Urban Forest Master Plan
The City of Palo Alto adopted the 2nd edition of the Urban Forest Master Plan(PDF, 17MB) (UFMP) in February 2019. Originally adopted in 2015, the UFMP was a collaborative effort between the Urban Forester, Planning Arborist, and non-profit Canopy. The UFMP establishes long-term management goals and strategies to foster a sustainable urban forest in Palo Alto. The UFMP addresses current achievements and issues and outlines a plan for addressing these issues and improving the urban forest over the next ten years. Specific issues include canopy cover discrepancies, interdepartmental coordination, City regulations regarding trees, and management practices.
Palo Alto's urban forest consists of all trees in the City on public and private property. This forest includes street trees, park trees, forested parklands and trees in many private ownership settings. Trees affect our lives and the local economy in many ways. They provide community, environmental, and economic benefits that range from reducing the effects of urban density to increasing property values and providing ecological services such as storm water mitigation, air pollutant removal, and greenhouse gas sequestration.
The UFMP effort began in earnest in December 2010. The City Council voted to adopt the UFMP in May 2015 with a directed follow-up to address represented issues not adequately mentioned in the plan such as native species and ecology, development regulations, and further collaboration with environmental organizations. A revised list of Goals, Policies and Programs has been approved and a revised Implementation Plan was adopted in 2019.
Resources
Urban Forest Master Plan(PDF, 17MB)
UFMP Goals, Policies, and Programs(PDF, 949KB)
For additional information, please contact the Acting Urban Forester at peter.gollinger@cityofpaloalto.org