Rancho Cordova City Council
March 21, 2022

PART 2:

TECHNICAL

ASSESSMENT
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 73

DEVELOPING THE

RANCHO CORDOVA

URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN
Developing the Rancho Cordova Urban Forest Master
Plan (UFMP) was a collaborative process facilitated by
the Department of Public Works and consultant team
and included extensive input from Sacramento Tree
Foundation (SacTree) staff, City arborist and community stakeholders. The process began in January 2020 and
includes research and analysis of the multiple layers that comprise urban forest program management and to
understand the current condition of Rancho Cordova’s
urban forest. The UFMP was further informed by
community engagement efforts to learn the values and
priorities of Rancho Cordova stakeholders to guide the
creation of strategic goals and objectives. The following sections describe the various methods used to develop
the UFMP.

Developing the Rancho Cordova Urban Forest Master Plan
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

74 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 75 Working Group Meetings
The consultant team, Department of Public Works staff,
City arborist, and SacTree staff met once per month
throughout the project to discuss key issues, plan and
prepare for next steps in UFMP development, and review
project deliverables. The monthly meetings provided an
opportunity for the consultant team to relay key findings to the working group and to receive further information and clarification on subject details. The monthly meetings ensured that all members of the working group would have a set time to meet and collaborate on development of the UFMP.

Stakeholder Interviews
Developing a UFMP does not only involve static
information and data that can be researched, gathered,
and analyzed. Additional information rests in the firsthand knowledge and experience of the various actors that
directly manage trees, authorize tree related permits,
engage the community, or complete projects that impact
trees. To ascertain this information the consultant team conducted a total of 12 interviews with internal and
external stakeholders including:
- Vice Mayor Donald Terry
- Council Member Linda Budge
- Council Member David M. Sander
- Dept. Of Public Works – Operations & Maintenance
- Dept. Of Public Works – Stormwater Division
- Community Development Department
- City Arborist
- Sacramento Tree Foundation (SacTree)
- Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD)
- Cordova Recreation and Parks District (CRPD)
- Folsom Cordova Unified School District (FCUSD)
- Residents
The stakeholder interviews highlighted several areas
of urban forest management that have limited the
effectiveness of City efforts to grow and maintain healthy trees. Particular attention was given to the development review process with several conversations emphasizing the need for a comprehensive review of how trees are included in new residential communities and whether site plans
provide enough room for trees and other infrastructure.

Additionally, community stakeholder interviews revealed barriers residents face to planting and maintaining trees on their property, a desire for shaded park/recreation areas and transportation corridors, and a high priority to increase native tree species for their contribution to wildlife habitat.

Interviews with external stakeholders showed a willingness and interest from outside agencies to partner with the City on grant applications and coordinate urban forest program goals.

Community Engagement
A guiding principle for development of the UFMP was
to have the goals and objectives of the UFMP reflect the needs and priorities of those who are affected by city tree management. One aspect of community engagement was
the previously discussed stakeholder interviews which
included an interview with three community members
who actively participate in City urban forest programs.

The initial plan to engage a larger audience was to hold in-person meetings with community members, but this
plan was eventually changed to an online video webinar
platform with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and
State restrictions on in-person gatherings. The project team would hold two online webinars in December of 2020 attended by 18 participants, which allowed stakeholders to express their vision for the Rancho Cordova urban forest, and describe the barriers they face to achieving the vision at their home and local neighborhood. Multiple online
platforms were also created to facilitate participation from stakeholders. A project webpage was created with
educational materials, information on upcoming outreach activities, and a contact form to submit questions directly to the project team. A project video was produced and
shared through City social media platforms to encourage participation in the public meetings. Finally, an online survey was created to gather input from a wide range of community members, which resulted in 236 responses.

Urban Forest Management Practices
The review of City urban forest management practices
included all departments that impact trees on both
public and private property, and the internal protocols and processes used to make decisions on tree related
issues. The review examined funding and staffing
levels, opportunities to enhance coordination between
departments, and whether management practices are
progressing the City toward a sustainable urban forest.

The review also included all ordinances, policies, permits, and documents that influence the management of trees,
Developing the Rancho Cordova Urban Forest Master Plan
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

76 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 77 such as the General Plan, municipal code, community
specific plans, and tree preservation ordinance. Finally, the consultant team reviewed the tree management practices
of city contractors who plant, maintain, prune, and remove trees against the standards developed by the International Society of Arboriculture and American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

Status of the Urban Forest
The status of the urban forest contains a discussion of two main subjects; the condition of trees managed by
the City, and the extent of canopy cover. The condition of City-managed trees takes inventory data for specific tree characteristics like health condition, diameter at standard height (DSH), and species composition and compares
it to sustainability standards developed by urban forest researchers. The data presented in the UFMP provides a
quantifiable baseline for the city to measure towards urban forest sustainability. The data can be used to determine the effectiveness of management practices and how
City resources should be allocated. The study of citywide canopy cover analyzed aerial spatial imagery with artificial intelligence machine learning to classify land use types and the extent of tree canopy cover in the City. The resulting canopy cover study and land use classification are important tools to understand where trees need to be planted and establish long-term tree planting goals.

Developing the Rancho Cordova Urban Forest Master Plan
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 79
CHAPTER 1

URBAN FOREST SUSTAINABILITY
1 - Urban Forest Sustainability

1.1 Defining Urban Forest Sustainability
In Rancho Cordova
An urban forest consists of all trees found throughout the streets, parks, medians, and public and private property within the City. Residents who live in areas surrounded by healthy mature trees receive ongoing benefits. Not only do trees provide aesthetically pleasing neighborhoods,
shade, and cooling effects, they also provide a range of economic, social, and environmental benefits that provide measurable services to communities (McPherson et al.
2017).

To establish a foundation to measure the sustainability of an urban forest, Clark and collaborators (1997)
developed a model that is widely used by urban foresters and arborists (Clark et al. 1997). The model for urban
forest sustainability is based on three components: the vegetation resource, the community framework, and
the resource management approach. The condition of
the vegetation resource is measured by the diversity of species, health, age distribution, canopy cover, and other indicators that impact the continuity of environmental
benefits. The sustainability indicators discussed
throughout this chapter are used to understand at what
level the urban forest is functioning, and to provide a framework that the City can use to measure progress.

These analyses will inform the management practices and long-term planning strategies that the City will need to implement to progress towards urban forest sustainability.

ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

80 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 81 1 - Urban Forest Sustainability

1.2 Tree Inventory Analysis
Rancho Cordova’s street tree inventory was conducted in January 2016. The analysis includes data for 3,910 Cityowned street trees, including 43 genera and 76 species.

The tree inventory is updated on an on-going basis
when trees receive maintenance and when new trees are
planted.

1.2.1 Urban Forest Services and Benefits
A city’s urban forest can have a direct impact on the
health and well-being of its residents. Trees improve the quality of city streets by providing shade and cooling
and have been linked to mental health benefits such as
stress reduction and elevated mood (Astell-Burt and
Feng 2019). Quality green space within a city can also
help build communities, increase neighbor interactions, and improve social connections (Kuo et al. 1998). In
addition to these social and physical health benefits, trees provide a significant number of environmental services
and benefits and hold real economic value for the City
of Rancho Cordova. The benefits received from trees
increases as trees grow. Thus, maintaining healthy trees that increase in size with age is an important part of
maximizing benefits to the community (see Figure 1-1).

1.2.1.1 ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES AND BENEFITS
To help quantify how important and valuable trees are
to communities, the U.S. Forest Service developed the
software i-Tree Eco (USFS 2020). The program uses
individual tree characteristics provided in an inventory to determine environmental benefits of a city’s street
trees, both in terms of quantity and economic value. The estimated environmental services provided by trees in the inventory are presented in Table 1-1. Carbon sequestration is the amount of carbon the City’s inventoried trees
remove from air. Avoided runoff represents how much
rainfall is diverted from the stormwater management
system by the canopy of trees, and air pollution removal includes removing particulate matter and surface level
ozone.The environmental services quantified by i-Tree are important, but they do not reflect the entire value of the urban forest experienced by communities.

The environmental services of trees are also felt on a
local, street-by-street or home-by-home basis, where tree canopies increase property values and provide shade,
cooling, stormwater reduction, and improved public
health outcomes. These services contribute to the quality of life in the City and are opportunities to encourage TREE SIZE AND AGE COMMUNITY FOREST BENEFITS The older and larger the tree, the greater the benefit
Western Redbud
15-20 feet
California Sycamore
80 feet
Jacaranda
40-50 feet

BENEFITS CORRELATE TO TREE SIZE AND AGE
Figure 1-1 Tree Benefits Increase with Size and Age
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

82 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 83 1 - Urban Forest Sustainability
Table 1-1: Annual Environmental Services Provided by Rancho Cordova’s Tree Inventory Service Annual Environmental
Benefit (tons) Annual Environmental Impact Annual Economic Value Carbon Storage
(carbon held in
tree)
832.3 tons
The carbon stored in the City’s urban
forest is equivalent to the carbon
emitted from 659 cars driven for 1
year.
$141,951
Carbon
Sequestration
(carbon removed
from air)

28.5 tons
The carbon removed from the City’s
air by the urban forest is equivalent
to an average passenger vehicle
driving 259,305 miles.
$4,870
Avoided Runoff 16.71 cubic feet This benefit is the equivalent of 125 gallons of water per year $1,120
Air Pollution Removal 869.2 lbs/year
Currently, 3.2 million people die
worldwide annually from air
pollution; this number could rise to

6.2 million by 2050.
$980
Source: City of Rancho Cordova Tree Inventory and i-Tree Analysis (USFS 2020). residents and business owners to participate in urban
forest programs.

1.2.1.2 ECONOMIC VALUE
When considering the value of the City’s inventoried
trees, the structural value represents what it would cost to replace all trees with the same species, size, and health condition (Table 1-2). Each tree is a City asset and has an average individual value of $1,823.

The functional value (Table 1-2) represents the annual
value of the environmental benefit that the trees provide.

Not captured in this analysis are the values of energy
savings and avoided emissions from energy production.

These values can be generated in i-Tree Eco, but this
analysis requires data not available in the inventory.

The inclusion of these values would likely significantly increase the functional value of the trees, as energy
savings is typically one of the largest economic values of a tree.

Table 1-2: Financial Value of Rancho Cordova’s
Tree Inventory
Value Description Asset
Amount
Per-Tree
Value
Rancho
Cordova
3,910 trees
Structural
Tree
replacement
cost
$7.13
million $1,823
Functional
Value based
on the
services trees
perform
$6,970/
year $1.78
Source: City of Rancho Cordova Tree Inventory (West Coast Arborists 2019) and i-Tree Analysis (USFS 2020).

ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

84 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 85

1.2.1.3 SPECIES DIVERSITY
The species diversity of a city’s urban forest is an
important factor when considering its overall resilience to threats. Because biological diversity is often regarded as the basis for ecological stability (Tilman and Downing 1994), cities with less diverse urban forests are more likely to suffer from catastrophic loss when invasive pests and pathogens enter a landscape or when significant weather events impact a community. While not all introduced
invasive species result in a destructive loss to urban
forests, an important strategy to prepare for the next
introduced pest or pathogen is to foster a diverse urban forest.

A frequently used sustainability metric that urban
foresters follow that is a city’s tree inventory should contain no more than 5% of any one species, 10% of
any one genus, and 20% of any one family (Miller and
Miller 1991; Richards 1993; Ball 2007). Although these
recommendations are not steadfast, they can provide
aspirational species diversity guidelines for which the City should strive.

Rancho Cordova’s inventory of City-owned street trees
consists of 3,910 trees, composed of 28 families, 43
genera and 76 species. The top 10 families make up 95%
of the City-owned trees (Table 1-3). Fagaceae is the only family to fall outside the 20% recommendation. The top
10 tree genera make up 91% of City-owned trees (Table
1-4). While many of the top genera fall within the 10%
recommendation, Quercus, Lagerstroemia, Pistacia, and
Platanus all exceed the recommendation and represent
74% of the inventory. The top 10 species found in the City comprise 82% of the inventory, and the top five species (Lagerstroemia indica, Pistacia chinensis, Platanus x
hispanica, Quercus lobata, and Quercus wislizeni) make
up 63% of the inventory and each are in excess of 5%
(Table 1-5).

Table 1-3: Top 10 Families in Rancho Cordova’s Tree Inventory Family Diversity
Sustainability Goal: No Family Greater than 20% of Inventory Rank Genus Number of trees % of Inventory
1 Fagaceae 1269 32%
2 Lythraceae 705 18%
3 Anacardiaceae 616 16%
4 Platanaceae 424 11%
5 Ulmaceae 232 6%
6 Rosaceae 226 6%
7 Fabaceae 80 2%
8 Juglandaceae 64 2%
9 Pinaceae 42 1%
10 Sapindaceae 37 1%
Total 3695 95%
Source: City of Rancho Cordova Tree Inventory (West Coast Arborists 2016) 1 - Urban Forest Sustainability
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

86 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 87 Table 1-4: Top 10 Genera in Rancho Cordova’s Tree Inventory Genus Diversity
Sustainability Goal: No Genus Greater than 10% of Inventory Rank Genus Number of trees % of Inventory
1 Quercus 1,269 32%
2 Lagerstroemia 705 18%
3 Pistacia 501 13%
4 Platanus 424 11%
5 Zelkova 205 5%
6 Pyrus 120 3%
7 Sequoia 108 3%
8 Prunus 97 2%
9 Cercis 67 2%
10 Juglans 58 1%
Total 3,554 91%
Source: City of Rancho Cordova Tree Inventory (West Coast Arborists 2016) Table 1-5: Top 10 Species in Rancho Cordova’s Tree Inventory Species Diversity
Sustainability Goal: No Species Greater than 5% of Inventory Rank Botanical Name Common Name Tree
stature at
maturity
Number of trees % of Inventory
1 Lagerstroemia indica Crape myrtle Small 705 18%
2 Pistacia chinensis Chinese pistache Medium 501 13%
3 Quercus lobata Valley oak Large 475 12%
4 Platanus X hispanica London plane Large 424 11%
5 Quercus wislizeni Interior live oak Large 361 9%
6 Zelkova serrata Sawtooth zelkova Large 205 5%
7 Quercus agrifolia Coast live oak Large 200 5%
8 Pyrus calleryana Ornamental pear Medium 120 3%
9 Sequoia sempervirens Coast redwood Large 108 3%
10 Quercus douglasii Blue oak Large 91 2%
Total 3,190 82%
Source: City of Rancho Cordova Tree Inventory (West Coast Arborists 2016) 1 - Urban Forest Sustainability
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

88 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 89 Recent research (McBride and Lacan 2018) may help
Rancho Cordova plan for its hotter, drier future. The study used existing research that predicted how hot certain
cities in California will be in 2099. It then identified cities in California that currently had hotter climate and compared the tree inventories to understand if there were differences between the street tree species represented in each city. Yuba City and Stockton are the two cities included in the study that are the closest to Rancho
Cordova’s climate conditions, and they are compared
to El Centro and Barstow, respectively. Of the 15 most
common street tree species in Yuba City, none grow in
El Centro, while six of Stockton’s 13 most common tree
species do not grow in Barstow. Further, tree species that either do not grow in the hotter comparison city or show signs of being in poor health due to water needs or heat factors include crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica), coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), London plane (Platanus
X hispanica), ornamental pear (Pyrus calleryana), and
Chinese pistache (Pistacia chinensis). These trees make up the majority of Rancho Cordova’s tree inventory.

Based on these analyses, the City’s urban forest lacks
appropriate tree species diversity and may be vulnerable to threats to its health and sustainability. The inventory data also presents specific challenges for oaks that make up 32% of the City’s inventory. Though many of the oaks are native to the area, oak pests and diseases such as the Mediterranean oak borer and sudden oak death pose a
risk to trees in the Sacramento valley. Native trees can be prioritized for future plantings, although care must be taken to ensure the species selected are not already over-represented in the inventory and are well suited to the planting site. Oaks can be prioritized for open space, restoration sites, and other natural areas where native habitat is a priority over species diversity. The City will also need to be prepared for the predicted changes to
weather and climate as the average temperatures in
the Sacramento Valley increase due to climate change.

McBride and Lacan (2018) suggest that crape myrtle,
London plane, coast redwood, and Chinese pistache trees may have difficulty adapting to future warming trends
that are predicted for the Sacramento Valley.

1.2.1.4 AGE DISTRIBUTION
Understanding the overall age distribution of the City’s urban forest can better prepare arborists, policy makers, and maintenance workers for funding and management
1 - Urban Forest Sustainability
decisions needed as the trees age (Morgenroth et al. 2020).

Richards (1983) established ideal DSH distributions for street trees and these metrics are frequently used when analyzing age classes of urban forests (Table 1-6). The rationale behind Richards’ distributions ensures that an urban forest has a population of immature trees (40%) to replace aging ones, young (30%) and middle-aged (20%)
trees to provide the bulk of economic and environmental benefits, and relatively fewer mature trees (10%) that have most of their life behind them but provided significant environmental benefits for many years.

Table 1-7 shows the age distribution of all trees in the City inventory, contrasted against Richards’ recommended DSH distributions. These age categories can only be considered an estimate, as DSH does not always indicate age. For
example, crape myrtle, the dominant tree in Rancho
Cordova’s inventory, is a small stature tree, and at full maturity rarely has a DSH that is greater than six inches.

Approximately 92% of Rancho Cordova’s trees are classified as immature or young, compared to the recommended
70%.These age distributions are not generally indicative of poor management practices, as the City was developed
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

90 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 91 1 - Urban Forest Sustainability
in an area that was largely devoid of trees and recently increased tree planting activities. Most City-managed trees have been planted since the date of incorporation (2003), and so they have not had a significant amount of time to grow to large stature and maturity.. Trees with larger DSH measurements contribute greater environmental services
to cities (Maco and McPherson 2003; Kowarik 2011; CUFR
2005; Nowak and Aevermann 2019). As a result, cities like Rancho Cordova that are dominated by younger and/or
small stature trees such as crape myrtle experience a lower return on environmental services. The City can expect
trees’ environmental services to significantly increase as the current tree population ages and tree size increases.

A continued investment in tree planting and existing tree maintenance will be needed to ensure a sustainable age
distribution is retained.

Considering age distributions by species can help plan
for the maintenance requirements of the tree inventory
as it matures (Figure 1-2). Chinese pistache, crape myrtle, interior live oak (Quercus wislizeni), and valley oak (Q. lobata) are all primarily immature, while London plane are mostly young. Table 1-7 shows that while there are
Table 1-7: Age Distribution of Rancho Cordova’s Tree Inventory Age Category
Recommended
Percentage of Tree
Inventory
Number of Trees Percentage
Immature 40% 2,130 54%
Young 30% 1,513 39%
Middle-aged 20% 156 4%
Mature 10% 110 3%
Source: City of Rancho Cordova Tree Inventory
Table 1-6: Recommended Urban Forest Distribution by DSH Measurements and Age DSH
(inches) Description Asset Amount
0 –6 Immature 40%
7 –18 Young 30%
19 –24 Middle-aged 20%
25–30+ Mature 10%
Source: Adapted from Richards (1983).

ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

92 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 93 1 - Urban Forest Sustainability
0 50
100
150
200
250
Crape myrtle Chinese pistache Valley oak London plane Interior live oak Sawtooth zelkova Coast live oak Ornamental pear Coast redwood Blue oak 300
350
400
450
500
550
600
650
700
Immature
Young
Middle Aged
Mature
Tree Inventory Count
Figure 1-2
Age Distribution of Top 10 Inventory Species
Tree Species
relatively few middle-aged or mature trees, those that do exist are predominantly coast redwood, London plane, and valley oaks.

The current age distribution of the tree population
suggests most trees would benefit from structural pruning to remove defects such as co-dominant stems and crossing branches. This is also supported by Table 1-8 which reflects the heigh distribution of the tree population showing 55% of trees are less than 15 feet and 86% are less than 30 feet.

Structural pruning to correct defects when trees are young can help to avoid more costly pruning to correct these
issues as the trees mature. While there are relatively few mature or large trees (5% of tree population), they provide significantly more environmental services than immature and young trees and are a priority for tree preservation efforts. Coast redwood, London plane, and valley oak
trees may require less pruning as they have a developed crown, but a greater need for health and risk assessments to understand if they are maintaining a safe condition.

Maintaining the middle-aged and mature trees will allow time for the rest of the inventory to mature, increase
canopy cover, and develop an age distribution that aligns with the recommended size class distribution.

Because the majority of trees (93%) will largely move
through the same age classes at the same time,
encouraging City leadership to plan for an increased tree maintenance budget will be an important step to managing a sustainable urban forest (Morgenroth 2020). The City
Table 1-8: Height Distribution of Trees in the Inventory Height (feet) Size Classification Number of trees Percent of Inventory 0–15 Small 2,155 55%
16–30 Small 1,213 31%
31–45 Medium 330 8%
46–60 Large 160 4%
60+ Large 51 1%
Source: City of Rancho Cordova Tree Inventory
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

94 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 95 cannot speed up the aging process of trees, but it can
control the schedule of how and when trees are planted
to protect City resources for future maintenance needs.

Over the next five years, the tree population will benefit from management efforts that focus on the successful
establishment of young trees, including proper irrigation, mulching, and soil conditions. Successfully progressing young trees towards maturity will in turn increase the
City’s annual pruning and maintenance costs over the
next five years and beyond. Finally, achieving an ideal age distribution of the tree population is also dependent on continuing to plant new trees and replacing aging trees.

1.2.1.5 TREE CONDITION
To determine the condition composition of the inventory, arborists visually assessed trees and assigned each a rating based on characteristics of condition and canopy structure (Table 1-9). Additional health characteristics determined by diagnostic testing such as internal decay probing and root excavations were not conducted.

Table 1-9: Tree Inventory Condition Categories
Good Tree exhibits normal health and/or canopy structure Fair Tree exhibits minor deficiencies in health and/or canopy structure Poor Tree exhibits significant deficiencies in health and/or canopy structure Dead Tree is no longer viable and should be removed
Table 1-10: Condition of Tree Inventory
Tree Condition Number of Trees Percent
Good 1,162 29.7%
Fair 2,659 68.0%
Poor 78 2.2%
Dead 4 0.1%
Source: : City of Rancho Cordova Tree Inventory (West Coast Arborists 2016).

Table 1-11: Condition of Tree Inventory by Age and Diameter at Standard Height (DSH) Tree Condition Immature
0–6 inches
Young
7–18 inches
Middle Aged
19–24 inches
Mature
25+ inches
Good 28.0% 0.9% 0.3% 0.5%
Fair 25.7% 37.0% 3.5% 1.9%
Poor 0.5% 0.8% 0.2% 0.4%
Dead 0.1% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Source: Richards 1983 and City of Rancho Cordova Tree Inventory (West Coast Arborists 2016). 1 - Urban Forest Sustainability
Based on the tree inventory assessments, 97.6% of trees are rated “good” or “fair” (Table 1-10). However, the
analysis of trees by age class reveals that nearly all trees rated “good” consist of immature trees; see Table 1-11.

