HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 2/7/2023 - 9. Memorandum From Kendra Boot Re: January 24, 2023 Work Session Summary: Urban Forest Strategy And Land Use Code Audit Related To Forestry
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Forestry Division
Parks Department
413 S. Bryan Ave.
Fort Collins, CO 80521
970.221.6660
forestry@fcgov.com
fcgov.com/forestry
MEMORANDUM
Date: January 27, 2023
To: Mayor and City Councilmembers
Thru: Kelly DiMartino, City Manager
Tyler Marr, Deputy City Manager
Dean Klingner, Interim Community Services Director
Mike Calhoon, Parks Director
Rebecca Everette, City Planning Manager
From: Kendra Boot, City Forester
Re: January 24, 2023 Work Session Summary: Urban Forest Strategy and Land Use Code
Audit related to Forestry
Introduction
The purpose of this memo is to summarize and provide follow-up items from the January 24,
2023, work session around urban forest strategy and policy. Mayor Arndt and all
Councilmembers attended the discussion.
Discussion:
The feedback gathered from Council on both the urban forest strategy and the tree related
Land Use Code audit work sessions was supportive. The work sessions were a great opportunity
for staff to bring Council up to speed on topics such as:
• Emerald ash borer management and the prohibited sale of ash trees.
• Current operations and the current operating budget shortfall on tree replacement.
• Proposed areas of focus for the urban forest strategic plan with a strong focus on
canopy cover goals, prioritizing vacant planting sites, and advancing canopy equity.
• Concerns for large healthy tree removals and support for stronger code to incentivize
more tree preservation.
• Acknowledge the benefits of having trees dedicated as important community
infrastructure.
DocuSign Envelope ID: D4D78939-7425-4037-AD93-4C01D6364EE9
Next Steps:
As requested by Council:
• Members of the Ad Hoc Committee assisting with the tree-related Land Use Code audit
included:
- Shelley Lamastra (Landscape Architect, Russell Mills Studio)
- Mollie Bradehoft (Landscape Architect, BHA Design)
- Fred Haberecht (Retired Landscape Architect and Planner, Colorado State
University)
- Elizabeth Judd (Urban Forestry Planner, City and County of Denver)
- Daniel Burcham (Urban and Community Forestry and Arboriculture Professor,
Colorado State University)
- Edith Silvas (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator, One Health Institute,
Colorado State University)
- Dana Hornkohl (Civil Engineering Director, City of Fort Collins)
- Marc Virata (Civil Engineer III, City of Fort Collins)
- Kirk Longstein (Sr Environmental Planner, City of Fort Collins)
- Freddie Haberecht (Forestry Specialist, City of Fort Collins)
- Carrie Tomlinson (Forestry Specialist, City of Fort Collins)
- Christine Holtz (Forestry Specialist, City of Fort Collins)
- Ralph Zentz (Assistant City Forester, City of Fort Collins)
- Kendra Boot (City Forester, City of Fort Collins)
• Approximately 22-percent of the urban forest resides in commercial areas, 75-percent in
residential areas already developed, and 3-percent in open space (Community Tree
Assessment, April 2016).
• American Forest’s Tree Equity Score link - https://treeequityscore.org/
• The Urban Forest Strategic Plan will have a strong emphasis in setting canopy cover
goals as well as addressing canopy disparities community wide. The proposed schedule
for the plan is to kick-off in Spring of 2023 and wrap-up for Council adoption Spring of
2024.
• Staff plans to continue internal and external stakeholder engagement for the following
themes to influence code amendment recommendations for adoption in Q3 of 2023:
- Escrow for tree establishment
- Improved mitigation standards to incentivize preservation
- Increased penalties for healthy tree removal post construction
- Heritage Tree Program – additional staffing resources would be required for this
program.
• Further, Staff plans to explore the following code amendments during Phase 2 of the
LUC update.
- Improved parking lot standards to address urban heat island
- Tree preservation and protection for residential redevelopment
DocuSign Envelope ID: D4D78939-7425-4037-AD93-4C01D6364EE9