REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Approval of the Urban Forest Management Plan
Report
BACKGROUND
On March 4, 2008 Council authorized staff to apply for an Urban Forest Management Plan (UFMP) Grant from the California State Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL-FIRE). The grant was approved by the CAL-FIRE on August 3, 2008, but state funding of the plan was significantly delayed due to the economic recession. After Council approved the Urban Forest Management Plan grant with CAL-FIRE, Phytosphere Research was contracted to draft an urban forestry management plan for Sunnyvale. The UFMP draft was completed in 2011 and final review was delayed due to City departmental restructuring. A final condition of the CAL-FIRE UFMP grant is adoption by Council.
The need for a plan emerged from many years of public inquiries about a variety of topics related to street trees, their management and City policy starting with a study issue in 2007 (DPW 07-16) on the sustainability of large street trees. The overall goal of the UFMP is to help sustain, protect, and enhance the urban forest in the City of Sunnyvale in order to maximize the many benefits that it provides to city residents. This plan addresses all major segments of Sunnyvale's urban forest, but is largely focused on the City's Street Tree Program, which manages the majority of Sunnyvale's municipal trees. The UFMP reviews the benefits of having an urban forest, outlines a strategic plan for guiding the overall management of the urban forest, describes the current condition of the urban forest, and discusses the current management of the urban forest and the value of trees to the community.
The Parks and Recreation Commission considered this item on August 13, 2014 and by the Sustainability Commission on August 18, 2014.
EXISTING POLICY
Municipal Code 13.16 - City Trees.
Private property trees that are outside of the public right-of-way currently have municipal oversight as outlined in:
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