While it is possible that the condition ratings reflect the actual health condition of City-managed trees, use of the good and fair health ratings needs to be better understood to determine why trees in good health are almost entirely 0 to 6 inches DSH trees, and the “fair” category describes nearly all other ages of trees. An inventory of nearly
4,000 trees would be expected to exhibit a more normal
distribution in the assessment of health relative to tree size.

The relative performance index (RPI) for each species
can help identify species that are doing well and species that may need further analysis to determine appropriate management actions to maintain vigor. Species RPI is
calculated by taking the percentage of trees in a single species that were inventoried in “good” condition and
dividing it by the percentage of all trees that were
assessed in “good” condition. Trees with an RPI of 1 or higher are performing as well or better than the overall tree population. Trees with an RPI less than 1 are performing below the overall population. Below is an example, and
the RPIs for the top 10 most abundant tree species in the ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

96 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 97 inventory are presented in Table 1-12: Valley oak (64%
good) ÷ All species (30% good) = 2.13 RPI.

One indicator of urban forest sustainability is to have the top six species in the tree inventory with an RPI of 1.0 or greater. Table 1-12 shows that only valley oak and interior live oak have an RPI of greater than 1.0. It is also important to consider the evidence presented in Table 1-11 that almost all trees in the inventory that were marked as “good”
were immature trees. The RPIs of species that have more young, middle-aged, and mature trees (Figure 1-2) could not be over 1.0 based on the distribution of health ratings to size classifications. As such, RPI may not be a relevant Table 1-12: Relative Performance Index of the Top 10 Species in the City’s Inventory Relative Performance Index (RPI)
Goal: Top 6 Species Have an RPI Score of 1.0 or Higher
Rank Botanical name Common name Number of Trees
Rated in Good
Condition
Percent of Trees
Rated in Good
Health
RPI
City Inventory 1,162 30% 0.30
1 Lagerstroemia indica Crape myrtle 147 21% 0.70
2 Pistacia chinensis Chinese pistache 145 29% 0.97
3 Quercus lobata Valley oak 302 64% 2.13
4 Platanus X hispanica London plane 7 2% 0.06
5 Quercus wislizeni Interior live oak 218 60% 2.0
6 Zelkova serrata Sawtooth zelkova 40 20% 0.67
7 Quercus agrifolia Coast live oak 7 4% 0.13
8 Pyrus calleryana Ornamental pear 4 3% 0.1
9 Sequoia sempervirens Coast redwood 2 2% 0.07
10 Quercus douglasii Blue oak 14 15% 0.50
Source: City of Rancho Cordova Tree Inventory and i-Tree Analysis (USFS 2020). sustainability measure for Rancho Cordova using the
existing tree inventory, and further clarification is needed, on the methods used to assess tree condition ratings.

1.2.1.6 IMPORTANCE VALUE
The importance value of tree species is another way
to show which species have the greatest impact on
Rancho Cordova’s tree inventory and the City as a
whole. The importance value considers the percentage
of the species in the population of City-owned trees
and its corresponding percentage of leaf area. These
two percentages are added together to determine the
importance value (Table 1-13).

The trees with the highest importance values include
London plane, valley oak, and crape myrtle. London planes and valley oaks make up a significant percentage of the inventory, and their large canopies and statures make for the highest importance values. By contrast, crape myrtle is the highest percentage of the inventory, but their small size has a corresponding smaller leaf area. There are half as many interior live oaks as crape myrtles in the inventory, yet the importance values of these two species are similar, because interior live oak is a large stature tree. Considering the importance values of species, if large-stature trees are prioritized in future planting plans and development projects, the City can expect a higher return on its
investment into the tree population and greater provision of urban forest services and benefits. Ultimately, species selection is informed by multiple factors that determines what tree is right for the location. Prioritizing large trees to increase canopy cover and environmental services also requires a commitment from the City to provide the space for tree canopies to reach maturity without interfering with existing infrastructure. While the City will receive more benefit from prioritizing large canopy trees, small and medium canopy trees also provide benefit to the City and are important part of shading sidewalks, streets, and homes in dense urban environments.
1 - Urban Forest Sustainability Plan
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

98 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 99 Table 1-13: Top 10 Importance Values of Tree Species in Rancho Cordova Rank Botanical name Common Name Tree Stature
at Maturity
Percent of
Inventory
Percent of
Inventory’s
Leaf Area
Importance
Value
1 Platanus X hispanica London plane Large 10.8% 24.3% 35.2 2 Quercus lobata Valley oak Large 12.2% 15.7% 27.9
3 Lagerstroemia indica Crape myrtle Small 18.0% 1.3% 19.3 4 Quercus wislizenii Interior live oak Large 9.2% 9.1% 18.4 5 Pistacia chinensis Chinese pistache Medium 12.8% 4.8% 17.6 6 Quercus agrifolia Coast live oak Large 5.1% 8.8% 13.9 7 Zelkova serrata Japanese zelkova Large 5.2% 3.9% 9.2
8 Sequoia sempervirens Coast redwood Large 2.8% 5.6% 8.3 9 Quercus douglasii Blue oak Large 2.3% 4.1% 6.4
10 Pyrus calleryana Bradford pear Medium 3.1% 1.7% 4.8
Sources: City of Rancho Cordova Tree Inventory (West Coast Arborists 2019) and i-Tree Analysis (USFS 2020). 1 - Urban Forest Sustainability
Chapter 1: Urban Forest Sustainability
Section Recommendation Discussion

1.1.1.1 Climate
Change
Consider tree species that will be
able to adapt to the predicted
increase in heat and drought conditions in Rancho Cordova due to climate change.

Given that crape myrtle, coast redwood, London plane,
ornamental pear, and Chinese pistache all show signs of stress due to increased heat and drought, and that these species make up the majority of Rancho Cordova’s tree inventory, choosing more climate appropriate species will be key in maintaining and fostering a healthy urban forest.

1.2. Tree
Inventory
Analysis
Annually monitor the City’s oak
trees to ensure they remain a
healthy asset.

Oaks represent 32% of the City inventory and provide significant environmental benefits and wildlife habitat. The loss of oak species would have a significant impact on the urban forest.

1.2. Tree
Inventory
Analysis
Prioritize large stature and native
trees in wildland areas and developing areas of the City.

Undeveloped and wildland areas present an opportunity to plant trees that contribute to native habitat, maximize environmental services, and expand canopy cover.

1.2. Tree
Inventory
Analysis
Increase the size of planting space
available for street trees
To reach the City’s canopy cover goals, the City will need to increase the size of planting space available to provide adequate room for large, tall trees to grow.

Recommendations:

ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 101
CHAPTER 2

TREE MANAGEMENT

AND MAINTENANCE
2 - Tree Management and Maintenance

2.1 Urban Forest Program Governance
The City of Rancho Cordova’s trees require active and
ongoing maintenance to sustain and enhance their
health, condition, function, safety, and aesthetics. Trees in Rancho Cordova are maintained by several agencies and
stakeholders, depending on their location and ownership.

These entities include the City of Rancho Cordova and its partners and contractors, Cordova Recreation and Park
District (CRPD), Folsom Cordova Unified School District (FCUSD), Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD),
and community members. The discussion of outside
agency tree maintenance is presented in Chapter 5 of the UFMP.

2.1.1 Public Works Department
The City, through its Public Works Department, is
responsible for the maintenance and management of
approximately 3,910 City-owned trees. These trees are
primarily situated in the municipal rights-of-way, but
also include trees in stormwater basins and other areas.

The City does not maintain trees in parks or on school
grounds, which are managed by the CRPD and FCUSD,
respectively.

City tree maintenance is undertaken by City-contracted
arboricultural service providers. One 0.5 Full Time
Equivalent (20 hours per week) contracted City arborist, reporting to the Public Works manager of operations and maintenance, administers the tree maintenance contract
and other aspects of the urban forestry program, such as tree inventory, plan review, resident outreach, and code enforcement support.

The Rancho Cordova Public Works Department’s stated
mission is to provide residents, workers and shoppers
with safe and efficient transportation systems, quality utility provisions and modernized environmental services to support the quality of life goals identified by our City leaders.

Other City departments and divisions are not directly
involved in tree maintenance and typically coordinate
with the Public Works department to resolve tree-related issues. Examples include tree maintenance and removal
in and along stormwater basins and drains, or clearance pruning of traffic signals and utilities. Staff from several City departments report a strong willingness to build
existing relationships with Public Works and to enhance ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

102 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 103 collaboration on tree maintenance-related issues and the pursuit of the City’s urban forest goals and objectives.

2.1.2 Community Members
Trees on private residential, commercial, or institutional lands are the maintenance responsibility of the property owner. Implementation of arboricultural best practices and standards on private properties appears to be irregular, and many privately owned trees in the City have been
topped or otherwise inappropriately maintained. To
promote tree health, risk mitigation and functional capacity through proper tree maintenance, the City maintains a
Tree Care Tips web page (City of Rancho Cordova 2021a), and the City arborist is available to provide arboricultural advice to property owners upon request. The City also
supports private property owners in removing tree stumps and replanting trees through the Stump Removal Program
(see Section 2.3.2.3).

2.2 Urban Forest Program Resources

2.2.1 Urban Forest Program Funding
In fiscal year 2019/2020, the City’s urban forestry program operating budget expenditure was approximately
$329,000 (approximately $84 per tree or $4.50 per
capita). Urban forestry program funding is derived from several sources, as described below.

2.2.1.1 MEASURE H/COMMUNITY ENHANCEMENT FUND
In 2016, Rancho Cordova enacted the Measure H ballot
initiative—a 0.5 cent sales tax—which funds the Community Enhancement Fund (CEF), among other City programs.

The CEF has supported the ongoing “Enhance the City’s
Urban Forest” project as shown in Table 2-1, below.

2.2.1.2 GENERAL FUND
The City’s tax- and fee-supported General Fund funds a
portion of the urban forestry program, including the City arborist position and a portion of the Neighborwoods
Organizer staff position, in partnership with SacTree.

Urban forest maintenance and capital tree planting are
funded through the City’s operating budget and Capital
Improvement Program.

2.2.1.3 GRANT FUNDING
In fiscal year 2018/19, the City received a CAL FIRE Urban and Community Forest grant for $369,500 to support tree planting, a community engagement partnership with the
SacTree, and the development of this UFMP.

Approximately one-fifth ($84,000 per annum) of the
CAL FIRE grant supports the City’s partnership with
SacTree’s Neighborwoods Program (including retention of a Neighborwoods Organizer); Public Works contributes the remaining $28,000 to fund the partnership. Grant funding for this partnership is expected to run out in March 2022.

2.2.1.4 OTHER FUNDING SOURCES
On November 3, 2020, Rancho Cordova voters approved
Measure R. This ballot initiative will provide an additional estimated $8 million in annual revenue towards the City’s General Fund and represents an important potential
funding source to support and enhance the City’s urban
forestry program. Special taxes and assessment districts have also been used to fund tree planting, among other
public improvements (also known as “Facilities”), in some areas of Rancho Cordova.

2.2.2 Analysis and Strategic Directions
While City staff report that the urban forest maintenance program is generally adequately funded, the City’s
urban forestry budget is considerably smaller than the
average across comparably sized and nearby comparator
municipalities, as measured by several factors. The total urban forestry budget of $329,000, which includes
programs not directly related to tree maintenance, is
approximately 63% of the direct local comparator average.

Table 2-1: CEF “Enhance the City’s Urban Forest” Project Funding, by Fiscal Year and Outcomes Fiscal Year Council Approved
Funding Key Outcomes
2020/21 $115,000 Ongoing
2019/20 $114,381 322 trees planted in 124 residential locations; 74 stumps removed from 49 locations
2018/19 $140,000 864 trees planted, education, maintenance 2017/18 $100,000 474 trees planted
2 - Tree Management and Maintenance
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

104 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 105 The total urban forestry budget as a percentage of
the total City budget is also considerably smaller than average (0.21%, versus 0.52% nationwide average and

0.53% average across the nationwide 50,000 to 99,000
population group) (based on 2019 Tree City USA data).

Notably, however, Rancho Cordova’s urban forest budget
per tree ($84.14) appears to be considerably higher than the national, regional, and population group averages
($33.72 to $37.50) (2019 Tree City USA data). However,
direct comparison of this metric is challenging as it is unclear whether comparator budget figures only account
for tree maintenance spending or are “all inclusive” (i.e., include all other urban forestry program expenditures).

When compared with San Francisco’s “all inclusive”
$74.21 per public tree, Rancho Cordova’s figure appears more closely comparable. Moreover, if only the City’s tree maintenance spending is accounted for, the City’s pertree figure is closer to $21 to $30 per public tree, and thus actually below average.

The City’s urban forest budget per capita ($4.50) is
considerably lower than both the nationwide average and the direct local comparator average (both $9.40 according to 2019 Tree City USA data) but exceeds the minimum $2
per capita required by the Arbor Day Foundation as one
condition of Tree City USA recognition. It must be noted, however, that this target does not account for inflation since the target was established in 1974; if properly
adjusted, the per-capita target would be $10.61 in 2021.

Existing funding levels allow the City to meet basic urban forest maintenance obligations, such as grid pruning and service request and emergency response. Even moderately increasing urban forest resources would significantly
enhance the City’s capacity for effective urban forest
maintenance, community outreach and engagement,
and successful pursuit of urban forest goals and
objectives. Furthermore, an appropriate level of resource enhancement would place Rancho Cordova on an equal
footing with comparable municipalities and national and regional averages. A per-capita urban forestry budget of $9.40 would match the 2021 urban forestry budgets of
comparable municipalities and the national average and
should be established as a minimum target to be achieved by the City by 2035 or sooner. Annualized, this increase would represent 5.4% year-over-year growth in the urban forestry budget. If achieved by 2035, this funding level would likely still underperform comparators as their urban forestry budgets will also likely increase year-over-year to account for inflation and growth, albeit by smaller
increases. Table 2-2 presents a comparison of the City’s urban forest budget to other California municipalities.

Tables 2-3 through 2-7 provide additional detailed
information about Rancho Cordova’s tree program budget. 2 - Tree Management and Maintenance
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

106 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 107 Table 2-2: Comparison of Rancho Cordova Urban Forestry Budget Relative to Comparable Jurisdictions Community County Proximity
(miles)
Population Population
Difference (%)
Total Urban
Forest Budget
Urban Forest
Budget Per
Capita
Rancho
Cordova
Sacramento — 73,147 — $329,000 $4.50
Folsom Sacramento 10.2 78,038 6.69% $589,000 $7.64
Yuba City Sutter 35.9 66,992 8.41% $326,365 $5.77
Davis Yolo 26.9 66,500 9.09% $641,017 $10.00
Lodi San Joaquin 33.8 64,641 11.63% $975,342 $15.71
Woodland Yolo 34.8 60,531 17.25% $621,152 $11.29
Citrus
Heights
Sacramento 7.2 87,731 19.94% $384,346 $8.75
West
Sacramento
Yolo 12.7 52,981 27.57% $724,546 $13.77
Antioch Contra Costa 49.5 114,254 56.20% $270,969 $2.45 Roseville Placer 10.8 139,117 90.19% $1,450,000 $11.06
Town of
Coloma
El Dorado 27.0 1,514 97.93% $11,231 $7.42
Sacramento Sacramento 19.9 501,334 585.38% $6,693,855 $13.35 Average (with exclusions) 73,230
(Sacramento)
34%
(Sacramento)
$599,397
(excludes
Sacramento)
$9.39
(excludes
Sacramento)
Source: Tree City USA 2019 data
Table 2-3: Forestry Budget
Forestry Budget
Rancho Cordova $329,000
Average Across United States $801,595
Average Across Western Region $675,314
Average Across 50k-99k Population Group, Nationwide $646,501 Source: Tree City USA 2019 data
Table 2-4: Tree Program Percent of Total Budget
Tree Program Percent of Total Budget
Rancho Cordova 0.21% (FY 2019–2020)
Average Across United States 0.52%
Regional Data Not Available
Average Across 50k-99k Population Group, Nationwide 0.53% Source: Tree City USA 2019 data
2 - Tree Management and Maintenance
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

108 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 109 Table 2-5: Total Municipal Budget
Total Municipal Budget
Rancho Cordova $158,777,775 (FY2019-2020)
Average Across United States $200,316,126
Average Across Western Region $205,786,179
Average Across 50k-99k Population Group, Nationwide $138,851,007 Source: Tree City USA 2019 data
Table 2-6: Average Budget Per Public Tree
Average Budget Per Public Tree
Rancho Cordova $84.14 (all-inclusive)
$21-30 (maintenance only)
Average Across United States $37.50
Average Across Western Region $33.72
Average Across 50k-99k Population Group, Nationwide $36.17 Source: Tree City USA 2019 data
Table 2-7: Forestry Budget Per Capita
Forestry Budget Per Capita
Rancho Cordova $4.50
Average Across U.S. $8.76
Regional Data Not Available
Average Across 50k-99k Population Group, Nationwide $9.40 Source: Tree City USA 2019 data

2.3 Urban Forest Maintenance

2.3.1 Overview
City of Rancho Cordova Municipal Code Chapter 19.04
– Protection of Public Trees (the City’s tree ordinance) grants the City sole supervision and control for the
“planting, maintenance, and removal of public trees, which are defined as “a tree or shrub whose trunk is planted
in a street, planting easement, public premises, public sidewalk, median, traffic island or any other right-of-way owned or controlled by the city through an easement,
license, fee title, or other permissive grant of use and maintained by the city.”
Public Works currently manages approximately 3,910
trees, predominantly located in the public rights-of-way, to sustain and enhance urban forest health, condition,
function, and safety. Currently, approximately 3,400 trees are included in the tree maintenance program, and this
number is expected to grow as maintenance responsibility for recently planted trees is transferred from contractors to the City.

The scope of urban forest maintenance operations
undertaken by the City of Rancho Cordova includes tree
establishment care; tree pruning; stump removal; service request and emergency response; tree risk management;
and pest, disease, and invasive species management.
2 - Tree Management and Maintenance
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

110 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 111 These urban forest maintenance operations are addressed in this section of the UFMP, which reviews the current
status of operations and outlines strategic directions for improvement based on a critical analysis and comparison with best practices in other jurisdictions.

2.3.2 Current Status

2.3.2.1 TREE ESTABLISHMENT CARE
Newly planted trees require post-planting maintenance
to ensure they become successfully established in the
landscape. Tree establishment care includes operations
such as watering, mulching, fertilization (if required), structural pruning (also known as training), and monitoring.

Newly planted street trees, which are the direct
responsibility of the Public Works department, are typically planted in irrigated sites. Irrigation is generally maintained in a functional state by the City’s landscape contractor, which is also responsible for tree stake adjustment and removal. The contractor also provides some young tree
pruning, although this appears to be largely focused
on lower branch removal rather than proper structural
training. Trees in unirrigated areas are manually watered approximately once per week during the growing season.

Staff report that in most areas, minimal, if any, mulch is provided to the majority of trees.

In 2018 and 2019, over 500 trees were planted in the Bear Hollow Stormwater Basin by volunteers activated through SacTree’s County-funded Urban Ecology program. These
trees have also been maintained by SacTree; maintenance has included mulching, structural pruning, and watering and will continue until 2022. This approach to communityinvolved tree planting and contracted maintenance can serve as a model for future plantings of similar scope in Rancho Cordova.

Some recently planted trees receive young tree structural pruning by the City Arborist, and trees in Bear Hollow
have also been structurally pruned by SacTree staff.

Additionally, some trees have been scheduled for “young tree maintenance” in the tree inventory. However, there is no routine structural pruning program whereby all newly planted trees are automatically entered into a structural pruning cycle. Instead, such trees are generally included in the overall 5-year inspection and maintenance cycle.

2.3.2.2 TREE PRUNING
Primary objectives for tree pruning in Rancho Cordova,
as elsewhere, are to produce structurally sound, healthy, aesthetically pleasing trees, and to mitigate or prevent tree/infrastructure conflicts.

Rancho Cordova’s street trees are maintained by the City in both a reactive and proactive manner. Tree maintenance work orders may be assigned to the tree maintenance
contractor via ArborAccess, the City’s tree inventory
management software system, or by the City arborist in
response to field observations or service requests, or trees may be scheduled for routine pruning on an approximately 5-year inspection and maintenance cycle.

Contracted pruning works are to be undertaken in
accordance with contract provisions, which include
reference to arboricultural standards (ANSI A300 Part
1 – Pruning) and International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Best Management Practices, and define the scope of services of the contract. However, the contract does not include detailed work specifications for the arboricultural services to be performed. Pruning works are periodically inspected by the City arborist and, although most work
is conducted in accordance with industry standards and
best practices, some poor pruning practices have been
observed.

2.3.2.3 STUMP REMOVAL
The City’s public tree ordinance (Ch. 19.04 – Protection of Public Trees) regulates “any tree stump that is visible from the public right-of-way” as a public nuisance and prohibits the maintenance of any such stumps. As part of a broader approach towards City beautification and blight removal, the Public Works department offers residential property owners a free tree stump removal and tree replacement
service under the Urban Forest Program Stump Removal
Service program. This program is supported by Measure
R funding and appears to be unique among California
municipalities. While the program is routinely accessed by City residents, it is reported that many stumps can
be found across the City and that barriers to increased program uptake appear to remain, especially for renteroccupied properties.

2.3.2.4 SERVICE REQUEST AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE
In addition to proactive cycle-based tree maintenance,
Rancho Cordova trees may be inspected or maintained in
2 - Tree Management and Maintenance
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

112 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 113 response to externally or staff-initiated service requests or on an emergency basis. Residents can submit a variety of service requests through Fresh Connect—the City’s online service request portal—or by telephone. However, the
portal does not enable a clear and easy way to submit tree service requests, and the most closely matched request
option involves “Landscape/Weed Abatement on Public
Right-of-Way.”
Non-emergency service requests are directed to the City Arborist, who inspects the subject tree(s) and determines, prioritizes, and assigns the required maintenance to the City’s contractor. Emergency response work is undertaken directly by the Public Works contractor.

2.3.2.5 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN URBAN FOREST

MAINTENANCE
The City encourages residents to water newly planted
trees and, through the SacTree partnership and the work of the Neighborwoods Organizer, has engaged community
residents in project-based tree planting and establishment care in locations such as Bear Hollow. Resident volunteers have also been engaged in park tree plantings with
SacTree.

The City website hosts a “Request Free Trees” form
and an “Interest in Neighborwoods” form to register
resident interest in urban forest stewardship, but formal opportunities for broader engagement in public tree
maintenance, such as watering or mulching, are limited.

These opportunities are not effectively promoted and
may be difficult to access or understand by those who are not already familiar with them. There is also currently no ‘Adopt-a-Tree’ type of program in place, whereby residents could be engaged to monitor or care for selected trees or groups of trees.

