RES 2025054 - Laserfiche WebLink

Current Practices The expansion of tree planting establishment efforts has been significantly hindered by limited budget and labor allocations. This constraint has resulted in the City not being able to plant as many new trees as the number of trees they are removing annually. If the City is to achieve its canopy goal of all neighborhoods reaching 25% cover, there will be an even larger need for establishment care and watering as more trees are planted every year. Just to fill the 1,100 existing vacant trees sites in the 26 target neighborhoods, the City will need to plant 44 additional trees a year for 25 years, on top of the regular tree replacements. There will likely be additional trees that the City will need to plant to reach the canopy goal, depending on the level of participation from the residents, businesses, developers, and schools. In FY 23/24 the City allocated $24,096 to establishment care activities to maintain 290 newly planted trees, for URBAN FOREST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES U a per -tree establishment cost of $83. Table 1-8 is based on three years of establishment care and represents the number of trees the City should be caring for during FY2023-2024, and the level of funding required under this scenario, using the three most recent years of tree plantings. An increase in funding (over double the current spending) for establishment care is needed to maintain and water all newly planted trees for the full three years. Recommendations ■ Provide a standardized baseline for establishment care that is within budget. Prioritize watering above all else. ■ Implement young tree pruning practice as described in Appendix I ■ Allocate a long-term funding stream toward establishment care, estimated between roughly $1.01 million and $1.59 million per year for a three-year program. Table 1-8. City Managed Trees Receiving Establishment Care by Year and Cost Trees 249 200 290 739 trees Cost $17,907 $16,183 $24,096 $58,186 CITY OF PLEASANTON URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN 1 107