llon Plan.
II you have 1ny questions, plem wrlle to Equal Opponuni\Y Onlc.~, Deputment or
InteriO r, Wuhlngton, D.C. 202•0.
Trees Save
Energy
AGF.NDA ITEM II 8B
NOVEMBEil24, 20 14
Trees reduce the demand for energy to heat and cool
buildings by providing s hade, lowering summertime
temp era rures, :md reducing wind speeds. Sccon daty benef1ts
arc reduced water co nsumption and pollutan ts emissions by
lo cal power plants.
Stree t trees In Fond du lac save approximately 2,443
MWH of e lectricity a nd 328,992 Therms of natura l gas
annually for a savings of $507,844.
Trees Improve Property Valu es
and Beautify Our Cmn1nunit i es
Trees are the single strongest positive influ ence on sce nic
quality in our community! They increa se the attractiveness
of rera il bu siness areas. Sntdlcs found s hopper s arc willing
to pay ttp to 11% more for good s and service s in a well~
land scape d bu sin ess district. Trees in crease properry
value s. People will pay 3~7% more for p roperties with many
trees . Trees foster safer and more sociabl e neig hborhoo ds.
Views of t rees ease mental fatigue and stress, hel p
co nce ntrati on , reduce sickness , and provide settings for
recreation and rel axation. Tree s also hel p reduce noise,
p rov id e a re fu ge for wildlife, and help co nn ect: reside nts
with thei r natural environment.
Street trees In Fond du Lac Increase property valu es
annua lly by $607,879.
.. I Diversity Improves Urban Fores t
;;-Resilience
A d iverse palette of trees bclps guard aga inst catastrophi c
loss to in sects and disease s or environ met\tal s tresses. A
genera l guideli ne for urban fores t cliversity is no more than
5% of any one species, 10% of tmy one genu s.
Maple, Ash and Hon eylocust trees are ove r-re presente d on
Fond dulac's stree ts. This j eopardizes $1,511,915 of the
city's urban forest's b e nefits from p ests such as emerald ash
borer (EAB) and Asian long horned beetle (ALB). Enlist the
public to he lp Increase Fond duLac's urban forest reslllence
by planting less common trees on their own prope rty.
• Analysl~ wu conduCied using ffiee Streets.ITtee SireNs Is ~ Jlrce r tree managemen t
1nd an1lysls tool for urban foreu m•n•gers 1h01 uses tree Inventory data to quantify
the dollu v1lue of ~nnua l envlronm ent.l l and usthetlc benefits. The ITree Suite Is • free
state·of·th e·art peer-review~ software suite fron~l ht USDA Forest Servlco.
www.ltreetool.org.
Tree graphic concept courtesy of City or New York Departmen t of Parks & Recrea tion.
AGENDA ITE M II 8B
NOVEMllER 24,20 14
City of Fond du Lac
What is the Urban Forest
and Urban Tree Canopy?
The Urban Forest consists of all public and
p rivate trees and shrubs in our community .
This includes trees in yards, parl<s, open
spaces, along streets and other land where
t rees are prese nt. One way to underst and
t he valu e of urban fores ts is by envi s ioning
t he la yer of leaves, branches and tree st ems
w he n viewed from above. This layer is
called Urban Tree Canopy (UTC).
Why is Urban Tree
Canopy important?
While we may not think of city t rees as a
typical "fores t," t hese trees provide valuable
se rvices and benefits.
Trees In our community:
• Red uce storm water runoff
• Lower summer air temperatures
• Reduc e air pollution
• Redu ce heating and cooling costs
• En hanc e prop erty valu es
• Provide wildlife habitat
• Improve health and wellbeing
Imp rove lea rning and concentration
• Provide aesthetic b enefits
UTC benefits ca n be quantified. A singl e
large tree ca n provide approximately
$76 in average annual net ben efit s, $3,000
ln bene fit s over a 40-year period. An
increa se in UTC brings an associate d
increase in benefit s.
How much Urban Tree Canopy
does Fond du Lac have?
• An ex isting tree canopy of 15% (1 ,991 acres)
• Trees co uld potenti ally cover an additional 53% (6 ,780 acres )
of the city's land surfa ce. Th ese "Possible UTC" areas Include
gras s, agric ulture la nd, and Imp ervious surfaces (e.g., parking
lots, pave d playgrounds & ROW).
• The re maining 32% (4,154 acres ) ofthe city's area Is buildings,
streets, water and other perman ent feature s and Is ge nerally
unsuite d to UTC Improvem ent.
------------------, I
I
I
I POSS I BLE -~
UT C
I
I
: Grass & Shrubs Structures, Streets
L-------------------1 6%
Water
Many factors deter mine where best to
plant urban tr ees. UT C analysis shows
where additional trees will hav e the
greatest positive impact.
