CITY COUNCIL AGENDA PACKET - Laserfiche WebLink

Page 2 of 6 Since May 2023, extensive work and outreach has been completed, including a website (www.ptowntrees.com), surveys (the first with over 600 respondents and the second, which targeted youth received over 50 responses from residents under the age of 18), public outreach events, an inventory of City-maintained trees (available on the city’s website), Tree Preservation Ordinance Ad Hoc Subcommittee meetings, and City Council adoption of a new tree preservation ordinance on December 17, 2024. The draft UFMP (Attachment 1) was presented to the Energy and Environment Commission (EEC) on January 15, 2025, and to the Parks and Recreation Commission (PRC) on February 13, 2025. Both the EEC and PRC supported the plan and highlighted the need for community awareness and education regarding the importance of the urban forest. The EEC suggested that the City provide a tree planting rebate program similar to the lawn conversion program and reach out to residents on social media; the PRC emphasized the importance of “the right tree for the right place" concept. DISCUSSION The UFMP developed the vision, goals, and objectives for Pleasanton’s tree canopy over the next 25-year period and provides a roadmap on how to manage the community's trees to sustain a healthy urban forest that helps to address climate challenges while also meeting the challenges of a city with an expanding population, changing regulations, and insurance requirements. The plan directly affects how Pleasanton residents, the development community, and City staff interact with, protect, and manage trees. 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 that 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 intended for the community, is based on the outreach process, summarizes the history of Pleasanton’s urban forest and its current state, and is the primary document providing the framework to successfully sustain a healthy urban forest. It identifies the guiding principles for managing the urban forest and defines the key findings of the plan along with implementation and monitoring strategies (see Attachment 1 provided, or link at https://www.cityofpleasantonca.gov/assets/our-government/public- works/engineering/landscape-ordinance/Part-I-Urban-Forest-Master-Plan.pdf). Guiding principles that guide the city's 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. 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 Page 211 of 348