Proactive and effective urban forest maintenance on
private residential and commercial properties also appears to be sporadic and relatively limited across the City.

Lacking or insufficient resources, knowledge, awareness, and concern, among others, have been identified as
potential barriers to effective tree maintenance on private properties in Rancho Cordova. The City has tried to
address these barriers by providing tree care tips on its website and by directing tree maintenance inquiries to the City arborist; however, these approaches alone may not
adequately address certain key barriers.

2.3.2.6 TREE RISK MANAGEMENT
An effective tree risk management program includes
two key components: tree risk assessment and tree risk
mitigation. Tree risk assessment entails the inspection of trees to identify potential sources of risk, assess
consequences, and develop appropriate responses. Tree
risk mitigation involves arboricultural maintenance to
reduce the likelihood of tree failure or the associated consequences.

The industry standard for tree risk assessment is ANSI
A300 (Part 9)-2017: Tree, Shrub and Other Woody Plant
Management – Standard Practices (Tree Risk Assessment
a. Tree Failure). Its implementation is guided by ISA’s Best Management Practices, Tree Risk Assessment (ISA
2017), which includes a two-part matrix that considers
the likelihood of failure and target impact and associated consequences to assign a qualitative tree risk rating to the subject tree.

Tree risk associated with Rancho Cordova-maintained
trees is managed both proactively (through cyclical tree inspection and pruning) and reactively (in response to
resident requests or staff observations). The City arborist holds the ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ) and applies standard practices, including the tree risk rating matrix, for the assessment of trees identified
as potential risk candidates. Similarly, the current
arboricultural service contractor has TRAQ-qualified
arborists on staff. Where necessary, the City has previously sought tree risk assessment and management consulting
services from qualified external third-party arborists for high-value trees with elevated assessed risk. In practice, the City has demonstrated a willingness to implement a
conservation-based approach to tree risk management,
including limb reduction pruning in favor of tree removal.

While the City’s approach to tree risk management on a
tree-by-tree basis is generally consistent with industry standards and best practices, it is notable that the tree inventory does not include a standard-based tree risk
rating for every tree. There is also no tree risk policy in place to guide the City’s overall approach to tree risk management.

2.3.2.7 PEST, DISEASE, AND INVASIVE SPECIES

MANAGEMENT
Tree pests and diseases can adversely affect the health, 2 - Tree Management and Maintenance
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

114 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 115 2 - Tree Management and Maintenance
condition, function, safety, and aesthetics of trees or tree populations. Similarly, invasive plants can threaten the ecological integrity and functioning in natural areas. While these stressors can rarely be entirely eliminated once
present, monitoring and controlling their populations and effects is an important component of sustainable urban
forest management.

The nearby city of Sacramento has been identified by as one of the top five urban areas in California susceptible to the establishment of Asian-origin urban forest pests (California ReLeaf, 2011). By extension and proximity,
Rancho Cordova should be considered similarly vulnerable.

Urban forest pest and disease issues of primary concern for Rancho Cordova include:
• Mistletoe (family Viscaeae): This hemi-parasitic or
parasitic shrub grows on and can disfigure or stunt the growth of trees and is actively managed by the City
through removal pruning.
• Mediterranean oak borer, Xyleborus monographus:

This ambrosia beetle has not been observed in Rancho
Cordova but is likely capable of establishing in much of California. It is a species of concern as it can infest trees in the oak and beech family and carries a potentially
deadly fungus. Drought-stressed trees, commonly
found in urban areas, are particularly susceptible.
• Invasive shot hole borer (including polyphagous shot
hole borer, Euwallacea fornicatus; and Kuroshio shot
hole borer, Euwallacea kuroshio): These two related
beetles can potentially vector Fusarium dieback disease in over 137 susceptible tree species. Sacramento County has established a shot hole borer monitoring program
in riparian areas and firewood lots, but neither beetle species has been observed in the county to date.

Additional pests and diseases of concern include
Asian longhorned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis),
goldspotted oak borer (Agrilus auroguttatus), walnut
twig beetle (Pityophthorus juglandis) and the associated thousand cankers disease (Geosmithia morbida), Asian
citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri), and Dutch elm disease (DED; Ophiostoma ulmi and O. novo-ulmi), among others.

To help the City manage DED, Municipal Chapter 19.08
– Dutch elm disease control, regulates DED-infested elm trees and dead elm materials containing bark as a public nuisance, and enables the City to enter private property to inspect elm trees or “abate the nuisance.”
Urban forest pests and diseases in the City are primarily managed on a reactive basis. The City primarily relies on its arboricultural services contractor to identify pest and disease issues during the course of routine maintenance works, which are then assessed and scheduled for
responsive management. Sacramento County currently
monitors for invasive shot hole borer and Asian citrus
psyllid.

Where previously present, known invasive tree species
such as tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima) and Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) have been removed by the City, and no formal invasive plant species management
program is in place at the municipal level. Some invasive plant species management has been undertaken by
volunteers in the American River Parkway under the
guidance of the American River Parkway Foundation.

2.3.3 Analysis and Strategic Directions

2.3.3.1 TREE ESTABLISHMENT CARE
The current approach to establishment care for City-owned ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

116 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 117 2 - Tree Management and Maintenance
trees in Rancho Cordova appears to lack in consistency
and coordination. This occasionally leads to inconsistent application of existing best practices, an inadequate level of care for some young trees, and incomplete information or tracking of tree establishment care.

The City should therefore develop and adopt a
comprehensive approach to young tree establishment
care and ensure the consistent application of operations such as watering, mulching, young tree structural pruning, and monitoring. Unless specifically excluded from such a program due to size, location, or project-specific reasons, all trees planted by the City and its partners should be included in the tree establishment care program. At
minimum, all trees should be watered weekly during
the growing season until established, mulch should be
provided and maintained (topped up) on an annual or
more frequent basis, and all trees should be inspected and, if necessary, structurally pruned (trained) a minimum of three times in the first 10 years following planting (a “3-in10” pruning cycle). All maintenance should be logged in the existing ArborAccess tree inventory system and ultimately be integrated with the City’s broader Infrastructure Asset Management Systems, and all young trees should be
routinely monitored to track establishment progress. The Bear Hollow plantings, wherein community volunteers have been engaged in tree maintenance, can be used as a model for establishment tree care in future plantings of similar scope and nature, and the City’s partnership with SacTree should be leveraged to increase focus on establishment
care along with the existing primary focus on tree planting.

Community residents and businesses can more effectively be engaged in tree establishment care through the
development and implementation of an ‘Adopt-aTree’ program. Such programs currently exist in many municipalities and are generally focused on the “adoption” (and care) of single trees requested for planting by the program participant, typically in front of a residential property. Perhaps the most exemplary Adopt-a-Tree
program is found in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where
the city provides an interactive online map of “available” and “adopted” trees for program participants to choose
to adopt. By adopting a tree or trees, residents commit to monitoring, watering, mulching, and weeding for a period of time, and are encouraged to adopt trees in areas beyond their homes or businesses. A similar program in Salinas, California, encourages groups of residents to ‘Adopt-aBlock of Trees’ and serve as liaisons between Salinas Trees and the resident tree adopters in their neighborhoods.

The City of Colton, California, provides adopters with clear guidance on tree watering requirements for young trees, and advises residents that, “Trees don’t require as much water as you may think!” An ‘Adopt-a-Tree’ program could be readily developed and scaled for Rancho Cordova
and would effectively engage residents in enhancing tree establishment care and tree health, survival, and function.

The City has no control over tree establishment care
on private lands. The City’s ability to influence tree
establishment on private properties is generally limited to communicating best practices, providing voluntary
standards, and supporting private land tree planting
programs, such as the Sacramento Tree Foundation’s
Sacramento Shade program.

Table 2-8: Top 10 Importance Values of Tree Species in Rancho Cordova California City Pruning Cycle Frequency
Rancho Cordova 5 years
Alameda 5 years
Anaheim 3 years
Chino Hills 3 to 5 years
Costa Mesa 3 to 4 years
Fresno 6 years
Hayward 15 years
Irvine 6 years
Los Angeles Up to 15 years
Modesto 6 years
Piedmont 3 to 5 years
Santa Monica Annual to 5 years, based on species and road usage Walnut 3 to 5 years
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

118 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 119

2.3.3.2 TREE PRUNING
Many municipalities implement a combination reactive/
proactive approach to urban forest maintenance,
specifically tree pruning. Rancho Cordova’s approach
to tree maintenance, including the 5-year inspection
and maintenance cycle, generally conforms to common
practices among comparable jurisdictions (see Table 2-8) and reflects best practices supported by research (Miller and Sylvester 1981) that suggest pruning cycles of 5 to 7 years optimally balance pruning costs and maintenance of tree value.

Some municipalities adjust tree inspection and pruning
cycles according to factors such as tree species, age,
or location. For example, the City of Pasadena follows a 3-year cycle for palms, a 5-year cycle for moderately to fast-growing hardwoods, and a less frequent 7-year cycle for slower-growing tree species. In Santa Monica, tree
inspection cycle frequency ranges from annual to 5 years, depending upon dominant tree species and street use
volume, and only trees identified as requiring work during the inspection are pruned.

The City’s tree pruning service contract references
industry standards and best practices but does not
include detailed work specifications to clearly outline local expectations and acceptable practices. While ANSI standards and ISA Best Management Practices provide
guidance for pruning operations, they are not intended to function as a substitute for detailed work specifications and in fact, stipulate that standard-based specifications should be written for work assignments. In other words, specifications should be based on standards, and
standards are not substituting for specifications.

Rancho Cordova should ensure that the existing 5-year
inspection and pruning continues to be implemented
as the number of trees under the City’s management
responsibility increases over time. This will likely require an increased allocation of operating resources, as well as staff time to administer pruning contracts, manage work orders, and audit contractor performance.

Pruning contract tender documents should be enhanced
with detailed pruning specifications based on ANSI
A300 Part 1 – Pruning standards and should not rely on a reference to these standards as the sole basis for outlining performance expectations and acceptable practices. The
City should increase performance auditing of arboricultural contractors to ensure the consistent application of and adherence to industry standards, best practices, and local specifications.

Finally, the City should continue to ensure that all tree pruning maintenance work undertaken is logged and
tracked in the existing ArborAccess tree inventory
system and that all urban forest assets are ultimately
integrated with the City’s broader Infrastructure Asset Management Systems. This will facilitate the adoption of a comprehensive asset management approach that will
enable the City to plan, budget, and implement a lifecyclebased urban forest maintenance approach and ensure that tree value and function are maximized more effectively.

2.3.3.3 STUMP REMOVAL
The City’s Urban Forest Program Stump Removal Service
is a unique and effective program that has helped the
City meet its blight removal objectives and made space
available for replacement tree plantings. The City should continue to offer, and increase the public awareness and promotion of, the stump removal program. If demand
exceeds supply, program capacity should be increased
by either extending program duration every year or
increasing program resources (e.g., hiring more crews).

The replacement tree planting component of the program
should be strengthened by increased monitoring of planted trees and an enhanced approach to tree establishment
care (see Section 2.3.3.1, Tree Establishment Care, above).

2.3.3.4 SERVICE REQUEST AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE
The City’s tree maintenance service request and
emergency response procedures are generally effective,
and do not require significant improvement. However, the service request process would be made more effective by adding dedicated tree service request functionality to the City’s Fresh Connect online service request portal; doing so would make it easier for residents to submit service requests, thereby supporting urban forest maintenance
and risk management operations and contributing to
increased urban forest health, condition, function, safety, and aesthetics. As generally recommended, service
requests and emergency response work should continue
to be logged and tracked in the existing ArborAccess tree inventory system and ultimately integrated with the City’s broader Infrastructure Asset Management Systems.
2 - Tree Management and Maintenance
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

120 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 121

2.3.3.5 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN URBAN FOREST

MAINTENANCE
Due to the technical nature of arboriculture, opportunities for community engagement in urban forest maintenance
are largely limited to basic operations such as monitoring, watering, mulching, and weeding. Community engagement
in these helpful actions could be facilitated through
an Adopt-a-Tree program (see Section 2.3.3.1, Tree
Establishment Care, above). However, programs of this
nature may occasionally fail to engage some members of
the community; for example, residents of economically
disadvantaged neighborhoods and other community
members may lack access to the resources necessary
to gain awareness of and participate in such programs.

The City must also continue to work to increase resident engagement in urban forest stewardship and tree
maintenance. While traditional outreach methods such as enhanced online and social media content, door-hangers/ mailers, and a more formalized tree stewardship program will help to reach some of the target audience, barriers to uptake for some community members may be more
challenging to overcome. As such, the City, in partnership with SacTree and other partners, will need to develop
and adopt more innovative outreach and engagement
approaches, such as integrating engagement initiatives
with other City services and events, undertaking more
focused and tailored outreach efforts in communities
with identified needs, and providing incentives and direct assistance for urban forest stewardship where necessary.

2.3.3.6 TREE RISK MANAGEMENT
The City arborist and contractors apply industry standards and best practices to tree risk assessment. However, to date, the City’s approach to tree risk management has
been largely ad hoc, reactive, and limited to individual trees of concern. Currently, routine tree inspection is limited to the 5-year inspection and pruning cycle, and trees inspected under this program are not formally
assessed for risk or assigned a standards-based tree risk rating.

Moreover, there is currently no program guidance for
tree risk management. Such guidance, typically outlined in a formal tree risk management policy, is necessary to outline municipal roles and responsibilities, service levels, acceptable risk thresholds, assessment and reporting
methods, assessor training and qualification requirements, and other components of the City’s tree risk management approach. Such a policy is intended to ensure that all Cityowned trees are appropriately managed to reduce risk and liability, and that adequate resources are secured to support municipal tree risk management efforts.

The City has demonstrated a willingness to adopt
conservation-focused tree risk mitigation approaches. Such approaches include targeted canopy reduction pruning,
cabling, and bracing, among others, and may enable the
conservation of valuable trees that would otherwise be
removed.

The City should enhance its tree risk management program through several measures, including: • Proactive risk assessment can be facilitated by the delineation of tree risk assessment zones based upon
factors such as frequency of occupation, general
tree size/age, or common species. Limited visual
assessment (e.g., drive-by) of trees in these zones
should be undertaken on a periodic basis, with
frequency depending upon tree characteristics. For
example, a zone with larger, older trees would be
inspected more frequently than areas with younger and
smaller trees. Trees that are identified as requiring a more comprehensive risk assessment would be noted
2 - Tree Management and Maintenance
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

122 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 123 outreach at community and City events, traditional
media advisory advertising, and promotion of citizen
science-based urban forest monitoring.

The City’s approach to urban forest pest, disease, and
invasive species management should embody the
overarching principles and practices of IPM, which includes the following:
• Selection and establishment of diverse species: Tree
species should be suitable to the planting site, should be resistant or of low susceptibility to a variety of pests and pathogens, and should not be overabundant in the
urban forest. Monocultures (i.e., plantings of a single species), while at times aesthetically pleasing, create favorable conditions for the rapid dispersal of pests and pathogens and potentially widespread tree damage and
mortality.
• Maintaining tree vitality: Maintaining vigorous and
healthy trees through adequate irrigation, pruning, soil and site management, and fertilization (when required)
can enable trees to more effectively resist infestation or infection without other interventions.
• Systematic maintenance and sanitation: The regular
and timely removal of dead or diseased tree parts
and dead and dying trees will reduce the number of
unhealthy trees in the urban forest, thereby reducing
the likelihood of rapid pest and pathogen dispersal.

Timely and targeted inspection and pruning can
also be used to remove diseased branches and may
potentially result in saving otherwise vulnerable trees.

All equipment used for maintaining potentially diseased or disease-susceptible trees must be properly sanitized before moving to the next tree, and all diseased
plant material must be disposed of in accordance
with applicable regulations and best practices. Trees
infected with transmissible diseases should be removed
as soon as possible and properly disposed of. Pruning
windows or bans for various susceptible species must
be communicated, observed and enforced.
• Replacement planting: Planting of replacement trees
should be undertaken whenever trees are removed
for pest or disease management purposes. New trees
should not be susceptible to the original problems
and must be properly planted and maintained
until establishment. Replacement trees should not
be susceptible to any pathogens that may have
necessitated the previous tree removal, in case
inoculum is still present in the soil at the time of
planting.
• Inspection of nursery stock: Planting stock must
and reassessed. Trees in natural areas should also be
assessed on a periodic basis, especially near trails and perimeters.
• The development and adoption of a tree risk
management policy that includes the level of program
guidance outlined above.
• The continuation of conservation-focused tree risk
mitigation approaches and the application of advanced
level tree risk assessment methodologies (e.g., sonic
tomography, tree stability assessment) for high value
trees with elevated or unknown risk potential.

2.3.3.7 PEST, DISEASE, AND INVASIVE SPECIES

MANAGEMENT
The largely reactive nature of urban forest pest and
disease management in Rancho Cordova, wherein the
City primarily relies on external service requests, ad hoc observations, or its arboricultural services contractor to identify pest and disease issues during the course of routine maintenance works, increases the vulnerability of the urban forest to these stressors.

A more proactive and effective approach to urban forest pest, disease, and invasive species management should be implemented by the City through actions such as:
• Increasing resources to support proactive monitoring
and assessment, such as pest, disease and invasive
species surveys, trapping, branch or tree sampling,
enhanced inventory update frequency, etc.
• Development of issue-specific monitoring and response plans that embody an Integrated Pest Management
(IPM) approach. IPM focuses on the maintenance
of pests and diseases at tolerable levels through a
combination of cultural, physical/mechanical, biological, and microbial/chemical pesticide control methods and
keeping environmental impacts to a minimum.
• Maintaining and enhancing existing partnerships, and
building new partnerships, with stakeholders and
agencies such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA
APHIS), California Department of Food and Agriculture,
Sacramento County and neighboring counties and
municipalities, CRPD, FCUSD, SMUD, and others, on
pest, disease, and invasive species identification,
monitoring, and management.
• Improved awareness-building related to urban forest
pests, diseases, and invasive species, such as topicspecific online and social media content, targeted 2 - Tree Management and Maintenance
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

124 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 125 2 - Tree Management and Maintenance
Chapter 2: Tree Management and Maintenance
Section Recommendation Discussion

2.2 Urban Forest
Program Resources
Increase urban forestry
funding to a minimum level
of $9.40 per capita by 2035
or sooner
Current spending is adequate to carry out most basic
functions of urban forest management but additional
resources are required to meet canopy cover goals, provide optimal levels of service, and meet comparator resource levels.

2.2 Urban Forest
Program Resources
Establish the City Arborist
as a full-time permanent
staff position
The current Arborist position is part-time but the workload has requirements for a full-time City staff member.

2.3.2.1 Tree
Establishment Care
Develop an “Adopt-a-Tree”
program
An `Adopt-a-Tree’ program is one avenue to increase public participation in urban forestry and to enhance maintenance, survival, and growth of City managed trees. This program would encourage residents to water and provide basic
maintenance (e.g., weeding) to newly planted trees in the City.

2.3.2.1 Tree
Establishment Care
Short term management
(<5 Years): focus on successful establishment of
young trees
Short term management actions include: proper irrigation, mulching, and soil condition improvements

2.3.2.2 Tree Pruning
Maintain the existing
five-year inspection and
pruning cycle for
City-managed trees
The City’s current practice is an accepted best management practice for tree management and should continue.
be inspected and certified to be free of pests and
transmissible pathogens. The City should reject any
nursery stock which is diseased or shows the signs or
symptoms of a pest or pathogen.
• Encouragement of beneficial species and alternative
pest control methods: It must be recognized that not
all urban forest insects are pests, and most do not
require any active control or monitoring. Furthermore,
some species of insects and animals may in fact be
beneficial by promoting flowering, seed formation,
tree health, or tree pest control. As such, alternative pest control methods, such as promoting beneficial
insect and animal habitat or releasing beneficial insects (when required) should be undertaken as part of a
comprehensive IPM program. Baited and scented
traps may be another effective means of pest control
but are often better suited to presence/absence and
delimitation surveys. Tree banding may an effective
non-insecticidal method for surveying and controlling
crawling pests.
• Chemical control: When required and warranted,
chemical means of controlling pest populations or
preserving significant trees should not be ruled out
as potential options. If chemical treatment is required, less-toxic options (e.g., insecticidal soap) or trunkinjectable insecticides should be used whenever possible to avoid environmental chemical exposure,
and pesticides must only be applied in the minimum
quantities required and in accordance with applicable
legislation, regulations, and label requirements.

Judicious use of chemicals to control specific pests
and pathogens that pose potential to cause significant
economic or aesthetic losses should continue to be
an option for control and should be considered if and
when necessary.

Recommendations:

ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

126 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 127 2 - Tree Management and Maintenance

2.3.2.2 Tree Pruning
Medium term management
(5-50 years): Implement
budget considerations
related to pruning and
maintenance.

As the majority of the urban forest will grow and mature at the same time, the City should plan for increases to budget allocations for pruning and maintenance actions that will need to be taken to keep trees healthy and safe.

2.3.2.3 Stump
Removal
Continue, and enhance,
the Urban Forest Program
Stump Removal Service
program
The City stump removal program is important aspect
of providing available space to plant new trees while
maintaining neighborhood aesthetics.

2.3.2.6 Tree Risk
Management
Enhance tree inventory to
include standards-based
tree risk assessment
While the inventory is maintained on an ongoing basis,
it should be enhanced by periodic tree risk assessment
to determine if there are any trees requiring tree risk mitigation.

2.3.2.6 Tree Risk
Management
Long term management
(40+ years): prioritize
increased maintenance, risk
assessment, and removals
As the urban forest reaches maturity, actions to ensure the forest remains healthy and safe will need to shift towards new maintenance strategies, and increased risk assessment and removals.

2.3.2.7 Pest,
Disease, and
Invasive Species
Management
Increase resources to
support effective and proactive pest, disease, and invasive species management An unexpected invasive pest can have a devastating impact on a city tree population and a more robust pest and
disease management program can help mitigate large scale loss of the City tree population.

ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 129
3 - Growing the Urban Forest
CHAPTER 3

GROWING THE URBAN FOREST

3.1 Canopy Cover
All trees on public and private property in Rancho
Cordova comprise the City’s canopy cover, which is
the layer of leaves, branches, and stems that cover the ground when viewed from above. As discussed in Chapter
1, trees provide numerous ecosystem services and
benefits, including shade, cooler temperatures, energy
conservation, and improved air and water quality, as
well as social, aesthetic, economic, and health benefits (McPherson et al. 2017). This section of the UFMP
provides a review of the existing canopy cover and the
community enhancements provided by the canopy
cover that improve the quality of life for residents and businesses. Further, priority areas for increasing the City’s tree canopy are identified by evaluating the distribution of the tree canopy across the City.