Green Bay Metro Areal : Fox Vall e y Metro Area 3:
Tree Ca nopy.................................. 24%
Possible UTC................................. 56%
Tree Ca nopy.................................. 20%
Possible UTC ................................. 55%
1 Analysis was conduc ted using I Tree Canopy. !Tree Canopy offers a quick and easy way t o produce
a statistically valid esti mate off and cover types (e.g., tree cove r) using ae ria l Images available In
Google MilpS . The !Tree Suite Is a free state·of·the·art, pee r·revlewed software suit e from the USDA
Forest Se rvice. www.ltr ce tool.org
' Alt oue:, Ashw aub en on, Bellevue, OePere, Green Bily, Hobart, Howard
• App leton, Greenville, Kaukauna, Kimber ly, little Ch ute, City of Men;uha , Town of Menasha, Neena h
Why s hould Fond du La c
set g oals for UTC?
As urban devel opment expands, it is
In creasingly Important t o bal ance growt h
wi t h en vironmen tal wellbeing. To
maxitnize UTC bene fits, co mmuniti es
should s et goals to protec t , main tain and
enhance their ent ire urban fo rest . Ca reful
planning and go al setting are necessary
to ret ain as mu ch mature tre e ca nopy
as possible in areas with devel opm ent
pressure a nd to exp and and sust ain
canopy In alread y urbanized areas. UTC
goals can e mphasize environmental
quali ty (storm wa t er, air q ualit y, carbo n
offsets), livability and eco nomic vit ali ty.
Th ough many com munities h ave adopted
land use s trat egies ro mitiga te sprawl, few
have developed land co ver strat egies lil<e
UTC to mitigate urbanization effec ts .
Urban Tree Cano py Assessme nt , Northern
Res earch Sratl on, USDA Forest Service ,
http://nrs.fs.fe d.us/urban/utc/
Watershed Forestry R~source G uld~.
Urban T ree Canopy. http://www.fores tsfo r
watersheds.org/urban-tre e -canopy/
Urban Na tu ral Resou rcc!l Ins t lrutc,
http://www.unrl.org/we bcasts/a rchlve/
march-2011 a/
Soc iety of Municipal Arborists, Urba n
Fo res t ry BM Ps , http://www.urban-fore stry.
com/sma-u rban-fore stry-bmps
A G ENDA ITEM fl. 88
NOVEMBER 24,201 4
Effec tive UTC goal setting requires invo lve ment and com mitment by
muni cip al leaders and st aff, local b usiness comm unity, ne ighborh ood
grou ps an d citizens. The proc ess generall y includes fo ur steps:
• Assess Current UTC
-Ca n use I Tree Canopy An alysis or GIS t o ar rive at UTC
base lin e.
Assess Possible UTC
-Ide nt ify opportunities on borh public and private lan d.
• Adopt Goals Based on Asses sme nts
-If possible, institu t ionalize goals in appropriate ordinances,
policies, or com muni t y master plan.
Develop Impleme ntation Plan
-Id entify st rateg ies t o mee t goal s based on av ailable reso urces,
political cli mate and stakeholde r need s. Produce t imelin e
and id entify pnnies re spo nsibl e for eac h strategy .
Plant New Trees
-Id enrify and priori tize planting sites comm unity-wide.
-Assess species diversity ne eds.
-[denrify how trees will be maintain ed .
Protect & Maintain Existing Trees
-Adopt n ee protect io n ordinance and conse r vation easements.
-Produce a tree management plan.
-Ensure proper p runing in u t ility corridors.
Minimi ze & Restore UTC lost to Age, Mortality & land Conversion
-Spec ify strategies within Comp rehensive Land Use Pl an (e.g.
Smart Growth).
-Ad opt subdivisio n , zon ing, and landscaping ordin ances.
-Jdenctfy impac t from EAB and pote ntial man age ment
s tra tegies.
Promote Public Education & Awareness
-Promo te tre e benefi ts (e.g., com muni ty webs ite , news letter,
w ater bill in se rt)
-Promote prope r tree planting (e.g., Arbor Day, w orkshops)
-Deve lop or parti cip at e in ca mp aigns (e.g .. Firs t Downs for
Trees, Taking Root in Oshkosh)
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
dnr.wf.gov
Tht Wl$conll n Oepa r1mon 1 of NaiUr~l Resources provides equal opportunity In Ita
employment prOQr~ms, servlus. ~nd IUII(IIons under an Alllrm~llve Acllon ~n.
II you ll1ve any qunllons, please wllte lo Equ.~l Opportunity Ollk:e. Dep.utment or
lnlerlor, Wlshlnglon. D.C. 202~0.
