Title
Review and Comment on the Urban Forest Plan and Implementation.
Body
CITY OF ALAMEDA
PLANNING BOARD
STAFF REPORT
ITEM 5-A
Review and Comment on the Urban Forest Plan and Implementation.
To: Honorable President and Members of the Planning Board
From: Danielle Mieler, Sustainability and Resilience Manager and Liz Acord, Public Works Coordinator
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This report summarizes current efforts to update the Urban Forest Plan (UFP) and seeks feedback on the draft UFP vision, goals, and strategies, as well as direction on one of the three presented funding and canopy goal scenarios. The UFP will update the City's existing 2010 Master Street Tree Plan (MSTP) and expand the scope to include park trees and trees on private and other non-City of Alameda properties.
BACKGROUND
In October 2022, the City Council approved entering into an agreement with Dudek (a national planning and engineering consulting firm) to prepare a comprehensive citywide Urban Forest Plan. An update and expansion of the 2010 Master Street Tree Plan as an Urban Forest Plan and expanding the urban forest was identified as an action item in the City's Climate Action and Resiliency Plan (CARP) for the purpose of achieving goals related to carbon sequestration.
Trees provide many benefits to Alameda. Trees enhance the mental and physical health of city residents and beautify and define neighborhood characteristics. Trees enhance the environment by removing pollution and cleaning the air. Trees reduce stormwater runoff, improve water quality and support wildlife. As temperatures increase due to climate change, trees sequester carbon, provide shade, and reduce the surrounding air temperature and thus building energy consumption for cooling.
A healthy and robust urban forest requires continued long-term investment. The UFP will guide the City's operations and activities to expand and maintain the tree canopy for the next 10 years. The City's Urban Forest Plan is intended to be ...
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