Coupled with the analysis of the health and diversity of the City’s trees (Chapter 2), the canopy cover analysis establishes the baseline condition from which to develop long-term goals and objectives for maintaining and
growing healthy and large trees and increasing tree
canopy to maximize resident enjoyment of environmental
services.

An assessment of the existing canopy cover was
conducted through data and spatial analysis, as well as discussions and interviews with City staff and residents.

The following sections describe the current status of the City’s tree canopy and provide recommendations that can help advance the City toward achieving a more equitable canopy cover that improves the community.

3.2 Rancho Cordova’s Canopy Cover

3.2.1 Methodology
The City’s existing canopy cover was determined by
analyzing spatial data and satellite imagery to create
a map of tree canopy and other land cover classes in
Rancho Cordova. The tree canopy analysis was derived
using Nearmap satellite imagery, current tree height data, and artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning. Three critical data types were collected:
(1) satellite imagery
(2) a digital surface model indicating the elevation of all features within the area of interest
(3) a digital terrain model that represents bare ground elevations within the City
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

130 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 131 80 50
50 16
5 MILES
Carmichael
Fair Oaks
Sloughhouse
RANCHO

CORDOVA

LAND COVER DISTRIBUTION

DEVELOPED

UNDEVELOPED
City of Rancho Cordova
Developed/Undeveloped
Tree Canopy
Grass/Shrub
Bare Dirt
Water
Impervious Surface
Figure 3-1, Canopy Cover, depicts the tree canopy
cover and other land cover classes throughout the City, presented as (1) tree canopy, (2) grass/shrub, (3) bare dirt, (4) water, and (5) impervious surface. Results of the canopy cover assessment are presented in Tables 3-1 and 3-2.

3.2.2 Canopy Cover and Land Cover Assessment
The City of Rancho Cordova, located immediately south
of the American River, contains a variety of natural
habitat, including, but not limited to, oak and cottonwood woodlands, various grasslands, vernal pool areas, and open water and rivers. Wetlands and creeks and the associated riparian habitat comprise the historically tree-abundant parts of the City.

Rancho Cordova’s tree canopy represents approximately
6% of the City’s overall land cover. However, under existing conditions, development is primarily located in the
western portion of the city, while the eastern portion of the city remains largely undeveloped apart from existing industrial, rural residential, and agricultural uses, as well as new residential communities that have been developed under Specific Plans. Due to these different development patterns, the following assessment of the City’s canopy cover has been conducted by geographically separating
Table 3-1: Canopy Cover and Land Cover Assessment
Land Cover Type Developed Land Cover Type Undeveloped
Acres % Cover Acres % Cover
Tree 1,186 11.7% Tree 166 1.4%
Grass/shrub 1,689 16.7% Grass/shrub 609 5.0%
Bare dirt 2,193 21.7% Bare dirt 10329 85.0%
Impervious surface 4,862 21.7% Impervious surface 1004 8.3% Water 171 1.7% Water 42 0.3%
Source: ESRI 2018
3 - Growing the Urban Forest
FIGURE 3-1:

CANOPY COVER
Developed area
canopy cover: 12%
Undeveloped area
canopy cover: 1.4%
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

132 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 133 3 - Growing the Urban Forest
the developed and undeveloped portions of the City and
completing a separate analysis for each area. This strategy was used to ensure realistic canopy goals are set for
existing developed areas and proposed new development
in the City. The Sunrise Boulevard corridor and the Folsom South Canal were identified as the border between
the developed portion of the City to the west and the
undeveloped portion of the City to the east, as shown in Figure 3-1.

As presented in Table 3-1, the canopy cover study revealed that the developed portion of the City has a canopy cover of approximately 12%, while the undeveloped section of the City has a canopy cover of approximately 1.4%.

Land cover classes were further subdivided by private
and public property to further understand where the
City’s urban forest is located and to identify potential planting opportunities. Figure 3-2 depicts the canopy
cover provided by City-managed trees (which includes
3,910 inventoried public trees) as compared to the city’s overall canopy cover. As depicted in Figure 3-2, the City is responsible for managing 4-6% of Rancho Cordova’s
canopy cover.

Because the majority of Rancho Cordova’s canopy cover
is managed by entities other than the City, external
agencies and private property owners play a significant role in increasing canopy cover. In order for the City to increase canopy cover, residents and property owners
must understand the importance of planting, protecting, and preserving trees. This can be accomplished through
public outreach and education to inform property owners of proper tree care and maintenance, species selection, planting requirements, and maintenance responsibilities for existing trees.

Additionally, City ordinances and policies that protect private property trees, outline tree replacement protocols, and stipulate penalties sufficient to deter violation should be implemented. This UFMP has identified goals and
objectives through education and outreach to help ensure private property owners understand the key role they have in maintaining the City’s urban forest and increasing tree canopy cover.

3.2.2.1 FACTORS THAT IMPACT CANOPY COVER
Compared to the following cities in the region, the City’s current canopy cover is considered relatively low, as shown in Table 3-2.
80 50
50 16
5 MILES
Carmichael
Fair Oaks
Sloughhouse
RANCHO

CORDOVA
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PUBLIC AND PRIVATE TREES
City of Rancho Cordova
Public Trees
Tree Canopy
Grass/Shrub
Bare Dirt
Water
Impervious Surface
FIGURE 3-2:

PUBLIC VERSUS

PRIVATE TREES
Rancho Cordova’s 3,910
City-managed trees
account for approximately
4-6% of the City’s canopy
cover, while trees on
private property account
for approximately 94-96%
of the City’s canopy cover.

ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

134 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 135 3 - Growing the Urban Forest
However, many factors influence canopy cover such
as varying development densities, land use patterns,
ordinances, historical conditions, climate, and growing conditions.

3.2.3 Canopy Cover Equity
Approximately 80% of Americans and 95% of Californians
live in urban areas (U.S. Census Bureau 2012). With
increasing urbanization, cities are grappling with a
myriad of issues associated with public health and health inequalities, such as air pollution, access to healthy foods, access to recreational areas and green space, mental
health, quality of life, and more (Andrea 2019). Research has shown that access to urban green space and trees
improves mental health and happiness in individuals and has a positive impact on the overall community well-being (White et al. 2013). As urbanization and urban sprawl
have increased, the environmental benefits and services provided by trees, green space and green infrastructure are crucial to maintaining or improving the quality of life in urban areas. This further underscores the importance of the urban forest, as the many environmental benefits and services provided by trees can help sustain a healthy urban living environment.

Residents in areas with low canopy cover have an
increased vulnerability to pollution, extreme heat, and potential health issues (Wolf 2020). In most cities, due to identifiable systemic injustices and socioeconomic factors, inequitable canopy cover disproportionately affects low income and minority communities. As a relatively young
Table 3-2: Comparison of Canopy Cover with Other California Cities City Canopy Cover
Oakland 24.8%
Sacramento 19.1%
San Francisco 13.7%
San José 13.54%
Rancho Cordova 12%
and developing city, Rancho Cordova faces a unique
challenge of assessing canopy cover in existing urbanized areas and older neighborhoods as well as planning for
future developments. When assessing canopy cover equity in Rancho Cordova, this UFMP focuses on the developed
portion of the city. Establishing canopy and planning for trees in future development is further discussed in Chapter 4 of this UFMP.

3.2.3.1 CALENVIROSCREEN
As discussed in Chapter 1, environmental services provided by trees include the ability remove air pollutants and
contribute to cleaner, healthier air in urban environments through direct pollution removal (e.g., uptake via
leaf stomata or intercepting airborne particles), air
temperature reductions (e.g., transpiration), and reduction of building energy and consequent energy emissions
(e.g., temperature reductions provided by tree shade).

One study of 55 different cities revealed that air quality improvement provided by trees in urban environments
increases with increased percent canopy cover within a
city (Nowak et. al. 2006). Communities with lower tree
canopy cover are potentially subject to higher levels of pollution and associated negative health impacts.

ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

136 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 137 The California Environmental Protection Agency created
CalEnviroScreen, an online mapping tool that identifies California communities that are disproportionately
burdened by pollution and vulnerable to its adverse health effects (OEHHA 2018). The tool uses environmental, health, and socioeconomic information to identify the inequities associated with pollution throughout the state. The data is presented by mapping the resulting CalEnviroScreen
scores by census tract, as shown in Figure 3-3. The
vulnerability scale is shown in percentage ranges, from 1% to 10% (least vulnerable) to 91% to 100% (most vulnerable).

Table 3-3 shows the census tracts within the City and the corresponding CalEnviroScreen Scores, existing canopy
cover, and poverty level in the developed and undeveloped portions of the City. As noted in Table 3-3, some
census tracts contain areas that overlap developed and
undeveloped portions of the City, as well as areas outside of the City. To avoid overcounting population totals, it was assumed that the total population within each census tract primarily resides in the developed portion of the city for census tracts that overlap developed and undeveloped
areas.

As shown in Table 3-3, in census tracts occupied by
developed area only (i.e., excluding census tracts that overlap undeveloped area), there is an approximately 15% gap in canopy cover between the area with the lowest
and highest CalEnviroScreen Scores. Rancho Cordova has
a total population of approximately 75,087 (U.S. Census Bureau 2019), and approximately 80% of the City’s total population reside in areas with a CalEnviroScreen Score greater than 50%. The census tracts with the highest
canopy cover percentages (6067008912, 6067008909,
and 6067008913) are located adjacent to the American
River Parkway in the northern portion of the City and
have CalEnviroScreen scores ranging from 40% to 60%.

By comparing the City’s CalEnviroScreen Scores across
census tracts, the City can identify the areas with a more immediate need for increased canopy cover. The areas
with the highest CalEnviroScreen scores (most vulnerable) have an average canopy cover that is approximately 4%
less than the Citywide canopy cover. These areas are
primarily located along Folsom Boulevard and Lincoln
Highway. Additionally, census tracts with the highest
CalEnviroScreen scores are primarily located in the City’s older neighborhoods within the developed portion of the City.
6067009011
6067008600
6067008705
6067008704
6067009006
6067009005
6067009004
6067009007
6067009010
6067009008
6067008910
6067008911
6067008909
6067008905
6067008908
6067008913
6067008912
6067008907
6067008703
80 50
50 16
5 MILES
6067009011
6067008600
6067008705
6067008704
6067009006
6067009005
6067009004
6067009007
6067009010
6067009008
6067008910
6067008911
6067008909
6067008905
6067008908
6067008913
6067008912
6067008907
6067008703
6067008801
6067009011
6067008600
6067008705
6067008704
6067009006
6067009005
6067009004
6067009007
6067009010
6067009008
6067008910
6067008911
6067008909
6067008905
6067008908
6067008913
6067008912
6067008907
6067008703
6067008801

CALENVIROSCREEN SCORE BY

CENSUS TRACT
City of Rancho Cordova
75-80%
80-85%
65-70%
55-60%
45-50%
35-40%
20-25%
3 - Growing the Urban Forest
FIGURE 3-3:

CALENVIROSCREEN
SCORES
Approximately 80% of
the City’s population
reside in areas with a
CalEnviroScreen Score
greater than 50%.

ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

138 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 139

3.2.3.2. URBAN HEAT ISLAND
Communities lacking trees are also more likely to be
subjected to more extreme heat events. Shade provided
by healthy trees prevents approximately 1,200 heat-related deaths and countless heat-related illnesses annually
in cities nationwide (American Forests 2020). Trees
contribute to cooler temperatures by reducing the urban heat island effect, which occurs when urbanized areas
experience higher temperatures relative to surrounding
areas (see Figure 3-4). Structures, roads, and other
infrastructure in the urban landscape absorb and re-emit the sun’s heat, resulting in daytime temperatures that are approximately 1°F to 7°F higher than surrounding areas, and and nighttime temperatures that are approximately
2°F to 5°F higher (EPA 2020). Additionally, on a sunny
day, hardscape surfaces, such as asphalt, concrete, or
roofs, can reach temperatures that are 50°F to 90°F hotter than the surrounding air temperature (EPA 2019a). Heat
islands increase energy use through increased demand for air conditioning, which in turn increases air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. The combination of increased
temperatures and emissions contribute to compromised
human health and comfort such as heat-related illness and mortality (EPA 2020).

Table 3-3: . CalEnviroScreen Score, Poverty Level, and Canopy Cover by Census Tract Census Tract Population CalEnviroScreen
Score
Poverty Level Canopy Cover
Developed
6067009011a 3,964 35%–40% 21 4%
6067008912 3,100 40%–45% 52 25%
6067008705a,b 4,397 45%–50% 12 5.2%
6067008909b 2,358 55%–60% 70 23.7%
6067008911 2,295 55%–60% 88 15.7%
6067008913 4,145 55%–60% 66 17.6%
6067009010 4,866 55%–60% 38 13.3%
6067008703b 4,912 55%–60% 4 4.3%
6067008905 4,451 55%–60% 58 13.4%
6067008907 4,835 60%–65% 76 15%
6067009004 3,878 65%–70% 56 9.4%
6067008908 4,835 65%–70% 64 11%
6067008910 3,486 65%–70% 63 12.5%
6067008801a,b 4,436 70%–75% 39 7.1%
6067009005b 3,165 70%–75% 81 10.2%
6067009006 4,940 75%–80% 76 8.9%
6067009007 2,818 80%–85% 85 10.4%
6067009008 4,928 80%–85% 73 11%
Table 3-3: . CalEnviroScreen Score, Poverty Level, and Canopy Cover by Census Tract Census Tract Population CalEnviroScreen
Score
Poverty Level Canopy Cover
Undeveloped
6067008600b 6,784 20%–25% 10 0.4%
6067008704 3,231 20%–25% 29 4.2%
6067009011a — 35%–40% 21 0.5%
6067008705a,b — 45%–50% 12 1.3%
6067008801a,b — 70%–75% 39 0.3%
Source: OEHHA 2018.Notes:
a Census tract includes areas that are categorized as Developed and Undeveloped. b Census tract includes areas that are outside the City of Rancho Cordova. 3 - Growing the Urban Forest
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

140 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 141 Figure 3-4 Urban Heat Island Effect
As temperatures continue to increase in California,
the frequency of extreme heat events poses
severe health risks that disproportionately affect
certain populations, such as outdoor workers,
elderly, individuals with existing health conditions,
and households without air conditioning, among
others. Social and economic inequities are
significant indicators of the ability of individuals and communities to protect their health from extreme
heat events (CHAT 2021). Heat is the cause of the
most weather-related deaths in the United States,
and the frequency of extreme heat events has
significantly increased throughout California over
the last 30 years (OEHHA 2019). In addition to the
increased risk of heat-related illness and death,
extreme temperatures contribute to poor air quality,
stress wildlife and vegetation, increase wildfire
risks, increase water demand, and increase power
demand, which strains the electric power supply
(OEHHA 2019). The increased frequency of extreme
heat health events emphasizes the importance
of mitigating extreme heat. The California Heat
Assessment Tool (CHAT) provides information about
future extreme heat events to help state and local
planning efforts better understand how extreme heat will impact communities. Table 3-4 presents the anticipated
extreme heat health events for each census tract in the City. Heat vulnerability is a statiscally weighted result of the indicators below and is intended to represent overall heat vulnerability. It ranges from 0 to 100 with lower scores representing less heat vulnerability.

Urban trees and vegetation have the potential to
reduce the urban heat island effect and lower surface
and air temperatures by providing shade and through
evapotranspiration (Loughner et al. 2012). Surfaces may be 20°F to 45°F (11°C to 25°C) cooler under the shade of a tree than surfaces with no tree cover (EPA 2019b). Based on the canopy analysis, approximately 26% of the City
consists of impervious surfaces (i.e., parking lots, buildings, roads, and other hardscape) that are not covered by the urban tree canopy. Expansion of the tree canopy would
increase the extent of shade cast on exposed hardscape
and reduce the urban heat island effect.

3.2.4 Increasing Canopy Cover
As previously discussed, each city contains unique
circumstances and opportunities for canopy cover, making it difficult to broadly prescribe canopy cover goals. The existing canopy cover and canopy cover goals for a city are largely based on the natural landscape in which they were developed. Generally, cities that developed under ideal conditions in forested areas may attain up to 40%–60%
tree canopy cover (American Forests 2017). Alternatively, cities in desert and grassland areas may experience 15% to 20% canopy cover, respectively (American Forests 2017).

Rancho Cordova’s existing canopy cover and canopy cover goals must be assessed in consideration of historical,
existing, and projected conditions of the City.

Rancho Cordova was developed on land that was once
open grassland, wetlands, and woodland communities with trees largely existing in riparian areas along available water sources. The trees along streets and private property in Rancho Cordova were planted as the City developed, as
opposed to the City being built into a forested area. As such, 20% can be used as a benchmark to measure current canopy cover levels and a baseline for canopy cover goals (American Forests 2017).

Table 3-5 presents the total number of trees that would 3 - Growing the Urban Forest
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

142 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 143 3 - Growing the Urban Forest
need to be planted to increase the City’s canopy cover to the desired tree canopy percentage. Table 3-6 presents
the total number of trees that would need to be planted per year over a 30-year period to achieve the desired
tree canopy percentage. Example species with the given
canopy spread are provided in the table
Table 3-4: . CalEnviroScreen Score, Poverty Level, and Canopy Cover by Census Tract Census Tract Population Average Max
Temp
Annual Health
Events
Heat
Vulnerability
Priority
6067008704 3,231 107.09 2.2 16.24 Low
6067009011 3,964 107.09 2.2 28.28 Monitor
6067008912 3,100 107.09 2.2 31.92 Monitor
6067008705 4,397 107.09 2.2 15.63 Low
6067009010 4,866 107.09 2.2 38.38 Monitor
6067008913 4,145 107.09 2.2 38.73 Monitor
6067008905 4,451 107.09 2.2 40.32 Monitor
6067008911 2,295 107.09 2.2 42.25 Monitor
6067008909 2,358 107.09 2.2 32.87 Monitor
6067008907 4,835 107.09 2.2 41.97 Monitor
6067009004 3,878 105.49 1.35 38.09 Monitor
6067008908 4,835 107.09 2.2 41.14 Monitor
6067008910 3,486 107.09 2.2 38.63 Monitor
6067008801 4,436 103.55 2.3 18.81 Low
6067009005 3,165 105.49 1.35 36.07 Monitor
6067009006 4,940 105.49 1.35 39.7 Monitor
6067009008 4,928 107.09 2.2 42.4 Monitor
6067009007 2,818 107.09 2.2 46.11 Monitor

3.2.5 Canopy Cover Opportunities and
Constraints

3.2.5.1 DEVELOPED AREA
Understanding the opportunities and constraints that
impact canopy cover in the developed area of the City will help inform the types of programs and level of resources needed to increase canopy cover. The developed area
canopy cover analysis estimates achieving a 20% canopy
cover would require adding 18,604 trees with a 50’ wide canopy spread, which would take planting 651 trees a
year for 30 years to reach the target tree total. Actual canopy cover increase would be achieved over a 40-year
timeframe to allow for trees planted in years 25-30 to
grow and develop a canopy spread. As discussed, 20%
canopy cover is a reasonable baseline for a city like Rancho Cordova given the historical land use conditions but does not indicate what is a realistic goal for the city based on current conditions. Setting a realistic canopy cover target should be informed by the current canopy cover total
and the planting space available within the constraints of existing infrastructure like sidewalks, homes, and roads.

The City tree inventory identifies 501 vacant tree planting sites in the developed area (see Figure 3-5). It is possible other planting locations exist within City managed
landscapes that are not identified in the inventory, or that new tree planting locations could be created through
infrastructure projects. A key factor in planting trees in existing vacant planting sites will be the ability to obtain funding for irrigation, as many of these identified sites do not currently have a way to sufficiently water new trees.

The City inventory also reflects 2,155 trees are 1-15’ tall, which will help to increase canopy cover in a shorter timeframe with continued establishment care and maintenance.

The total increase will be limited by species selection, as trees with smaller canopy spreads like crape myrtle (671 trees) and Chinese pistache (257 trees) comprise 43% of trees 1-15’ tall.

The inventory data and canopy analysis suggest that the City cannot increase canopy cover by only focusing on City managed landscapes. Partnerships with other large public land managers such as the Cordova Recreation and Parks
District and Folsom Cordova School District represent one option (further discussed in Chapter 5). Another option is to work directly with private property owners of residential ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

144 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 145 3 - Growing the Urban Forest
80 50
50 16
5 MILES
Carmichael
Fair Oaks
Sloughhouse
RANCHO

CORDOVA
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TREE INVENTORY AND

AVAILABLE PLANTING LOCATIONS
City of Rancho Cordova
Public Trees
Available Tree Planting Locations
FIGURE 3-5:

TREE INVENTORY
& PLANTING

LOCATIONS
Available tree planting
locations present limited
opportunity to increase
canopy cover.

Developed Area Canopy Cover Goals
Table 3-5: Number of Trees Needed to Increase Canopy Cover Total Canopy
Total Number of Trees by Canopy Spread
20 ft diameter 35 ft diameter 50 ft diameter 75 ft diameter Western redbud Callery pear Chinese pistache Interior live oak 14% 32,229 10,520 5,155 2,291
16% 60,255 19,667 9,638 4,282
18% 88,280 28,815 14,121 6,274
20% 116,306 37,963 18,604 8,266
25% 186,369 60,832 29,811 13,246
Table 3-6: Total Number of Trees to Plant per Year for 30 Years to Increase Canopy Cover Total Canopy
Total Number of Trees by Canopy Spread
20 ft diameter 35 ft diameter 50 ft diameter 75 ft diameter 14% 1,128 368 180 80
16% 2,109 1,009 494 220
18% 3,090 1,009 494 220
20% 4,071 1,329 651 289
25% 6,523 2,129 1,043 464
Note: A 5% mortality rate has been added to accommodate for potential tree mortality; this does not account for mortality of existing trees.

ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

146 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 147 and commercial properties which comprise most of the
land use in the City.

The Housing Element of the City’s General Plan states there are 28,340 housing units in the City and further breaks down housing units by structure type of single family (SF), multi-unit dwellings, and mobile homes (see Table 3-7).

Because housing unit totals are based on 2020 data, most housing units would exist in the developed area of the City, as new residential communities are just beginning to be built in the undeveloped area.

It is not known if each housing unit lot has space to
accommodate a 50’ wide canopy tree. If it was possible, then the City could achieve a canopy cover total higher than 20% by planting one 50’ wide canopy tree at each
location. If 14,170 housing units, or half of the total housing units, could accommodate a 50’ wide tree, the City would be 4,434 locations short of the planting goal. The total number of housing units emphasizes the important role
of residential properties as a key city partner in achieving canopy cover goals.

Another factor to consider is that 44.6% of households
in the city are renter-occupied (City of Rancho Cordova 2021b) and renters are not able to make decisions about housing unit land management. This issue was discussed
in interviews with community member stakeholders and
during community meetings. Participants suggested that
while renters may want to plant a tree, they are often
unable to obtain permission from property managers
to do so. While this appears to present a limitation to planting trees on residential properties, it may also present an opportunity if property managers who own several
properties are willing to participate in City tree planting efforts.

