ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT MEETING AGENDA PACKET

Page 3 of 5 The vision of the Urban Forest Master Plan is that Pleasanton’s urban forest is a well- managed, vital resource providing social, economic, and environmental benefits which contribute to the community’s quality of life, value, character and beauty. The plan is broken into three components to address different audiences and concerns: Part 1- The Urban Forest Master Plan This section is meant for the public, is based on the outreach process, and summarizes the history of Pleasanton’s urban forest and its current state. It also defines the key findings of the plan and implementation and monitoring strategies, including the guiding principles for managing the urban forest. Key findings of the report include: 1. Canopy cover is increasing through improved management action 2. Trees on private property provide the majority of the City’s urban forest canopy 3. The future of Pleasanton’s urban forest may be at risk without active measures to increase species diversity 4. Additional funding is required for the city to achieve its urban forest goals (essentially, maintaining what we have) 5. There is a need for a team dedicated to the health of the urban forest Guiding principles for our urban forest include: 1. Create a resilient community 2. Support a community that is invested in growing and preserving the urban forest 3. Fund and manage city trees to maximize public benefit 4. Integrate trees from the start The implementation and monitoring plan sets short, intermediate, and long-term actions to manage the urban forest. The actions, such as planting 50 trees per year, maintaining trees for a 3-year establishment period, educating the public about the urban forest's importance, and promoting tree giveaways, are reasonable and measurable actions that can be implemented to meet the goals of the UFMP. The UFMP outlines a strategy to ensure an equitable, resilient, and sustainably managed urban forest and clearly and concisely communicates a framework for the long-term care, preservation and expansion of the community’s urban forest. To establish equitability and help ensure the urban forest remains healthy, the plan establishes a 25 percent canopy cover goal citywide. Currently, a number of neighborhoods meet or exceed the 25% goal, and the overall canopy cover is 25.3 percent, but the plan establishes actions for an equal distribution of the urban forest among every neighborhood and district within the city. The plan will guide future Tree Preservation Ordinance updates, tree inventory updates and maintenance management, and public outreach and education regarding the city’s