HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 12/24/2024 - Memorandum from Kendra Boot re December 10, 2024, Work Session Summary: Rooted in Community, Urban Forest Strategic PlanForestry Division
413 S. Bryan Avenue
PO Box 580, Fort Collins, CO 80522
CC: Mike Calhoon and Sylvia Tatman-Burruss
WORK SESSION MEMORANDUM
Date: December 16, 2024
To: Mayor and City Councilmembers
Through: Kelly DiMartino, City Manager
Tyler Marr, Deputy City Manager
Dean Klingner, Community Services Director
From: Kendra Boot, City Forester
Subject: December 10, 2024 Work Session Summary: Rooted in Community, Urban Forest
Strategic Plan
BOTTOM LINE
The purpose of this memo is to document the summary of discussions during the December 10
Work Session. All Councilmembers were present. After gaining feedback from Council and
making some minor adjustments, staff will plan to move the Urban Forest Strategic Plan forward
for adoption in Q1 2025.
DISCUSSION SUMMARY
Staff provided a quick overview of the benefits that trees provide to the community, the state of
the urban canopy, and shared the recommended growth strategies within the draft Urban Forest
Strategic Plan. General feedback and support for the plan was provided by Council. The Urban
Forest Strategic Plan shares a vision, dataset, community perspective and strategic best-
practice policy recommendations for supporting the urban forest over the next two decades.
Changes to the Land Use Code and other tree policies will be brought to Council as separate
work streams. Tree policies within the Land Use Code are currently scheduled to have
decisions in front of Council before the end of this council term.
Other feedback included:
• Adjustments requested to Transformational Initiative in Growth Strategy 3:
o Currently states, “Develop additional policy for newly acquired homeownership
who make changes to their landscapes. Educate and engage with the public
about policy scenarios to gauge public support.”
o Adjust to, “Create educational support, incentives and potential policy
improvements to support homeowners and other private property owners achieve
long-term success in preserving and planting trees.”
NEXT STEPS
Docusign Envelope ID: CA5537B4-5D05-47A4-9B1C-69641496ABAA
Staff will make a few updates to the plan capturing Council’s feedback and bring forward for
adoption, currently scheduled for February 4, 2025.
FOLLOW-UP ITEMS
Peer cities utilized for benchmarking:
• The Davey Resource Group (consultant) benchmarked the City of Fort Collins Forestry
Division with the Municipal Tree Care and Management in the United States (Hauer and
Peterson, 2016).
• The Hauer report provides benchmarks for forestry programs among U.S. cities by
region and population size and had 667 communities respond to their survey.
• While no specific communities are called out in the report, Davey Resource Group
focused on population size as well as the West Region.
• The use of the Hauer report was primarily used for comparing municipal urban forestry
staffing and operations, budgets, and ordinance/code comparisons.
Zoning and Forestry have been working with the Lemay and Stuart Business Park in bringing
their approved landscape plan back into compliance after the large cottonwood trees were
removed. Trees will be replaced on site during the most appropriate planting season.
Docusign Envelope ID: CA5537B4-5D05-47A4-9B1C-69641496ABAA