Table 3-7: Housing Units by Structure
Total Housing Units SF Detached SF Attached 2-4 Units 5+ Units Mobile Homes
2020 28,340 17,036 1,688 2,054 6,048 1,514
Source: City of Rancho Cordova 2021b
3 - Growing the Urban Forest
Commercial and industrial properties are also important land uses in the City, which combine to cover 2,103 acres (918 acres commercial and 1,185 industrial) (City of Rancho Cordova 2021b). City policy mandates 50% canopy cover
over parking lots for these land use types. Successfully implementing this policy is another important tool of the City to achieve canopy cover goals.

3.2.5.2 NEW DEVELOPMENT
Rancho Cordova is expected to have a major influx of
new housing and residential development over the next
10-15 years. New residential communities are expected to add 25,000 new housing units in currently undeveloped
areas of the City. Whether these communities achieve high levels of canopy cover depends on whether the planning
process will appropriately include trees alongside streets, sidewalks, homes, and available open space. Expanding
canopy cover requires providing trees with the appropriate growing space in the ground to reach maturity without
coming into conflict with other infrastructure.

As further discussed in Chapter 4: Development and
Urban Forest Protection, City design guidelines call for a ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

148 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 149 3 - Growing the Urban Forest
minimum parkway width of 6’ for development projects,
which limits the tree size and species that can be planted.

When tree species are not appropriately selected for the space provided the impact can be felt in a brief amount of time. This is evident in the Anatolia neighborhood where California sycamore trees planted 10-15 years ago are
lifting sidewalks and have required removal. Neighborhood canopy cover is decreased when these trees are removed, and often smaller stature trees are planted to replace the previous large stature trees. As a result, the ability of the tree canopy to provide shade over paved surfaces, and the neighborhood’s overall canopy cover, are diminished.

Since many of the planned communities are yet to be
built, and solar panel requirements for new homes may
limit future space for large stature trees, the opportunity is still available for the City to work with land developers to design and build neighborhoods that can have large
stature trees without interfering with infrastructure. It also allows the exploration of other land use types to plant trees such as stormwater detention basins where trees can provide shade for passive recreation areas and contribute to stormwater capture.

3.2.5.3 STORMWATER CAPTURE
Maintaining surface and groundwater quality is important for both human health and environmental resources. The
abundance of impervious surfaces in urban areas creates an interconnected network of hardscapes, which reduces
infiltration and groundwater recharge. Additionally, high volumes of runoff may lead to flooding, overloading of
the sewer system, and contamination of surface and
groundwater resources (Berland et al. 2017). Trees can
reduce the amount of stormwater runoff and pollutants
that reach local waters by slowing and storing runoff,
capturing and storing rainfall, creating conditions that promote infiltration of rainwater, and absorbing and
converting pollutants into less harmful substances (EPA 2013).

Trees planted in waterways and areas designed for
stormwater capture (e.g., bioswales) provide benefits of both rainwater infiltration and increasing the City’s canopy.

Installing street trees with stormwater capture in mind, can include various design elements such as the use of tree grates, bioretention soils, and suspended pavements.

ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

150 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 151 3 - Growing the Urban Forest

3.2.5.4 STORMWATER DETENTION BASINS
Stormwater detention basins provide an opportunity for
passive recreation, enhancing water resources, aesthetics, and wildlife habitat (Open Space Design Guidelines 2013).

These locations are largely open spaces with few installed components of infrastructure like sidewalks, overhead
utility lines, and buildings. They are also a part of the design of new residential development communities. This presents an opportunity to increase tree canopy in new
residential development communities by planting large
stature trees that have ample soil volume and no spacing restrictions to inhibit growth. While the site conditions are conducive for tree planting, they also require a
dedicated from of irrigation and regular maintenance to be successful.

There are typically two strategies to water newly planted trees that can be applied to stormwater basins; having a contractor water from a truck or installing irrigation. An advantage of contracted watering is the ability to write the contract to include visual inspections for maintenance issues, adjusting stakes and ties, keeping the watering basin free of weeds and debris, and applying mulch to
ensure a tree receives additional care beyond watering.

A limitation of this form of watering is that it is only performed during the contract period, and if a tree dies and needs replacement, it will only receive water for the remainder of the contract.

Installed irrigation has the benefit of uniformly applying watering on a set schedule. This will help to ensure that trees receive the correct amounts and frequency of
water through the establishment period. It also allows
for flexibility in limiting or increasing watering during periods of rain or extreme heat. Another advantage is
that it is permanent and additional lines can be added
to water other newly planted trees. The new residential developments are not centrally located within Rancho
Cordova and contracted water services may be difficult
to secure at a reasonable rate for the City. Since the
new residential developments are also installing other
components of infrastructure, it would be reasonable
to include irrigation for tree plantings as part of the requirements for new communities.

Recommendations:

Chapter 3: Growing the Urban Forest
Section Recommendation Discussion

3.1 Canopy Cover Complete an updated City-wide
canopy cover study every 3-5 years.

Completing an updated canopy cover study every
3-5 years will allow the City to measure progress
towards canopy cover goals, assess where canopy
is expanding or shrinking, and refine strategies of
the UFMP to meet current conditions.

3.2.2 Canopy
Cover and Land
Cover Assessment
Develop an outreach and education
strategy to residential and private
property owners.

A majority of city-wide canopy cover exists
on private property, making the participation
of private property owners in planting and
maintaining trees on their property critical to
achieving canopy cover goals.

3.2.3 Canopy Cover
Equity
Prioritize tree planting efforts
towards neighborhoods with the
lowest level of tree canopy cover and
those identified by CalEnviroScreen

3.0 as having a high vulnerability to
pollution hazards.

Census tracts with the lowest level of canopy
cover are also considered to have high
vulnerability to pollution. This demonstrates a
need to prioritize tree planting efforts in these
communities that will increase canopy cover and
associated environmental benefits.

3.2.3 Canopy Cover
Equity
Conduct an urban heat island
mapping exercise of the City to
determine locations that experience
the greatest impact from the urban
heat island effect and utilize this
information to prioritize locations
for increased tree planting and
management activities.

The urban heat island effect significantly increases
surface and air temperatures in the city, which
can result in a higher rate of heat related illnesses
and death, as well as higher costs to cool homes/
buildings, and higher levels of pollution to
generate the energy used in cooling.

ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

152 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 153 3 - Growing the Urban Forest

3.2.4 Increasing
Canopy Cover
Establish a city-wide canopy cover goal based on its historic natural environment, land use data, climate
conditions, and available locations to
plant trees on both public and private land.

Currently the city experiences 11.7% canopy cover
within the developed footprint of the city, well
below the baseline measure of 20%. Establishing
a long-term canopy goal for the city should be
realistic, time bound, and periodically reviewed/
adjusted to reflect current conditions within the
City.

3.2.5 Canopy Cover
Opportunities and
Constraints
Identify all possible City managed
tree planting locations including
streets, city facilities, and open space
areas.

The city inventory identifies 501 vacant street tree
planting locations which is well below what will
be needed to increase canopy cover. Identifying
additional locations will help support the ability
of the city to meet annual tree planting totals
needed to increase canopy cover.

3.2.5 Canopy Cover
Opportunities and
Constraints
Continue to provide regular maintenance to recently planted trees such as establishment care and structural
pruning.

The city inventory identifies 2,155 trees as having a
height of 1-15’, which is 55% of the total inventory
and is an opportunity to increase canopy cover
without planting new trees.

3.2.5 Canopy Cover
Opportunities and
Constraints
Develop tree planting strategies with
other key land holders in the City like
CRPD and FCSD.

Increasing canopy cover will need to include
maximizing the available planting space of all
possible locations in the city including park and
school locations managed by partner agencies
CRPD and FCSD.

3.2.5 Canopy Cover
Opportunities and
Constraints
Increase enforcement of the city policy that requires 50% canopy cover over parking lots on commercial and
industrial properties.

Industrial and commercial properties account for
2,103 acres of land use in the city and represent
an opportunity to expand canopy cover while also
lowering the urban heat island effect on paved
surfaces.

ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 155
4 - Development and Urban Forest Protection
CHAPTER 4

DEVELOPMENT AND URBAN

FOREST PROTECTION

4.1 Development
Incorporated in 2003, Rancho Cordova is a relatively young city in the Sacramento Metropolitan area with room for
growth and expansion of developed areas. Development in the City is guided by various City planning and guidance documents (further discussed below). Rancho Cordova
residents and community leaders have set out to “Build
a City,” and the General Plan serves as a blueprint for the ultimate pattern of development (City of Rancho Cordova 2006).

4.1.1 Community Specific Plans
As Rancho Cordova has increased in size and population, the City has used Specific Plans as a tool to guide new development. Specific Plans are used to implement
the policies and goals of the City’s General Plan over
a designated geographic area, while providing a set
of development standards that apply to the Specific
Plan area. There are several recently annexed and/or
undeveloped parts of the City that are earmarked for
new or proposed development. These developments are
identified in Specific Plans, including Folsom Boulevard, Rio del Oro, Suncreek, and Sunridge. Additional Specific Plans currently under development include Westborough
and Arboretum-Waegell.

Trees are minimally addressed in the Folsom Boulevard
and the Sunridge Specific Plans, while the Rio del Oro and Suncreek Specific Plans provide more robust discussions of trees. The Folsom Boulevard Specific Plan includes
one design requirement for the inclusion of shade trees at drive-throughs. The Sunridge Specific Plan prohibits trees in overhead utility corridors, and notes that there are no existing oak trees in the Specific Plan Area. The Rio del Oro Specific Plan discusses trees in terms of the existing setting, noting that riparian wetlands containing trees are present and a tree inventory was conducted,
which identified “1,520 trees of significance” in the
Specific Plan area. Appendix A of the Rio del Oro Specific Plan includes the Development Standards and Design
Guidelines for the Specific Plan area. These include general guidelines regarding trees in the Parks and Open Space
and Commercial development sections, which call for
planting of large shade trees in parks, parking lots, along streets and pedestrian walkways, in setback areas, and as visual buffers or screening elements. Section 3.2.4 of the Circulation and Streetscape chapter is dedicated to street trees. The section includes a street tree list and discusses ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

156 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 157 the importance of street trees for their provision of shade and enhancing the visual environment. The street tree
guidelines also discuss tree spacing and the need to select trees appropriately for their intended purpose and location to avoid infrastructure conflicts but provides minimal
additional guidance.

While trees provide shade and contribute to the visual
character of an area, there are many other tree benefits and services that are essential to a resilient community.

By incorporating trees into the Specific Plan solely
for aesthetic purposes and shading, there is a missed
opportunity to increase the multiple of benefits and
services provided by trees. It has also led to trees as a secondary consideration to other elements of the built
environment, such as roads, sidewalks, and utilities. Once these parts of infrastructure are installed it can be difficult to find space to accommodate trees.

The City’s current intention to expand development into its undeveloped and underutilized areas in the eastern portion of the City, with development guided by Specific Plans, represents an opportunity to prioritize the City’s urban forest from the early stages of development planning.
4 - Development and Urban Forest Protection
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

158 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 159 4 - Development and Urban Forest Protection
By planning for trees in advance and in consideration of space requirements, maintenance needs, and potential
infrastructure conflicts, the City’s new communities
can maintain a healthy urban forest that maximizes the
ecosystem benefits and services trees provide.

4.1.2 Role of Community Development
Department
The City’s Community Development Department,
comprising the Building and Safety Division, Neighborhood Planning and Projects Division, and Planning Division, is responsible for planning and implementing growth and
development in the City through development application review and approval. The department ensures that
development in the City contributes to the quality of
the community and complies with state and local codes
and standards, including the City’s General Plan and
Municipal Code. The department also provides communityoriented programs and services that aim to strengthen and revitalize neighborhoods, provide affordable and
safe housing opportunities, and form partnerships that
maximize social and economic opportunities within the
community (City of Rancho Cordova 2021a).

The Community Development Department conducts
plan review and processes entitlement applications for
proposed development projects in the City. As part of
the review process, the department collects information regarding existing trees on a project site and trees with a canopy that overlies the project site. If trees are present, the City requires that a third party certified arborist (or similarly qualified professional) conduct a tree survey that provides the location, species, size (diameter at breast height [DBH] and canopy size), general health conditions and an exhibit depicting which trees will be preserved
and removed. Tree protection fencing must be mapped
on grading plans and utility plans. Additionally, landscape plans must show the location of proposed trees, including tree species and size at maturity, parking lot trees, and the size of landscape islands. Overhead or underground utility lines, fire hydrants, and light poles must be considered and provided sufficient spacing from trees per Rancho Cordova Zoning Code Section 23.716.050 (15 feet away from the
center of a large type tree and 10 feet away from the base of a small type tree).

The City has taken positive steps toward tree preservation by requiring development proposals to include tree surveys and identify which trees on site would be preserved or
removed. However, there is currently no requirement or
incentive to preserve existing trees. The department does not require that only a certified arborist can conduct tree surveys, and plan review is currently conducted by the
City’s contract landscape architect rather than a certified arborist. The type of information collected for each
tree, especially details regarding tree health conditions, would be most appropriately collected and reviewed by a certified arborist given the training and education required to adequately determine tree health conditions, potential impacts, and preservation requirements.

The City can encourage preservation of existing trees
in new development and redevelopment projects by
providing incentives, such as waived or reduced fees
or low-impact development credits. These can include
reduced stormwater fees or credits that help the
landowner meet water quality performance standards or
design requirements. If possible, existing trees should be incorporated into project landscaping, and low-impact
development strategies can be implemented to ensure the trees are utilized for stormwater management on site. Such strategies include installation of bioswales or stormwater retention basins near existing trees, impervious surface reduction, and permeable pavement.

4.1.3 Design Guidelines
The City of Rancho Cordova Design Guidelines, adopted in 2005, are intended to enhance the quality and character of the community through implementation of the City’s
Vision and the General Plan. The guidelines are designed to provide an understanding of the expectation for
high quality development in the City, and guide design
professionals, property owners, and residents when
designing projects as well as City staff and decisionmakers when reviewing development proposals. The guidelines provide a vision for the City through site design guidelines by project type.

Circulation, Public Space and Pedestrian Amenities
The guidelines address public spaces and the pedestrian environment and call for the inclusion of a variety of
shading options, including shade trees. Standards for
“urban sidewalks” are identified, including minimum
sidewalk widths (10 to 12 feet, or 15 feet where restaurants provide outdoor seating) and tree placement between
the roadway and the buildings to help define the street ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

160 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 161 edge; however, the sidewalk should not be separated from the roadway by a planter strip.. As such, trees would be planted using tree wells with grates/grills. When trees are planted below grade, the use of tree wells and grates can act as a stormwater basin and help reduce infrastructure conflicts (e.g., sidewalk repairs). However, prohibiting the use of planter strips that separate the sidewalk from the roadway eliminates added benefits of such features.

As further discussed below in regard to the City’s
Pedestrian Master Plan and Bicycle Master Plan, studies have shown a correlation between the presence of street trees and increased pedestrian activity as well as perceived and actual safety for bicyclists and pedestrians (Ewing 2016; Wolf 2010; Lusk 2020). Planting strips landscaped with trees and other vegetation can serve as a buffer
between vehicles and the sidewalk.

Streetscape
The City’s streetscape guidelines call for the inclusion of broad, branching shade trees that would form a canopy
across the roadway and provide shade for pedestrians,
and accent trees to help establish a sense of place. The guidelines indicate that roadways should be wide enough to accommodate large shade trees, including a 5-foot
minimum width for medians and planting strips that would support trees with wide canopies.

A 5-foot minimum width for medians and planting strips
will not provide adequate space to allow for large tree species based on the City’s own standards. The City
has a list of recommended species that are appropriate
for planting in Rancho Cordova with minimum spacing
recommendations based on the tree size at maturity. The City’s tree species list does not include a tree suitable for a 5-foot parkway or median, and the smallest required
planter width is 8 feet. Additionally, the City list includes 89 recommended tree species but only 16 that are appropriate for a 6-foot parkway and does not include any native
oak trees. This will limit the ability of the City to achieve sustainable levels of species diversity and opportunities to provide habitat for wildlife. By increasing the minimum median or planting strip width to 8 feet, the City can
provide space for more medium to large stature trees
while limiting the potential for infrastructure conflicts and increasing longevity for sidewalks.
4 - Development and Urban Forest Protection
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

162 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 163 Sustainable Development
The sustainable development component of the City’s
Design Guidelines (2005) addresses building design, and the inclusion of amenities in plazas and other pedestrian hardscape areas to provide shade from solar heat. The
guidelines are intended to reduce glare and heat islands using various strategies including umbrellas, awnings,
canopies, and shade trees. The guidelines specify that
these elements should be included in the initial design of the project rather than added as an afterthought.

Including space for trees and landscaping during the
design stages is important to avoid future infrastructure conflicts and ensure trees have the necessary space to
mature. While the design guidelines indicate maximizing solar heating opportunities for buildings, the guidelines do not provide guidance on how to accomplish this.

In addition to maximizing solar heating, buildings and
landscaping should be planned to provide cooling benefits for buildings by providing summer shade. In addition to providing shade for the pedestrian environment, trees can be strategically planted around buildings to yield energy cost savings by keeping indoor spaces cooler. Tree shade can contribute to cooling a home and reducing energy
costs by as much as 35% (Arbor Day Foundation 2021).

Trees should be planted to shade east- and west- facing walls to maximize cooling benefits (Kuhns 2021). Trees
can also be planted to shade heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) units to increase efficiency (Arbor Day Foundation 2021). For buildings that include solar
panels, tree selection and placement must be planned such that solar energy generation capacity is not impeded by potential shading.

Landscaping
The Design Guidelines specify that landscaping and trees should help establish project identity, complement the
built environment, and offer relief from the mass and
scale of structures while creating an inviting pedestrian environment. Landscaping should be planned during
project design such that trees and vegetation are provided with enough space to accommodate projected growth. Site and street trees that are used for shading and screening purposes should be broad branching, with mature canopy
spread of 40 feet and a high canopy to allow visibility of buildings. Guidelines for parking lot landscaping are in accordance with the City’s Zoning Code (Section

23.716.070, Parking lot landscape), which calls for 50% of the total parking area to be covered by tree canopies within 15 years of issuance of a building permit. Canopy coverage would be determined by the approximate
crown diameter of each tree after 15 years of growth, as estimated on the approved street tree list, and trees should be a minimum 15-gallon size at planting.

Solar canopies or carports may be used rather than shade trees to achieve the required 50% shading. However,
there are limitations to the placement of solar canopies and carports, and existing property boundary trees
must be retained. Further, these styles or structures and infrastructure do not offer the range of environmental
benefits that trees can provide.

The parking lot shading requirement is enforced through the design standards, plan review, and code enforcement.

As further discussed in the Code Enforcement section
below, existing challenges can make code enforcement
difficult. There are also additional challenges to achieving 50% coverage within 15 years. The natural growth rate of the tree, establishment care, and maintenance will impact the development of the tree canopy and timeline when
50% coverage can be achieved. The design standard may
also encourage planting trees more closely together, rather than providing space for trees to achieve a mature canopy without interference from adjacent trees. Additionally, minimum sizes for planting areas are specified in the
Municipal Code (minimum 6-foot width, minimum 25
square feet), but there are no soil volume or other
standards established to ensure tree health and longevity.

While there are challenges in implementing the design
standard, the standards intend to maximize available
planting space for trees and cool paved areas, which are critical aspects of creating resilient communities. The City may benefit from a longer time frame to achieving 50%
canopy cover so site plans can accommodate large stature trees that maximize ecosystem services while providing
shade for parking areas. Tree species should be selected by a certified arborist and in accordance with the City’s approved tree species list.

4.1.4 Code Enforcement
The City of Rancho Cordova Code Enforcement Division
is responsible for enforcing the City’s health and safety regulations and implement land use policies, which are
designed to maintain the quality of life and high standard 4 - Development and Urban Forest Protection
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

164 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 165 of living in the City. This includes codes, policies, and regulations governing trees on public and private property.

Such codes address tree maintenance; nuisance abatement for dead, dying, or damaged trees; tree preservation;
planting or replacement requirements; tree placement
and spacing requirements; species selection; and conflicts with infrastructure (the Rancho Cordova Municipal Code is further discussed below in Sections 7.2.3 and 7.3).

The City often faces challenges to successful code
enforcement such as insufficient resources and heavy
reliance on the community to report issues or concerns.

City interviews revealed that the City’s code enforcement is primarily conducted in response to complaints received from community members. Reliance on community
members to report tree related violations requires
community awareness of the City’s tree protection
ordinance, the ability to identify poor tree maintenance practices, and a willingness to report a neighbor who
is in violation of an ordinance. Because of the multiple challenges to enforcing penalties for violation of the
ordinance, it is more prudent to encourage willful
compliance from private property owners. This must begin by educating private property owners on the existence of the ordinance and how it applies to trees on their property.

It can be further enhanced by dialogue with community
members to understand if it places an undue burden on
private property owners and whether the ordinance can be updated to address community concerns. The community
is more likely to abide by and assist with enforcement of an ordinance that they agree with and have played a role in shaping.

4.2 Relationship to Other City Documents

4.2.1 Rancho Cordova General Plan
California law requires that every city and county prepare and adopt a long-range comprehensive general plan to
guide future development and to identify the community’s environmental, social, and economic goals. A general plan is currently required to include seven elements: land use, circulation, housing, conservation, open space, noise, and safety. Additional elements may be included to address
local conditions or resources (OPR 2017). The Rancho
Cordova General Plan was adopted in 2006 and serves as
the primary regulatory document for land use decisions in the City. The Zoning Ordinance and subsequent Specific
Plans and development proposals must be consistent
with the General Plan’s goals, policies, and standards.

The General Plan identifies the City’s land use, circulation, 4 - Development and Urban Forest Protection
environmental, economic, and social goals and policies in 12 elements. A review of the City’s General Plan revealed that trees are addressed in 16 goals, policies, and action items across the Urban Design, Circulation, Natural
Resources, and Air Quality Elements.

Tables 4-1 through 4-4 present the General Plan
goals, policies, and action items as they relate to tree preservation, development and community character,
community education, and long-term sustainability,
respectively.

Table 4-1 presents the goals policies and actions items that relate to tree preservation in the City. Goal NR.4 and the accompanying policies and action items set the stage for the City’s tree preservation ordinance. As written, this policy is primarily concerned with oaks and landmark trees.

Policy NR.4.4 expands protections to other native trees that meet minimum size requirements. However, because
the City’s tree ordinance has been implemented since
adoption of the General Plan, Title 19 of the Municipal Code replaces this policy. Title 19, the City’s tree preservation ordinance, is further discussed below in Section 4.3.

Table 4-2 presents the policies and action items related to development and community character. These policies and action items are largely addressed by the Rancho Cordova Design Guidelines (see Section 4.1.3 above).