1~ [) FSVD Rorida Forestry Ser1... ·!?e. Introduction 8 Building Owners & Mana... .;:"' Forum, Log In ~Bids in Florida Florida Bid .. , '!!!J Giants. com News & Slogs EJ Secure Customer Login P... @Buy Trees and Learn Abou ...
i-Tree Canopyv6.1
Percent Cover (±SE]
22.G 21;.2 14.G !!.~0 ..C..20
::1.137 :.:1.97 .!1.5~ :.125 :!.1.82 10.7'
I I
I
I
I
S·
1~1 t m
Cover Class Latitude longitude
lrmpervious other 41,74094\ -72.65320 i:
Him pervious Road 41.74315[ -72.66277:
,Tree/Shrub ( 41.76941( -72.68937;
[Grass/Herbaceous '
1
[
1
_ 41.787381 -72.69409.
:_jTrel'/Shrub 41.734791 -72.672161
~~Impervious Other ! 41.789461 -72.66989:
7 \Tree/Shrub 41.79791[ -72,71115 :·
_s __
1
Tree[Shrub ! 41.743691 -72.66156:
1
.:__]Grass/Herbaceous I 41.804021 -72.71483.
~~-~Grass/Herb~_ceous _, ___ _1 __ ~79908 L_ ___ -72.65136_'
1, + (i3 CJ Page D of SO ,.> ,.., View 1 -10 of 500 l
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~ http :/.h. I.·~·-,~:-.• .itreeto o Is. o rg/ can a py/ re.po rt. ph p
,:~ ~ FSVD Florida Forestry Serv... ·~.Introduction 8 Building Ownm & Mana... ';:" Forum> Log In X Bid< in Florida Florida Bid .. , !!!J Giant<. tom New< & Slog< ~j Secure Customer Login P... @Buy Tree< and learn Abou ...
[-[
·Cover Class
Grass/Herbaceous
Tree!Shrub
Impervious Buildings
Impervious Raad
Impervious Other
'Nater
Soil/Bare Ground
I
[[) Hi
Description I
I:J
Abbr. I
H
T
IB
IR
10
w
s
Tree Benefit Estimates
Abbr. I Benefit Description I ValUe
co Carbon Monoxide removed annually $2.042.42
N02 Nitrogen Dioxide removed annua[Jy $1,955.81
03 Ozone removed annually $77,039.58
PM2.5 Particulate Matter Jess than 2.5 microns removed annually S156, 116.15
S02 Sulfur Dioxide removed annually $120.28
PM10' Particulate Matter greater than 2.5 microns and less than 1 0 $26,900.62 microns remolfed annua][;r
C02seq Carbon Dioxide sequestered annually in trees S228,850.49
I
V·/
Points
113
131
74
43
105
21
13
I ±SE I
:!:153.30
:!:146.80·
:!:5,782.38
±11,717.65
±9.03
±2,019.09
±17,176.88
I
I
%Cover
22.5 :!:~.87
25.2:!:1.97
14.8:!:1.59
8.60±1.25
21.0 :!:1.82
4.20:!:0.90
2.60 :!:0.71
Amount I ±SE
3.29T :!:0.25
8.~5T :!:0.61
57.57T :!:4.32
2.86T :!:0.21
1.54T :!:0.12
7.99T :!:0.50
11,818.75T :!:887.03
C02sto Carbon Dioxide stored in trees (Note: this benefit is not an annual
r rate} S7,363.432.20 :!:552,678.82 380,277.02 T ±28,542.54
,"-T~:? ':'ar:~,.,:r A('!O.!.!E:I' Tree Se..,·M't .8:im9t~:-:!:l=>=2C ::l~ tb=::-:e •o;;;!u-?:: in !!J.:-"E;~rs.•j•''".:;r.d !..-T·J··:-: CC ~-{:-'2@ .$•?.22 :Z7: t.JO: 5.35:2@. E'2~0"SD i CS 3:5,050@
s-: . .?42.55 I :=t~·~2.;--: :::.3'5@ s;...r_,;.;:-c. -:6 f :502 ·t_Q.?O<S! s:-~.2~ l·o:-,1,.;:'0"5 Z-!4@ S.J,S;:-.1'.g I ":02:::~ ::-.21~.-(95 ·~1-S19 .l.31 CC'2:::t::: ... i.: c t::J.:ar~.'-:>m2:-.; a.":'i=-un~
c.f25""'.Z55.-355 ~~ .::19 . .:!;]
,r•:-:::.:::· Si~r;~'?rd -!:! ...... ::•·: !:f re ...... ·:·\'5/ ?.iTTOJ''1::; :;,.,,:.· .?-= . .,-=r.t= ,,·,;,rg cch:-u,'2l!o;~' Cas-.,;:.~' c>'l.=!:; . .,d:::J.rr.' t-~r: c·f,:;;mpt~?~' 5'1d c··;;::-•f<e.:J _o:>it:f::
OUR TEAM
ERIN GIVENS, CA
WALTER. GIVENS
JOHN HOLZAEPFEL, CA, ACF, CF
ERlC HOYER, CA, RCA, CF
CHARLIE MARCUS, CA
AGENDA ITEM# 88
NOVEM B ER 24,2014