Table 4-3 identifies the action items related to
community education regarding species selection and
tree maintenance. While avoiding non-native species and managing parasitic plants (e.g., mistletoe) is important to maintaining a healthy urban forest, further guidance is needed to provide residents with the information they need to make beneficial decisions for the urban forest.

The City’s recommended species list and species selection practices and guidelines were reviewed during the UFMP
process. As part of this UFMP, the list of recommended
species has been updated. Next steps include expanded
community outreach and providing residents with
guidelines for selecting appropriate tree species for
their residential location and managing tree pests,
diseases, parasites, and other maintenance needs. Such
recommendations should consider water requirements
and maintenance costs associated with different species to help residents make mindful decisions that suit their individual tree goals and available resources.

ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

166 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 167 4 - Development and Urban Forest Protection
Table 4-4 identifies the action items related to long-term sustainability goals. These action items accurately reflect the ability of trees to provide cooling benefits and reduce heat island effects. Next steps involve providing detailed guidance on tree species selection, tree placement,
and canopy size. Priority and opportunity areas for tree planting should be established, especially in areas of low canopy cover. Chapter 3 establishes canopy cover goals
and evaluates canopy equity throughout Rancho Cordova
to help the City identify priority and opportunity areas where trees should be planted. These goals will help the City achieve a more equitable canopy cover that benefits all residents of the community.

Table 4-1: Tree Preservation-Related Goals, Policies, and Action Items Natural Resources Element
Goal NR.4: Encourage the planting and preservation of high-quality trees throughout the City.

Policy
NR.4.1 Complete an updated City-wide canopy cover study every 3-5 years.

Action
NR.4.1.1
Implement the City’s Tree Preservation and Protection Ordinance (and update as necessary) to establish minimum requirements for preserving native trees and landmark trees in the City, including a definition of the size, species, and age requirements of landmark, oak, and other trees to be protected and/or replaced.

Action
NR.4.1.2
Where feasible, require underground utility lines that are in close proximity to oaks and other landmark trees to be designed and installed to minimize impacts to trees. Work with the utility provider(s) to coordinate transmission line location and other potential impacts associated with the undergrounding of the utilities.

Action
NR.4.1.3
Establish development guidelines that require all oak habitat to be avoided to the maximum extent feasible. When avoidance is not possible, require mitigation efforts that result in preservation of in-kind habitat in the Planning Area.

Policy
NR.4.4
Prior to the approval of any public or private development project in areas identified or assumed to contain trees, the City shall require that a determinate survey of trees species and size be performed. If any native oaks or other native trees six inches or more in diameter at breast height (dbh), multitrunk native oaks or native trees of 10 inches or greater dbh, or non-native trees of 18 inches or greater dbh that have been determined by a certified arborist to be in good health are found to occur, such trees shall be avoided if feasible. If such trees cannot be avoided, the project applicant shall do one of the following:
• All such trees shall be replaced at an inch-for-inch ratio. A replacement tree planting plan shall be prepared by a certified arborist or licensed landscape architect and shall be submitted to the City of Rancho Cordova for approval prior to removal of trees; or, • The project applicant shall submit a mitigation plan that provides for complete mitigation of the removal of such trees in coordination with the City of Rancho Cordova. The mitigation plan shall be subject to the approval of the City.
• If the City of Ranch Cordova adopts a tree preservation ordinance at any time in the future, any future development activities shall be subject to that ordinance instead.

Table 4-2: Development and Community Character-Related Goals, Policies, and Action Items Natural Resources Element
Policy
NR.4.2 Improve overall landscaping quality and sustainability in all areas visible to the public.

Action
NR.4.2.2
Create development guidelines that address landscaping standards and that require appropriate tree species and densities in buffer areas. The guidelines should also ensure that medians will include native plantings and trees, and will be wide enough to support the long-term viability of the plantings.

Urban Design Element
Policy
UD.2.6
Create streetscape designs with themes that are oriented toward and inviting to pedestrians and cyclists and that are unique in character to a district, corridor, or area within the City.

Action
UD.2.6.2
Create standards for the type, spacing, etc. of trees along the street. Require development to include street trees along all frontages of the project.

Circulation Element
Policy C.2.4 Provide sidewalks throughout the City. Meandering sidewalks are discouraged, except where necessary to accommodate site-specific features such as trees or habitat.

ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

168 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 169 4 - Development and Urban Forest Protection
Table 4-4: Sustainability-Related Goals, Policies, and Action Items Air Quality Element
Action
AQ.4.1.5
Promote the implementation of sustainable design strategies for “cool communities,” such as installing reflective roofing or light-colored pavement and planting urban shade trees.

Natural Resources Element
Action
NR.4.2.6
Establish guidelines to require planting of trees to reduce “heat island” effects, in order to reduce the need for air conditioning and thus conserve energy.

Table 4-3: Development and Community Character-Related Goals, Policies, and Action Items Natural Resources Element
Action
NR.4.2.3
Provide leaflets and planting guides that promote the use of drought-tolerant native vegetation in home landscaping.

Action
NR.4.2.5 Establish a mistletoe abatement and remediation program.

Action
NR.4.2.4 Discourage the use of invasive non-native species.

ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

170 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 171

4.2.2 Pedestrian Master Plan
and Bicycle Master Plan
The City’s Pedestrian Master Plan, adopted in 2011, and the Bicycle Master Plan, adopted in 2016, are representative of the City’s commitment to creating a walkable and bicycle friendly environment in Rancho Cordova. Providing a
reliable active transportation network provides community members with opportunities for both recreation and
transportation, while contributing to a healthier, cleaner community. The Bicycle Master Plan creates a connected
network of trails that serves both cyclists and pedestrians, while the Pedestrian Master Plan further identifies
improvements needed in specific neighborhoods such as
sidewalk gaps or damage or dangerous intersections.

While the City has taken positive steps by creating these plans, neither plan considers trees or the urban forest as an important element or amenity of bicycle and pedestrian routes. During public outreach for the Pedestrian Master Plan, one respondent indicated “lack of shade” as a factor that affects walkability. Additionally, Goal 3 of the Bicycle Master Plan aims to ensure adequate support facilities
throughout Rancho Cordova’s bicycle network, including
the provision of shade structures. As both plans identify a common need for shade, there is an opportunity for the urban forest to support both plans, which would provide multiple benefits to pedestrian and bicyclists, as well as the community at large.

Trees provide shade while also contributing to the utility, attractiveness, safety, and comfort of the City’s walking or cycling routes. Cities with tree-lined transportation routes are perceived more positively, and studies have shown that inclusion of trees and other landscaping in the streetscape also contributes to the perceived and actual safety of
roads for bicyclists and pedestrians (Wolf 2010; Lusk
2020). In one study, surveys conducted among bicyclists and pedestrians revealed that most respondents preferred trees between the road and pedestrian and/or bicycle
routes because of increased safety, reduced temperatures, and a reduced perception of traffic and pollution (Lusk 2020). Further, studies have shown a correlation between the presence of street trees and increased pedestrian
activity (Ewing 2016). Appropriately placed trees in the streetscape can result in traffic calming, with studies showing a significant reduction in vehicle travel speeds on roads where trees are present (Topp 1990). Other studies analyzing vehicle accidents on urban roads have found that 4 - Development and Urban Forest Protection
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

172 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 173 vehicle crashes were reduced by as much as 67% on road
segments with street trees and traffic calming treatments as opposed to roads without these improvements
(Dumbaugh 2005, 2006). Consequently, roads with street
trees and landscaping further increase pedestrian and
bicyclist safety by influencing safer driving practices and by providing a buffer between vehicles and other modes of travel if these elements are appropriately placed between the road and bicycle or pedestrian travel routes.

By considering trees as not only an amenity but a
necessary element of bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, the City can improve its active transportation routes by providing a cooler, safer, and more pleasant experience for cyclists and pedestrians. Appropriate tree selection, placement, and maintenance are important factors to
consider to ensure unobstructed views and to avoid
conflicts with existing infrastructure.

4.2.3 Rancho Cordova Municipal Code
The Rancho Cordova Municipal Code documents the
official policies, ordinances, and laws adopted by the
City. The municipal code contains policies and guidelines related to management and maintenance of the City’s
tree population, permitted actions related to trees/tree removal, and expectations for property owners. Table 4-5 presents the sections of the municipal code that contain policies related to trees and organizes these sections by the general theme addressed in these sections. Title 19 is discussed in detail in the following section.

4.3 Urban Forest Protection – Tree
Preservation Ordinance
The City Municipal Code Chapter 19.12 provides the
definitions of a protected tree on private property,
conditions for removal, tree replacement requirements,
and enforcement procedures. The ordinance lists multiple reasons for the purpose and intent of the tree preservation ordinance, including that “trees are a community asset
that cannot provide benefits without human maintenance, care, and protection” (Municipal Code 19.12.010). It also recognizes that trees on both public and private property contribute to the City-wide canopy cover and related
benefits Municipal Code 19.12.010). Finally, the purpose of the ordinance is stated in item b: “it shall be the policy of the city to preserve all trees possible through its
development review process.”
Table 4-5: Municipal Code Policies Related to Trees
Theme Municipal Code Title/Chapter/Section
Tree Protection
Title 19 Trees
• Chapter 19.04 Protection of Public Trees
• Chapter 19.08 Dutch Elm Disease Control
• Chapter 19.12 Preservation and Protection of Private Trees Tree Maintenance
Title 23 Zoning
• Section 23.716.110 Tree Pruning
Standards for Private
Property
Title 16 Buildings and Construction
• Section 16.18.1703 Standards for residential property • Section 16.18.1704 Standards for commercial property
Planning activities
Chapter 22.180 Water Use and Conservation
• Section 22.180.060 Submittals
• Section 22.180.070 Irrigation system design criteria
• Section 22.180.080 Plant Selection
Title 23 Zoning
• Chapter 23.352 Overlay Zoning
• Chapter 23.513 Streetscape Type and Frontage Type Standards • Chapter 23.1005 South Sunrise Auto Dismantler Special Planning Area • Chapter 23.716.070 Parking lot landscape
• Chapter 23.716.808 Removal of landscaping and trees from approved plans • Chapter 23.716.090 Replanting requirements and replacement fee • Chapter 23.716.100 Landscape care and maintenance
Prohibited activities Chapter 5.50 Cable Television OrdinanceS • Section 5.50.460 Tree Trimming
4 - Development and Urban Forest Protection
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

174 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 175 4 - Development and Urban Forest Protection
The City’s stated purpose provides the framework for the various components that comprise the implementation
of the ordinance and an important understanding of why
the City has the ordinance. The emphasis on preservation during development is highlighted as it supports UFMP
discussions in the beginning of this chapter. It also aligns with the canopy analysis presented in Chapter 3, which
shows that private property owners manage most trees
throughout the City. For the City to achieve long-term
canopy cover goals, and related tree benefits, it must
have an effective ordinance to protect and preserve
trees on private property. The following sections discuss the tree preservation ordinance, what aspects move the
City towards a sustainable urban forest, and areas for
improvement.

4.3.1 Definitions
The definition of a protected tree on private property, based on species and tree size, has significant implications on the quantity of trees that fall under the ordinance. This in turn impacts the scale with which the City will have to work with private property owners to manage permit
applications and enforce penalties for violations. The City provides four definitions of when a tree is protected and one when a tree is not protected, listed below:
“Protected tree” means:

1. Native oak – Quercus lobata, valley oak; Quercus
wislizenii, interior live oak; Quercus douglasii, blue oak; or Quercus morehus, oracle oak – having a trunk diameter of at least six inches or greater; or

2. Any tree species other than a native oak having a trunk diameter of at least 12 inches or greater on nonresidential property; or

3. Any tree species other than a native oak having a trunk diameter of at least 24 inches or greater on residential property; or

4. Any tree planted as a requirement tree for site
development, tree permit condition, landscape plan
removal replacement, or other designated condition by the public works director or planning director.

5. “Protected tree” does not include any trees for sale within the city sold by a nursery.

The first classification of a protected tree is reserved for oak species native to Rancho Cordova and the greater
Sacramento County region when they have a trunk
diameter of six inches or greater. Native tree species
is a common definition that exists in many municipal
ordinances throughout California as they hold a significant historic and cultural value to a community in addition to the environmental and economic benefits. The elevated
value of the tree also corresponds to the low minimum
trunk diameter of 6 inches, which is considered an
immature tree. The City also allows for a cumulative trunk diameter to be taken when a tree has multiple stems
coming from the base. Native oak trees often develop
with multiple branches coming from the base, and this
additional trunk diameter measurement would encompass
many small native oaks in wildland or open space settings.

The second and third classifications place protection value on tree size and not tree species, which is an important point of distinction within the tree preservation ordinance and aligns with the stated purpose of the ordinance in that all trees contribute to City-wide canopy cover. The lower trunk diameter standard for nonresidential properties
places a higher expectation for tree preservation on
commercial and business properties. It also assumes that commercial and business property owners can afford the
additional expenses associated to preserve and protect a larger total of trees during site development. Residential property owners are only expected to preserve trees that can be considered mature, which lowers the potential for tree preservation and related costs.

The fourth classification ensures that trees planted to replace removed trees are not then allowed to be removed without oversight at a later date. Trees on commercial
properties and trees planted by developers as a part of new housing developments are considered protected
under this classification.

4.3.2 Application Procedure and Decision
Criteria
The application procedure involves seven steps and
information requirements for the City to complete a
review. The first piece of required information is a brief written statement from a certified arborist to justify why the permit is needed. It is important that the City requires any tree management decisions, or condition and health
assessments, to be made by a certified arborist. This helps to ensure, but does not guarantee, that the information is accurate and reflects arboricultural best practices. The City ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

176 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 177 should always include an internal review from a City staff or contracted arborist to verify the claims made by the applicant. The procedure then includes information that is frequently requested by municipal agencies to process protected tree permits including tree species, size, canopy spread, condition, and a site map.

After the City receives the permit application, the Public Works Director will decide on permit approval or denial based on 15 different decision criteria. The list is thorough and helps to provide a clear understanding to applicants of when a permit will be approved. The decision criteria include determinations of tree health and condition,
structural soundness, risk, and whether alternatives exist to tree removal. These decision criteria should only be made by a City arborist, or contracted third party arborist, so tree management decisions are supported by arboriculture practices. It will also encourage an informed conversation of reasonable alternatives to tree removal to ensure tree preservation during site development.

4.3.3 Emergency Conditions
The ordinance allows for protected trees to be removed in the case of an imminent or serious threat to the health and safety of the community. An application must be submitted within 10 days of removing the protected tree. Assessing risk is a specialized field of arboriculture that is based on a series of determinations including the tree’s likelihood of failure, the likelihood of impact with a potential target, and the severity of consequences should failure and impact occur. It is not clear who can make the determination of an emergency condition based on the language of the
ordinance, which may lead to persons unqualified in risk assessment deciding on emergency tree removal.

4.3.4 Tree Replacement Plan
Applicants who are granted approval to remove a
protected tree are required to replace the tree per the standards of the ordinance. Tree replacement for single or duplex-unit dwellings must replace each removed
protected tree with one tree, and in any other location it is required to replace each inch of DSH removed at a 1:1 ratio.

For example, a protected tree with a DSH of 24 inches
would require 24 inches of DSH replacement. Replacement DSH is broken down by nursery stock size in the following manner:
• 15-gallon tree = 1-inch DSH
• 24-inch box tree = 2-inch DSH
4 - Development and Urban Forest Protection
• 36-inch box tree = 3-inch DSH
Using the example of removing a 24-inch DSH tree, a single or duplex unit dwelling would have to replant one tree, while all other locations would require tree replacement that could vary from twenty-four 15-gallon trees to eight 36-inch box trees.

It is not clear if this policy aligns with the purpose of the tree preservation ordinance and would achieve canopy
cover goals of the UFMP based on the high variance in tree replacement between single and duplex-unit dwellings
and all other properties. Single and duplex-unit dwelling replacement requirements may not replace lost canopy
if a small tree replaces a large tree and does not account for tree mortality. It may also take decades to recover lost canopy when a removed tree is replaced with a
comparable species. Conversely, the replacement for all other properties may have encourage the use of small
stature trees so the development site can accommodate
the tree planting requirement. If the site cannot
accommodate all replacement trees, then a payment of
in-lieu fees can be made to the City Tree Program Fund.

While this has the benefit of generating revenue to fund tree planting projects in low canopy locations, it may
detract from developing site plans that optimize canopy cover where tree removal occurred.

Section 19.12.120, Section C, Replacement Options,
item 3, describes an option for applicants to receive a replacement credit for preserving trees on site smaller than size requirements of private protected trees. Applicants can receive a 1-inch of DSH credit for every 1 inch of
DSH preserved that would count towards the total DSH
replacement requirement for the site. This approach
encourages the preservation of existing trees that are
already established in the landscape and would not require establishment care. It would also minimize the loss of
canopy cover and time it will take to replace canopy cover on the site.

4.3.5 Activity Allowed Near Protected Trees
Sections 19.12.090 and 19.12.100 define the activities that are allowed and prohibited in proximity to protected
trees or within their driplines. Both sets of conditions are reasonable to protect trees and follow International Society of Arboriculture Best Management Practices. Prohibited
actions are generally avoidable situations that can harm a tree. Allowed actions in general may encroach underneath ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

178 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 179 the dripline of the tree without causing harm to the tree.

4.3.6 Tree Protection Measures
Section 19.12.140 defines the scope and measures to
protect trees when grading under the dripline and
asserts that no disturbance should occur underneath
the dripline of a tree. It also recognizes that in some instance’s construction-related activities will have to occur underneath the dripline and describes the procedures to preserve root health and structure. Protection measures state that roots 2 inches or greater in diameter within the tree’s dripline shall not be cut, which encourages tree stability and health. It is not understood how feasible this policy is during site development and whether the policy could lead to tree removal if roots 2 inches or greater require pruning. Root size is one factor to consider when making decisions about whether root pruning will impact tree stability and safety. It is also important to consider the distance from the trunk to the pruning cut, as the impact on tree stability lowers as the root pruning distance from the trunk increases. The impact of root pruning must also consider the total proportion of roots pruned, as stability decreases with an increase in total roots pruned.

Section 19.12.150 defines the development control measures 4 - Development and Urban Forest Protection
that may be mandated to mitigate the damage caused to
protected trees during land development. The measures
restrict construction-related activities within the dripline of a tree by limiting the extent of grading, trenching, and backfill to maintain soil health and tree vitality. The section also defines appropriate measures to irrigate and maintain landscape underneath native oak trees. The construction limitations uphold arboricultural practices to sustain tree health during and after construction, and implementation is at the discretion of the City. This allows for flexibility in applying the standards and may encourage site developers to work around and preserve protected trees.

4.3.7 Effectiveness of the Ordinance
The effectiveness of the Rancho Cordova tree preservation ordinance depends on residential property owner
and developer awareness of its existence. City staff
and community members expressed in interviews and
community meetings that they believe most residential
property owners are unaware of the ordinance. This is
supported by the online survey results, where 78% of
respondents indicate that they were not aware of the City urban forest program prior to taking the survey. The lack of awareness of the tree preservation ordinance can lead to private property owners inadvertently removing or pruning a protected tree without receiving City approval. The
effectiveness of the ordinance also depends on the ability of the City to enforce the policy and whether penalties are sufficient to deter violation. It can be difficult to determine when and where violations occur, and when the City is
unaware of violations, it cannot administer penalties to recover lost canopy. Educating private property owners
about City policies that govern trees on private property, as well as the value of the urban forest would help deter violations, preserve canopy, and ensure the planting of replacement trees.

The ordinance replacement plan policy may also benefit
from basing replacement requirements on the preservation and expansion of canopy cover, so it aligns with the
purpose of the ordinance and UFMP goals. Replacement
policies directed toward preserving a percentage of
canopy cover that varies for residential and commercial properties would help accomplish City goals and provide further justification for the total number of required
replacement trees. The policy could also include a time frame by which the replacement plan would recover
lost canopy to ensure a more immediate return of lost
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

180 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 181 4 - Development and Urban Forest Protection
Chapter 4: Development and Urban Forest Protection
Section Recommendation Discussion

4.1.1 Community
Specific Plans
Update all Specific Plans to
reflect the goals and strategies
presented in the UFMP.

Specific Plans are tools used to guide new
development in the city, with most lacking a
meaningful inclusion of trees in the planning process
and a recognition of community benefits provided by
trees.

4.1.1 Community
Specific Plans
Ensure trees are included in
the first stages of community
development.

Trees are often the last piece of city infrastructure to be considered in how new residential communities
are developed which has led to trees being planted in
locations where they experience conflicts with other
infrastructure like sidewalks.

4.1.2 Role of
Community
Development
Department
Develop mechanisms that
require or incentivize trees
to be preserved during site
development when feasible.

The city currently has no requirement to or incentive
to preserve existing trees during site development
allowing for the removal of mature trees that could
otherwise be preserved. The removal of mature trees
results in lost canopy cover that can take 20 or more
years to recover, if at all.

4.1.2 Role of
Community
Development
Department
Require certified arborists to
complete tree surveys and
reports submitted to the city for
development projects
The city does not require a certified arborist to
prepare tree surveys and reports. This information
should only be collected and presented by a
professional certified arborist to ensure it is accurate in determinations of tree health and preservation.

Recommendations:
environmental services. This strategy can be coupled
with the current tree replacement ratios and in-lieu fee program ($165/inch of trunk diameter) to ensure that even if a target canopy cover is maintained on the developed property, the lost canopy from the removed trees is
replaced.

ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

182 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 183

4.2.1 Rancho
Cordova General
Plan
Review and update the General
Plan based on goals, standards,
and recommendations presented
in the UFMP.

The General Plan contains multiple goals and policies
related trees and the urban forest that could be
further enhanced by implementation of the UFMP.

4.2.2 Pedestrian
Master Plan and
Bicycle Master Plan
Update the Pedestrian Master
Plan and Bicycle Master Plan to
incorporate trees and strategies
of the UFMP.

The Pedestrian Master Plan and Bicycle Master Plan
do not include a discussion of trees and should be
updated be developing an approach to using trees
as an enhancement of walking and biking paths and
corridors.

4.3.2 Application
Procedure and
Decision Criteria
Include City arborist or on-call
third party consulting arborist
review of all tree removal permit
applications.

It is critical to have an arborist provide a review of tree removal permit applications to ensure the provided
tree information is accurate, whether removal is
warranted, and to evaluate the possibility to preserve
the tree in the landscape.

4.3.3 Emergency
Conditions
Update the process for
emergency conditions so a City
designated certified arborist
who is ISA Tree Risk Assessment
Qualified is required to decide
the appropriate response to
high-risk trees.

Decisions on appropriate responses to tree
emergencies involve an assessment of risk that should
only be made by an arborist who is qualified to
determine the level of risk and recommend mitigation
measures to reduce the level of risk associated with
the tree.

4.3.4 Tree
Replacement Plan
Review the tree replacement
ratios to ensure they replace lost
canopy over a 15-year time frame
and promote the use of medium
to large stature trees.

It is not clear if the replacement ratios for permitted tree removals will effectively increase canopy cover
over time or can be consistently applied. This has
the potential to lead to difficulties in enforcing the
replacement policy and declining canopy cover.

4.3.7 Effectiveness
of Ordinance
Increase public awareness of the
tree preservation ordinance.

Results of the online survey reflect that 78% of
respondents were not aware of the city urban forest
program prior to taking the survey. It is reasonable
to assume that they are also not aware of other tree
related policies, like the Tree Preservation Ordinance. 4 - Development and Urban Forest Protection

4.1.2 Role of
Community
Development
Department
Require a certified arborist
to review all tree surveys and
reports submitted to the city.

The city is beginning to increase the frequency of
utilizing an arborist to review development plans,
which is important to providing an assessment of tree
preservation, tree species selection, and if tree species are provided enough growing space in the built
landscape.

4.1.3 Design
Guidelines
Revise Design Guidelines to
allow planter strips to separate
sidewalks from the street edge
in areas with high pedestrian
activity.

Trees located in planter strips helps to increase safety for bikers and pedestrian’s activity by providing a
physical buffer between the road and sidewalk.

4.1.3 Design
Guidelines
All new development,
including new residential home
communities, should be designed
with parkways that are a
minimum of 8’ in width between
the curb and sidewalk.

Design Guidelines currently call for a 5’ minimum
parkway width which is too small to accommodate
medium and large stature trees. This minimum
requirement has led to tree and sidewalk conflicts and
the planting of smaller stature trees.

4.1.3 Design
Guidelines
Create standards that maximize
the potential for energy efficient
homes and communities by
ensuring trees can shade and
cool homes/buildings without
interfering with the ability of
solar panels to generate energy.

The Design Guidelines identify shade trees and solar
panels as opportunities for building energy efficient
homes but does not provide guidance on how to do
so.

4.1.3 Design
Guidelines
Review and update the parking
lot shading requirement so it is
directed towards encouraging
the planting of large stature
shade trees.

The requirement of 50% shading for parking lots
has standards, including planting areas that are a
minimum 6’ width and minimum 25 square feet, which
encourage the planting of small stature trees that do
not provide the same level of environmental services
as large stature trees.

ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 185
5 - Community Engagement and Partnerships
CHAPTER 5

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND

PARTNERSHIPS

5.1 Community Engagement
Authentic community engagement is a cornerstone of
developing a UFMP that reflects the goals, needs, and
priorities of the City’s residents and business owners. To understand how the Rancho Cordova community thinks
and feels about trees, and how these perceptions affect the urban forest, the consultant team conducted several community engagement activities.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many of the community
engagement initiatives that were originally planned as
in-person events needed to quickly transition into online efforts and gatherings. Direct conversations occurred
through community meetings and stakeholder interviews
to help guide the direction of the UFMP and further refine project goals to reflect residents’ values. The online and media engagement included a project webpage, online
survey, educational video, social media posts, and print flyers. A community survey was created to identify the
public’s perception and understanding of the City’s
trees, and to offer a space for public feedback as the
City develops its UFMP. The following chapter details
the approach, process, and results of UFMP community
engagement. It also includes a description of current
partnerships, the benefits of those partnerships, and
opportunities to grow the partnerships to increase the
impact of the urban forest program.

5.1.1 Equity and Inclusion
Trees are often sparse in disadvantaged communities
due to socioeconomic and race equity issues (American
Forests 2021). American Forests coined the term “Tree
Equity” to address issues that are a result of a lack of canopy cover in these areas, and to initiate a culture of ensuring that every neighborhood has enough trees so
that all residents can reap the benefits they provide.

The first step in addressing tree equity is to include
the community in the analysis process. Urban forest
management within any city includes multiple actors
across all levels of city staff, elected officials, business community, community organizations, and community
members, with each actor playing a different role in
creating a healthy urban forest. While community
engagement and inclusion in urban forest programs often relies only on gathering volunteers to supply labor for tree plantings and establishment care, this narrow view of community engagement misses the fundamental benefits
of involving the community (Kuhns n.d.).

ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

186 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 187 5 - Community Engagement and Partnerships

5.1.1.1 BARRIERS TO EQUITY
While much of the existing housing and infrastructure lies to the northwest of the City, the southeast portion of the primarily consists of undeveloped land and scattered iwith riparian areas that comprise the historically tree-abundant parts of the City. This separation of development has
led to certain views that City investment will favor new suburban development in the southeast part of the City, over the existing developed urban footprint of the City.

This opinion is not consistent with actual investment of City resources and reflects an opportunity to educate
community members on how resources and services are
dispersed throughout the City. The challenge for the City will be to demonstrate what City services are available to residents and how they benefit their community.

Individual residents also face several barriers to owning and maintaining trees. Over 55% of the City’s residents are renters who may not have the final say in when, how, and what kind of trees are planted in their areas. Renters often cannot make lasting changes to an area because
their housing situation may be seen as temporary, either by the renter, the landlord, or the City. During community meetings, residents addressed the need for tree canopy
near bus stops, sidewalks adjoining major arterial roads, and mobile home communities. In addition, one resident
mentioned that the lack of trees in high-rental areas
contribute to an unsafe recreational environment, when
lack of shade on high heat days becomes dangerous. As
temperatures continue to increase due to climate change, the City will need to address and adapt to the tree canopy concerns of renters, which may be compounded by limited planting space in apartment complexes.

Financial resources are also a barrier to tree equity. While free trees are provided to Rancho Cordovans through
Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) and the
Sacramento Tree Foundation (SacTree), residents who
plant trees in their yards may not have the discretionary income to care for these trees. Trees require establishment care, soil amendments, and pruning that can make them
cost prohibitive. Pruning of large trees can cost thousands of dollars depending on the condition of the tree. Watering costs are often a concern for residents when they learn they need to supply 10 to 15 gallons of water per week
to each tree for its first 3 years of growth. Realistically, however, watering only increases water bills incrementally (CUFC 2015).

Lack of knowledge about tree maintenance and care can
also be a barrier to establishing trees in the City. Varying methods of tree pruning, and maintenance are often used in urban areas to address problems such as overhanging
limbs or conflicts with utilities, and poor pruning practices can affect tree health and safety. Residents may not be able to identify proper tree maintenance practices and
would assume that what is being done is correct. Further, when selecting trees to plant, those that are poorly
adapted to climate or site conditions can lead to tree
mortality, and proper species selection will continue to be important as the City experiences the effects of climate change in coming years. Intentional educational outreach with community members may improve issues of tree
equity in the City.

5.1.2 Public Feedback Results

5.1.2.1 COMMUNITY MEETINGS
In partnership with Dudek, Sacramento Tree Foundation,
and Urban Forest Innovations, the City held two online
community meetings on December 10 and 14, 2020,
attended by 18 participants. The meetings included an
introduction to the City’s UFMP project and process, with a presentation on the importance of trees to living in Rancho Cordova. Attendees could contribute by speaking publicly to the group during the meetings, contributing comments using Zoom’s chat feature, and submitting feedback using the City’s tree website. Extensive notes were taken during each meeting, and comments were analyzed to determine
major community themes, values, and priorities that
residents had for the City’s urban forest.

At several points during each meeting, attendees
expressed a major priority that native and existing urban forest cover should be preserved as habitat for birds and other wildlife. One resident wanted to ensure that those who maintain City trees are properly trained to deal with nesting birds found in trees. Attendees placed a high
value on the American River Parkway, both as a critical recreational area for Rancho Cordovans and as a tourist attraction for the City. As such, several residents shared the desire to protect and increase the tree canopy along the Parkway.

Many residents said they would like to see a culture of City ordinances that are equitably enforced for both developers and private citizens alike, especially when planting native trees and preserving the existing urban forest and heritage trees. Attendees also desired more education about tree ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

188 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 189 planting and maintenance. While many of the attendees
were familiar with existing tree programs provided by
the City and Sacramento Tree Foundation, many wanted
more resources and support relating to tree establishment, pruning, planting, maintenance, and care.

Because the City continues to develop and expand,
meeting attendees were concerned with how utilities
and housing plans inform and impact the urban forest
canopy, especially with regard to tree maintenance and
issues with infrastructure damage from trees (sidewalks, pipes, etc.). Residents noticed that high-density housing areas lack large trees, and although these larger trees are incorporated into park and parklet designs, homes
and apartments in these areas do not receive the cooling benefits compared to less densely developed areas of the City.

Residents repeatedly addressed the need for community
education surrounding the urban forest, free tree
programs, and incentives for residents to plant trees. They highlighted the importance of having a consistent staff person to build trust in community education and serve as a mainstay for volunteers and acknowledged the turnover in the role in recent years. They spoke of the importance of developing a community culture around volunteering
and community outreach to build consistency. Residents
pointed out that volunteers that attend community
tree planting events do not typically live in the City, and while their efforts benefit the community, it would be more impactful to engage Rancho Cordovans in the
improvements. Conversely, residents mentioned several
volunteer tree planting events that were a success at the time, but their planted trees were removed a few years
later to make room for new construction. These decisions hurt residents’ trust in the City, and detracted from the volunteer culture.

Residents were also concerned with the new housing
development that lacked trees in the new designs and
prioritized pavement and parking instead of large trees.

They were outspoken about the equity and enforcement
of the tree ordinance and wished that it applied to all trees rather than only large ones. They also addressed
the importance of increasing tree plantings around public transit stations, bus stops, and residential corridors.

Finally, residents stated that the City’s tree program has 5 - Community Engagement and Partnerships
potential to provide job training to at-risk youth, and were in agreement that green job training internships,
opportunities and incentives for disadvantaged areas
of the City, and increased participation to benefit and participate in tree planting efforts could build community trust and ownership of the City’s trees.

5.1.2.2 ONLINE SURVEY
An online survey was created to identify the public’s
perception and understanding of the City’s trees, and to offer a space for public feedback as the City develops
its UFMP. The 20-question survey was open between
October 26, 2020, and February 7, 2021, and was
distributed through various City social media outlets, local newspapers, outreach events, and communications sent by City staff. Major themes of the survey questions included the following:
• The attitudes and feelings respondents have towards
trees
• How much respondents know about trees and how to
maintain them
• How willing respondents would be to support policies
that protect trees on private property
• How willing respondents would be to support programs
that grow trees in the public space
• Demographics of survey respondents
A full list of survey questions and responses can be found in the Appendix. In total, 236 survey responses were
recorded. Of the respondents, 81% live in Rancho Cordova, with representation from each of the City’s zip codes
(Table 5-1). Table 5-2 highlights other relevant survey respondent demographics, and how they compare to City
Census demographic data. The survey respondents are
skewed towards older, single-family homeowners, with
higher levels of education than the average City resident.

Although many efforts were taken to engage diverse
groups of residents, it is important to recognize the
limitations of the survey results, and to highlight the fact that the opinions of renters, residents under 50, and nonEnglish speakers are less likely to be represented.

5.1.2.3 COMMUNITY VALUES AND CONCERNS
Over 97% of survey respondents agreed that trees are a
valuable asset to Rancho Cordova that contributes to their quality of life. City development was addressed numerous times as a resident concern during community meetings,
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

190 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 191 meaningfully include residents in the process.

Residents also saw the importance of increasing canopy
cover in areas of the City that currently lack it. Eightysix percent of survey respondents agreed that it was important to support low-income residents by planting
and maintaining shade trees in areas that have fewer
trees. Further, a core issue to preserving and growing
the City’s canopy cover will depend on the willingness
of single-family homeowners to protect and plant trees
on their property. Many respondents addressed the need
for more educational programs and marketing of free
tree services that the City already provides, as 78% of respondents indicated they were not aware of any City
tree programs that help residents. Increased awareness of water needs, information on proper pruning tactics, and an understanding of what to do when private trees damage
City infrastructure was requested as well.

The American River Parkway and walking/biking trails
throughout the City were frequently addressed in
community outreach. Residents saw the need to preserve
the parkway for both recreation and tourism. Community
members stressed the importance of maintaining the
space with large, native shade trees to ensure safety
and comfort while using the trails. This unique resource in Rancho Cordova has the space that native trees need
to successfully establish, and planting native trees in an urban wild setting could increase their potential to serve as high-quality wildlife habitat, which is another community priority.

5.2 City Partnerships
The UFMP guiding principle of “Engagement and
Partnerships” emphasizes the value the City places on
sharing resources and expertise to achieve the best
possible outcome for the urban forest and stakeholders
of Rancho Cordova. This is reflected in the goal for the guiding principle: “priorities of the urban forest program are developed with and achieved by collaborating with
community members and external stakeholders.” The City
exhibits this guiding principle in partnerships with external stakeholders including the Sacramento Tree Foundation
(SacTree), Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD), Cordova Recreation and Parks District (CRPD), and Folsom Cordova Unified School District (FCUSD). While the depth of each partnership varies, they all present an opportunity to further expand the level of urban forest program
services provided to the Rancho Cordova community. In
resident interviews, and the public survey. Over 95% of respondents said large, healthy trees were important
to consider and prioritize as the City grows and builds new neighborhoods. Because many residents expressed
concerns and lack of trust for new development projects and the impacts the projects will have on trees, a key
component of new development should include involving
residents in the design and review process and increasing transparency by specifically addressing the ways that
trees may be affected. The City should strategize ways to Table 5-2: Demographics of Survey Respondents Compared to Demographics of the City of Rancho Cordova Category Demographics of Survey Respondents U.S. Census Demographics of City of Rancho Cordova
Age 52.5% 50 or older 25% 54 or older
Housing Type 89% single-family home 58.6% single-family home Housing Status 84% homeowner 55% homeowner
Language spoken other
than English
3% 33.9%
Level of Education 71% bachelor’s degree or higher 27% bachelor’s degree or higher Source: U.S. Census Bureau 2019 and Data USA 2018.
5 - Community Engagement and Partnerships
Table 5-1: Zip Codes of Survey Respondents
Zip Code Percent of Respondents
95827 14%
95670 57%
95655 2%
95742 14%
Other 14%
Source: Rancho Cordova Public Survey 2020
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

192 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 193 5 - Community Engagement and Partnerships
addition, during interviews with the consultant team, each City partner expressed a willingness to explore avenues to enhance its relationship with the City. The following section will discuss the structure of each partnership, the benefits provided to the community, and opportunities to leverage resources to enhance urban forest program services.

5.2.1 Sacramento Tree Foundation
SacTree was founded in 1982 with a mission to ‘grow
thriving communities through stewardship of our urban
forest’ (SacTree 2021a). The mission is expressed in
programs that seek to create a healthy urban forest for all residents and focus on historically underserved and undercanopied neighborhoods within the City of Sacramento and the greater Sacramento County region. SacTree
has multiple programs to equip community members to
successfully plant and care for trees at their homes and surrounding neighborhoods. The equipping of community
members is further leveraged with support from SacTree
staff and resources such as free shade trees that it receives through its partnership with SMUD. In total, SacTree has been able to engage, train, and educate approximately
180,000 community members and plant and tend to
500,000 trees throughout its history (SacTree 2020a).

SacTree started working in Rancho Cordova
neighborhoods in 1990 and formalized its partnership
with the City of Rancho Cordova in 2015, by contracting 50% of one staff member’s time to assist in building
capacity of the urban forest program. In 2018 Rancho
Cordova received a CAL FIRE grant that provides funds
to SacTree so they can provide full-time staff member
support to the City through March 2022. The SacTree
Neighborwoods Organizer functions as an extension
of City staff, deepening the City’s level of community
engagement to increase the number of trees planted in
parks, schools,residential yards, and other private property to help meet urban forest program goals.

5.2.1.2 NEIGHBORWOODS PROGRAM
The City and SacTree partnership is the main driver of tree planting engagement activities in the City. All City tree plantings, not including plantings in City owned street tree corridors are facilitated through SacTree’s Neighborwoods Program, a process led by SacTree staff to educate,
train, and support community leaders in planning and
implementing tree planting projects in the neighborhoods where they live. The Neighborwoods Organizer also
coordinates tree planting efforts by the Sacramento
Regional Conservation Corps, primarily in Severely
Disadvantaged Community areas, volunteer-based tree
planting events, and other community engagement
initiatives. The program is based on building relationships with the community before decisions are made about
where trees will be planted and who will be responsible for their care. This model emphasizes that those who are going to be responsible for the ongoing care of neighborhood
trees should be allowed to help decide how the tree
planting project will be designed and implemented. With direction from the community their needs are included in the outcome of the tree planting effort and in the project design. The intended result is a healthier urban forest, increased social cohesion, community action to improve
social and environmental issues, better access to City
resources, and increased ability to organize politically (SacTree 2020b). Through these engagement efforts in the last 6 years, SacTree has planted 1,700 trees and held 18 community volunteer tree planting events. The events have engaged 1,000 volunteers, with 17% of those volunteers
being City residents and the remaining coming for other communities in the Sacramento region.

5.2.1.3 SACRAMENTO SHADE
SacTree also contributes to growing the urban forest by facilitating the Sacramento Shade program, which provides free trees to Sacramento County residents and SMUD
customers (SacTree 2021b). All private property owners
in the City are eligible to receive up to 10 free shade trees to plant around their property. SacTree staff will conduct a site visit to the property and work with the owner to determine the best locations to plant trees on the property and select tree species. After the site visit, SacTree will coordinate the delivery of shade trees to the property
along with stakes, ties, and instructions on how to plant and care for the trees. The property owner will then plant and care for the tree, with SacTree staff available to help answer any questions. Sacramento Shade is an opportunity for the City to increase canopy cover on private property as the program has planted 2,300trees on residential,
commercial, and public properties throughout Rancho
Cordova over the last 6 years.

5.2.1.4 CITY AND SACTREE PARTNERSHIP
Multiple factors contribute to the effective partnership between the City and SacTree. First, they both approach urban forestry from a shared set of values and goals, to ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

194 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 195 increase tree canopy cover in underserved communities
through meaningful community engagement. The
partnership also benefits from clearly defined roles and responsibilities that are based off the strengths and
resources each partner provides. SacTree fills its role as experts in engaging and educating residents, and provides the resources of its programs, staff experience, and
free shade trees. The City fills its role as the manager of public trees by providing staff resources to navigate City permitting and provide arboriculture knowledge, as well as acquiring funding to grow the program.

While the partnership is effective in trees being planted through community engagement, it is not evident that the current scale of the program will progress the City towards UFMP goals. A total of 4,000 trees have been planted
on streets, public property, and private property over a 6-year period through SacTree engagement programs. As
stated above, 2,300 of those were through Sacramento
Shade which is an existing program that functions without City investment. An additional 1,700 trees were planted through the City and SacTree Neighborwoods partnership, a 43% increase in plantings within the City as a result of its investment in SacTree engagement staff. As discussed in Chapter 3, Growing the Urban Forest, of the UFMP,
it may take planting as many as 1,000 trees per year to increase canopy cover to 20% over 40 years. The average annual planting of trees would fall short of the target and require supplemental planting efforts by the City to reach canopy goals. The free shade tree program for private
property has the potential to plant trees on residential properties at a higher rate than street tree plantings due to the number of trees that can be planted per property and given that private property makes up the majority of the City’s plantable space. Shifting the focus of SacTree engagement efforts toward private property tree plantings and increasing in this program may make it possible for the City to reach its canopy cover goals.

One limitation in this partnership is the capacity of SacTree to leverage Sacramento Shade to provide free trees to
the City. While the City invests in added staff support for outreach and engagement, all the trees and technical support from SacTree rely exclusively on their existing programs. As demand across the region for tree planting projects increases, SacTree will not be able to scale up support without further financial investment in their
underlying programs.
5 - Community Engagement and Partnerships
Another limitation of the partnership described by
SacTree staff during interviews with the consultant team is how they are able to conduct community engagement
and advocacy efforts. SacTree attempts to build deep
relationships with community members as they work
together to bring about a positive change in their
neighborhoods. Community members look to SacTree for
leadership and guidance in organizing tree planting efforts and to vocalize support for their concerns with elected officials. At times community members can be at odds
with City management decisions and have an expectation
that SacTree will advocate on their behalf. This creates tension for SacTree staff as they are placed in a position of having to carefully navigate both relationships.

5.2.2 Sacramento Municipal Utility District
SMUD provides electric service to most of Sacramento
County and small portions of adjacent Placer and Yolo
Counties (SMUD 2021). SMUD has a goal to reach zero
emissions in its power supply by 2030 (SMUD 2021b),
which will be achieved in part through clean energy
sources such as solar power. It will also be achieved by efforts to reduce energy consumption such as planting
shade trees to cool homes during hot summer months.

ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

196 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 197 This decision led SMUD to develop the Sacramento Shade
program with SacTree and begin its partnership in 1990 to engage customers in receiving free shade trees, leading to the planting of over half a million trees (SacTree 2021b).

SMUD inspects and prunes more than 200,000 trees in
its 900-square-mile service area. Depending on species, SMUD contractors prune trees to maintain between
12 feet and 20 feet of clearance between canopies
and overhead lines. There is currently limited, if any, coordination between SMUD and the City on utility line
pruning, and both agencies have identified the need for improved coordination, especially in planning, design,
and implementation, to prevent future tree/infrastructure conflicts.

The partnership between SMUD and SacTree is based on
the shared values and goals to increase canopy cover so residents can receive the environmental benefit of trees.

Like the SacTree and City partnership, SMUD provides
financial resources to SacTree so it can implement
community engagement and education programs and
facilitate the distribution of shade trees. SMUD funding supports 11 full-time SacTree staff and the purchase of nursery stock and planting supplies. SacTree staff are
responsible for consulting with residents and property
managers, selecting tree species, siting tree locations, delivering trees, and conducting follow up stewardship
support.

Originally the program would only allow trees to be
planted in locations that would directly lower energy use, but the program focus shifted to increasing canopy cover, and the requirement was removed. While the program
annually contributes 10,000 newly planted trees to the
Sacramento County urban forest, SMUD staff stated during interviews with the consultant team that space exists on private property to plant significantly more trees. SMUD staff also reported a 36% mortality rate of trees and cited trees not being planted as the main cause. This indicates that while the partnership is effective in distributing large number of trees to Sacramento County, improvements
could be made to ensure trees are planted in locations
sited by SacTree staff.

Rancho Cordova is leveraging the free shade trees
provided through the SMUD partnership with SacTree in
multiple ways. As discussed, the City can offer the SMUDsponsored free shade trees to private property owners to plant around their property, instead of using City funds to pay for this service. The City can also leverage free shade trees as matching funds on grant applications, which can lower the total grant ask and increase the chances of
being awarded a grant. Finally, it allows the City to invest resources for SacTree staff to implement tree planting
programs, instead of needing to purchase the trees and
planting materials. The partnership between the City,
SMUD, and SacTree is a cornerstone of implementing the
Rancho Cordova urban forest program and effective in
reaching the goals and objectives of all parties.

5.2.3 Cordova Recreation and Parks District
In 1958 Sacramento County residents voted to create
a parks district to ensure the maintenance and care for parks. This led to the creation of the Cordova Recreation and Parks District (CRPD), which manages over 600 acres of open space at 40 park locations in Sacramento County, including Rancho Cordova (CRPD 2021). CRPD manages
all parks and park trees in the City but is not a City agency.

CRPD is an independent special district primarily funded through property assessments and other fees generated
through park sites (CRPD 2021). Park trees are largely
managed reactively, and the number of trees under CRPD’s management responsibility is unknown as CRPD does not
have a tree inventory.

5.2.3.1 CITY PARTNERSHIP
City staff and community members frequently expressed
in interviews and public meetings the value of parks and open space to the quality of life in the City. Parks serve a different function for the diverse needs of residents.

Residents who live in apartments shared that the local park functions as their backyard, providing space for recreation and family gatherings. Other community members
placed a high value on parks with native tree species and vegetation that provide habitat for wildlife. CRPD and City staff recognize that parks are a valued shared community space to bring residents together. As such, they frequently partner together and with SacTree to host community
volunteer tree planting events and resource fairs at park sites.

The CRPD vision to “empower and engage community
pride by being safe, responsive, accessible, innovative and sustainable” aligns with the values of the City and provides a framework for an effective partnership. The City and
5 - Community Engagement and Partnerships
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

198 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 199 CRPD do not have a clearly defined partnership beyond
collaborating on community events. Both acknowledge
those events as important community activities and
recognize there is significant potential to expand the
partnership to meet organizational goals. CRPD identified a need to inventory all park trees to understand health conditions and improve tree management practices. City
staff identified a desire to increase canopy cover in park sites through tree planting and establishment care. One potential avenue of cooperation to increase urban forest management may be the sharing of staff resources, such as a shared urban forestry inspector position.

5.2.4 Folsom Cordova Unified School District
The Folsom Cordova Unified School District (FCUSD)
includes the cities of Rancho Cordova and Folsom with
an enrollment of 20,500 students from elementary school through high school (FUSCD 2015). FCUSD is responsible
for the management of all public schools and trees on
school sites in the City. FCSD staff expressed that current funding levels impact their ability to actively manage
trees and creates a reliance on bond funding for campus improvement projects. Tree management is predominantly
conducted by contractors on a reactive basis and, due
in part to resource constraints, is largely focused on
removal. FCUSD landscape design strives to minimize
future maintenance requirements, which limits tree
establishment. FCUSD’s existing tree inventory has guided tree maintenance in the past but is now outdated and
requires updating and enhancement to support effective
management.

FCUSD used to have a partnership with SacTree, and
received trees for school plantings, specifications for planting, and training for school maintenance staff. At some point the partnership ended, and it is unclear
why it was not renewed. FCUSD does not have a formal
partnership with the City but has partnered with the City on grant funding opportunities.

FCUSD will be building new school facilities in the
developing south and east areas of the City. Some
community members have expressed concern that the
new schools will receive a higher level of investment than already built schools in the north and west developed areas of the City. This concern is part of similar issues expressed to City staff and expresses a desire from community
members to have transparency from the City in explaining 5 - Community Engagement and Partnerships
how resources are being invested. Addressing this issue should be a part of an FCUSD and City partnership. Like CRPD, FCUSD manages a large portion of land in the City with the potential to plant numerous trees and increase City-wide canopy cover. FCUSD also identified a need to update its tree inventory to understand the condition of its tree population that will inform management practices.

5.2.5 Partnership Expansion
While the City of Rancho Cordova manages perhaps the
most visible part of the urban forest—its street trees—a range of other actors and stakeholders share in the
responsibility for urban forest maintenance. However, with the exception of the City’s partnership with SacTree, there is currently little coordination among these stakeholders in establishing and pursuing shared urban forestry goals and objectives, sharing knowledge and resources, and
implementing commonly accepted best practices. It is
encouraging, however, that all stakeholders consulted
through the UFMP development process expressed a
willingness to work together and manage the urban forest more holistically and less as disparate units. This enhanced cooperation can be facilitated through the establishment of an interagency urban forest working group with a clear term of reference, to meet on both a regularly scheduled and as-needed basis and address a range of urban forestry issues. Such a working group should be convened by
the City, but all members should be considered as equal stakeholders.

A joint grant application is one possible avenue to
expand the depth of the partnership between CRPD,
FCUSD, SacTree, and the City. A joint grant application would help each organization to have resources to meet
program needs and increase organizational capacity. All organizations expressed a willingness to further explore this type of opportunity and have unique resources to
bring to a project. Developing a set of specific projects that can be accomplished together will further enhance the potential to receive grant funding.

The City’s partnership with SacTree has engaged
community residents in urban forest stewardship and
contributed to planting thousands of trees in Rancho
Cordova. This was a half time position prior to grant
funding, and plans are to continue funding the position as half time. The City should seek further grant funding to support this as a full-time position as it is critical in ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

200 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 201 5 - Community Engagement and Partnerships
realizing the UFMP vision and achieving goals and
objectives for the City’s urban forest.

Recommendations:

Chapter 5: Community Engagement and Partnerships
Section Recommendation Discussion

5.1.1 Barriers to
Equity
Develop strategies to encourage
rental property managers to
participate in the urban forest
program.
55% of Rancho Cordova residents are renters who
do not have final say in whether a tree can be
planted on the property or the tree is maintained.

5.1.1 Barriers to
Equity
Ensure tree planting programs
address the long-term maintenance
costs of disadvantaged communities.

A resident can receive a ‘free tree’ from the City
but will be responsible for the pruning costs as
the trees mature which will place a higher financial
burden on low-income households.

5.1.1 Barriers to
Equity
Educate community members
on proper tree maintenance and
pruning practices.

Educating residents on how to properly prune and
maintain a tree can save residents money in the
frequency and extent that they prune their tree,
while also promoting tree safety and maintaining
canopy cover.

5.2 Public
Feedback Results
Develop relationships with
community leaders that are inclusive
of the diverse demographics of
the City and implement in-person
engagement activities to targeted
demographics and communities
when feasible.

COVID-19 restrictions prevented in-person
engagement during the UFMP process and the
engagement efforts did not achieve a high level of
representation across all demographic segments.

Representation from all demographic segments
will be important as the City refines strategies to
implement the UFMP.

ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

202 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 203

5.2.1.4 City
and SacTree
Partnership
Determine how to expand the
partnership between the City and
SacTree to increase community
engagement with the city urban
forest program, including tree
planting activities for residential
properties.

SacTree is the main conduit for the city in
engaging residents in planting trees on private
property. Planting trees on residential and
private property is identified in the UFMP as
key to increasing canopy cover and will require
significant education and outreach in order to
effectively meet city goals.

5.2.2 Sacramento
Municipal Utility
District
Increase coordination between
SMUD and the City on utility line
clearance pruning, specifically
in the planning, design, and
implementation, to prevent future
tree/infrastructure conflicts.

SMUD prunes trees within the city to maintain 12’
to 20’ of clearance between trees and utility lines
which impacts many trees. Improved coordination
between the two agencies on tree related issues
would help to reduce the need for aggressive
pruning of trees planted under utility lines.

5.2.2 Sacramento
Municipal Utility
District
Determine how to expand the
partnership between SMUD, SacTree,
and the City to benefit community
members.

The Sacramento Shade free tree program is a
cornerstone of the urban forest program and will
be an important method for the city to increase
tree canopy cover on private property. An
expansion of this partnership could potentially
address annual tree planting totals needed to
reach city canopy cover goals.

5.2.3 Cordova
Recreation and
Parks District
Continue the partnership between
the City and CRPD on tree planting
projects in CRPD managed park
locations.

CRPD managed parks are a valued asset for
residents in Rancho Cordova. CRPD and the
city share similar goals to increase trees and
canopy cover in park locations providing a solid
foundation to expand upon tree planting activities
in CRPD managed park locations.

5.2.5 Partnership
Expansion
CRPD, FCSD, and the City should
collaborate on grant applications to
support tree planting, establishment
care, and tree inventory activities.

Both CRPD and FCSD have little or outdated tree
inventory data which limits their ability to manage
trees on park and school locations. A joint grant
application between the three agencies could
provide the resources for CRPD and FCSD to
complete an inventory of the trees they manage
while providing funds to the city for tree planting
and establishment care.

5.2.5 Partnership
Expansion
Develop an interagency working
group between SacTree, SMUD,
CRPD, FCSD, and the City to
coordinate urban forestry activities
throughout Rancho Cordova.

The various agencies that work within Rancho
Cordova all expressed an interest in a formalized
collaboration and coordination of urban forestry
efforts in the city. Developing an interagency
working group would provide an established
method for continued communication and
development of programs to meet the shared
goals of each agency.
5 - Community Engagement and Partnerships
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 205
6 - Action Plan
CHAPTER 6

ACTION PLAN

6.1 Implementation Plan
Ultimately, once approved, implementation of this UFMP
and its recommendations would be undertaken by the
Rancho Cordova Department of Public Works. The
Department will be assisted by other City departments
that routinely manage, plan, supervise, and interact with the City’s trees, as well as community organizations and community members.

The following implementation plan prioritizes actions
outlined in the Strategic Plan of the UFMP that the City will act towards completing in the first 1 – 3 years. This order is intended to provide decision makers with a tool to prioritize strategies to streamline UFMP progress towards a sustainable urban forest. The City will continue to review these priorities on an annual basis to reflect the current environmental and economic conditions in the City and
as recommended actions are completed. If necessary,
additional recommended actions will be included into the priorities of the implementation plan to continue to guide the City’s progress towards UFMP goals.

ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

206 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 207 Priority Recommended Actions
Actions

4.S Update the plan and review process for development projects to state that the City arborist must verify that tree planting plans match the approved plan, verify minimum required distances, and have the authority to reject any trees that do not meet American Standards for Nursery Stock (ANSI Z60.1)

4.I Include trees in the first stages of community development so the size of planting space available for street trees can accommodate large stature trees.

4.J Revise City standards so all new development, including new residential home communities, will be designed with parkways that are a minimum of 8’ in width between the curb and sidewalk.

2.A Establish the City Arborist as a full-time permanent staff position.

2.P Trees planted as part of a City managed project will be inspected and approved by a qualified arborist before planting to ensure trees have good structure, no girdling roots, and are in good health.

5.I Ensure tree planting programs address the long-term costs to maintain and monitor trees, especially in disadvantaged communities.

2.D Complete a financing study of the urban forest program that provides analysis for the fiscal impact to implement the UFMP and mechanisms to fund tree management.

5.F Increase public awareness of the tree preservation ordinance.

5.P Develop an urban forest advisory committee consisting of City staff, the City arborist, SacramentoTree Foundation, school district representative, and community stakeholders to guide the implementation of the UFMP. Ensure the advisory committee leverages existing urban forestrelated volunteer and community engagement efforts to expand the City’s community partnerships.

1.A Update the City’s recommended tree species list so all trees are expected to be adapted to anticipated climate conditions. Continue to include new species into the City tree planting list that are drought tolerant, resilient to heat, and promote species diversity.

ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

208 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 209 6 - Action Plan

6.2 Monitoring Plan
One of the most efficient models the City can use to
monitor the implementation of the UFMP is the Vibrant
Cities Lab Community Assessment and Goal-Setting Tool
(Vibrant Cities Lab n.d.). The tool is based on the work of Clark et al. (1997), Kenney et al. (2011), and Leff (2016), and establishes criteria and indicators to measure urban forest sustainability. The tool functions as an assessment with multiple questions that provide different descriptions to define the current state of a specific area of urban forest sustainability. The user is asked to decide what the current state is and what the goal should be. The “low” level
scores of -1 reflect actions that have a negative impact.

The “optimal” level scores of 4 reflect the best possible standard for the City. The “Total Current Score” reflects the perceived state of how the City is functioning. The “Total Goal Score” reflects where the City wants to be. The “Gap Score” reflects how far off the current state is from the desired goal. A city that has a gap score between 20 to 40 is close to achieving the goals of its urban forest program and is progressing towards a sustainable urban forest.

Conversely, a gap score of 40+ indicates that a City needs to enhance the implementation of programs and policies
to close the gap.

The results of Rancho Cordova’s Assessment are shown in Table 6-1.

Table 6-1: Rancho Cordova’s Vibrant Cities Lab Community Assessment and Goal Setting Scores Category Current Rating Goal Rating Gap
Canopy cover
The existing canopy cover
for entire municipality
is <50% of the desired
canopy.

Low (-1)
The existing canopy is >75%-
100% of desired – at individual
neighborhood level as well as
overall municipality.

Optimal
(4) 5
Inventory &
assessment
methodology
Complete or sample-based
inventory of publicly
owned trees.

Fair (1)
Systematic comprehensive
inventory system of
entire urban forest – with
information tailored to users
and supported by mapping
in municipality-wide GIS
[geographic information
system]. Provides for change
analysis.

Optimal
(4) 3
No assessment. Low (-1)
As described for "Better"
rating – and all utilized
effectively to drive
urban forest and green
infrastructure policy and
practice municipality-wide
and at neighborhood or
smaller management level.

Optimal
(4) 5
Publicly owned
trees
Complete tree inventory
that includes detailed tree
condition ratings.

Good (2)
Complete GIS tree inventory
that includes detailed tree
condition and risk ratings.

Optimal
(4) 2
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

210 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 211 6 - Action Plan
Category Current Rating Goal Rating Gap
Publicly owned
natural areas No information Low (-1)
Management plan focused
on sustaining and, where
possible, improving overall
ecological structure and
function while facilitating
appropriate public use. Plan
should consider impacts on
contiguous natural areas
[open space corridors]
outside the community’s
borders.

Optimal
(4) 5
Private
property trees No information Low (-1)
Bottom-up sample-based
assessment, as well as
detailed urban tree canopy
analysis of entire urban forest,
including private property,
integrated into municipalitywide [multi-agency] GIS
system. LIDAR and hyperspectral imaging most helpful.

Optimal
(4) 5
Relative
performance
index by
species
No information Low (-1)
All six most common species
have higher RPI scores than
the average of all species in
community. (>1.)
Optimal
(4) 5
Category Current Rating Goal Rating Gap
Use of native
vegetation
Voluntary use of native
species on publicly and
privately owned lands;
invasive species are
recognized.

Fair (1)
Use of native species is
encouraged on a projectappropriate basis in all
areas; invasive species are
recognized and discouraged
on public and private lands.

Good
(2) 1
Align municipal
departments
Municipal departments/
agencies recognize
potential conflicts and
reach out to urban forest
managers on an ad hoc
basis – and vice versa.

Fair (1)
Municipal policy implemented
by formal interdepartmental/
interagency working teams on
all municipal projects.

Optimal
(4) 4
Engage
residents in
planning and
implementation
Some neighborhood
groups engaged across
the community but no
minimal outreach to
ensure underserved
neighborhoods participate
effectively.

Fair (1)
Proactive outreach and
coordination efforts
by municipality and
nongovernmental
organization partners
resulting in widespread citizen
involvement and structured
engagement among diverse
neighborhood groups.

Optimal
(4) 3
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

212 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 213 6 - Action Plan
Category Current Rating Goal Rating Gap
Environmental
equity
Planting and outreach
include attention to low
canopy neighborhoods or
areas.

Fair (1)
Equitable planting and
outreach at the neighborhood
level is guided by strong
resident involvement in
low canopy/high need
areas. Residents participate
actively in identifying needs
for their neighborhoods,
planning, implementation, and
monitoring.

Optimal
(4) 3
Trees
acknowledged
as vital
community
resource
Trees generally recognized
as important and beneficial.

Fair (1)
Urban forest recognized
as vital to the community’s
environmental, social, and
economic well-being.

Optimal
(4) 3
Engage
large private
landowners
and institutions
Large private landholders
are generally uninformed
about urban forest issues
and opportunities.

Low (-1)
Tree management plans
developed with input from
community, and public access
to the property’s forest
resource.

Optimal
(4) 5
All utilities
work with
municipality,
employ best
management
practices
Utilities employ BMPs, recognize potential municipal
conflicts, and reach out to
urban forest managers on
an ad hoc basis and vice
versa.

Good (2)
Utilities are included in
informal municipal teams
that communicate regularly
and collaborate on a projectspecific basis.

Better
(3) 1
Category Current Rating Goal Rating Gap
Green industry
embraces
goals, high
standards
Little or no cooperation
among segments of green
industry or awareness of
municipality-wide urban
forest goals and objectives.

Low (-1)
Shared vision and goals
and extensive committed
partnerships in place.

Solid adherence to high
professional standards and
commitment to credentialing
and continuing education.

Optimal
(4) 5
Develop urban
forest master
plan
No urban forest master
plan Low (-1)
New or recent urban forest
and green infrastructure
management plan which
targets public and private
tree planting and protection
based on assessment of
anticipated benefits, and
ensures these benefits are
distributed equitably among
neighborhoods.

Optimal
(4) 5
Cooperative
planning
with other
municipalities
Municipalities have no interaction with each other
or the broader region. No
regional planning or coordination on urban forestry.

Low (-1)
Some urban forest planning
and cooperation across
municipalities and regional
agencies.

Good
(2) 3
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

214 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 215 6 - Action Plan
Category Current Rating Goal Rating Gap
Forestry plan
integrated into
other municipal
plans
Urban forestry plan
mentions how it could
meet other municipal
objectives or inform other
planning efforts.

Low (-1)
All agencies whose goals
are served by urban forestry
practices, participate in
creation of forestry plan, and
commit to designated roles
and responsibilities.

Optimal
(4) 3
Urban forestry
program
capacity
Team has capacity in
terms of trained staff and
equipment to achieve
many of the goals of the
urban forest master plan.

Good (2)
Team has no [capacity issues]
to achieve all goals of the
urban forest master plan, to
maintain the resource over
time, and adapt management
as circumstances change.

Optimal
(4) 2
Municipalitywide urban
forestry
funding
Funding sufficient
for some proactive
management based on
urban forest management
plan.

Good (2)
Sustained, long-term
funding from multiple
municipal, regional and/
or state agencies, along
with private sources to
implement a comprehensive
urban forest master plan and
provide for maintenance and
adaptive management as
circumstances change.

Optimal
(4)
2 Category Current Rating Goal Rating Gap
Growing site
suitability
Appropriate tree species
are considered in site selection
Fair (1)
All trees planted in sites with
adequate soil quality and
quantity, and with sufficient
growing space and overall site
conditions to achieve their
genetic potential and thus
provide maximum ecosystem
services. Where growing
conditions are poor, guidance
provided on how to improve
soil volume, quality, and other
factors.

Optimal
(4) 3
Tree
establishment
and
maintenance
Limited planning and
post-planting care.

Planting takes place on
plan-identified sites. None
or only fragmentary planting and maintenance protocols.

Low (1)
Comprehensive tree
establishment plan provides
concrete guidance on most
of the following criteria:
site selection, size, age
class, diversity of species,
native plant choice; planting
protocols [e.g., minimum soil
volumes, soil conditions];
young tree care, including
region appropriate irrigation
requirements. Includes
provisions and funding for
maintenance.

Optimal
(4) 3
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

216 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 217 Category Current Rating Goal Rating Gap
Management of
publicly owned
natural areas
Only reactive management
to facilitate public use, e.g.,
hazard abatement, trail
maintenance.

Fair (1)
Management plan in place for
each publicly owned natural
area to facilitate appropriate
public use.

Optimal
(4) 3
Policies that
foster good
urban forestry
on private
lands
Policies in place to protect
public trees and employ
industry best management
practices, but rare or
inconsistent enforcement.

Fair (1)
All relevant municipal
policies require or incentivize
adherence by private owners
to standards incorporated
in the plan. Incentives and
sanctions applied when
appropriate.

Optimal
(4) 3
Tree protection
policy and
enforcement
Policies in place to protect
public trees and employ
industry best management
practices, but rare or
inconsistent enforcement.

Fair (1)
Integrated municipality-wide
policies and practices to
protect public and private
trees, consistently enforced
and with penalties sufficient
to deter violations.

Optimal
(4) 3
Category Current Rating Goal Rating Gap
Monitoring
Monitoring on a regular
basis with rotating schedule for each area. Monitors
are professionals or volunteers trained to collect
specific data required by
municipality. Multi-year
data available for trend
analyses.

Good (2)
Monitoring adheres to the
standards and protocols
established by the Urban
Tree Growth and Longevity
network.

Optimal
(4) 2
Tree risk
management
Citizens and City staff
report tree safety issues to
the forestry department or
manager (e.g., 3-1-1 system, online form). System
tracks the time between
damage report and mitigation action.

Fair (1)
Includes “better” but with
TRAQ-qualified contractors
on City projects. Educate tree
care companies and public
about importance of TRAQ
qualifications.

Optimal
(4) 3
Urban
wood and
green waste
utilization
While most green waste
does not go to landfill,
uses are limited to chips or
mulch.

Fair (1) The majority of green waste is
reused or recycled for energy,
products, and other purposes
beyond chips or mulch.

Good
(2) 1
6 - Action Plan
Total Current = 11
Total Goal = 105
Score Gap = 94
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

218 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 219

RECOMMENDED TREE SPECIES LIST
Botanical
name
Common
name
Evergreen
or
Deciduous
Mature
height
Mature
width
Growth
Rate
Water
needs
Minimum
distance from
hardscape
(in feet)
Minimum
distance from
building
foundation
Maintenance
Requirements Comments
*# Acacia aneura Mulga E 15-20' 15-20' F M,L 5 10' L tolerates clay soil, yellow flowers in spring
Acacia
stenophylla
Shoestring
acacia E 20-30' 10-20' F M,L 5 10' L rounded, weeping canopy, fragrant yellow flowers, drought tolerant # Acer
buergerianum
Trident
maple D 30-40' 20-30' M M 6 10' M,L rounded canopy turns red in fall # Acer
campestre
Hedge
maple D 30-40' 25-35 M M,L 6 10' L rounded canopy turns yellow to red in fall # Acer capillipes
Red
snakebark
maple
D 30-35' 30-35' M M 6 10' M,L Interesting striated bark, tolerates shade.
# Acer
truncatum
Shantung
maple D 25-30' 20-30' M L 6 10' L
develops a broad, oval crown,
yellow flowers in spring, and
various fall color . Good parking
lot shade
*# Arbutus
‘Marina’
Marina
strawberry
tree
E 20-25' 25' M M,L 6 10' M,L
slow growing rounded tree with
whitish-pink flowers followed by
½” round fruits which are edible
but bland. Trunk & branches are
reddish brown with thin peeling
strips
Calocedrus
decurrens
Incense
cedar E 75-80' 10-15' M M,L 8 15' L pyramidal form, tolerates heat, poor soils, and drought
# Carpinus
betulus
‘Fastigiata’
Columnar
hornbeam D 40' 20' M M 6 15' L develops a dense, upright form *trees suitable for planting under high voltage wires
# trees suitable for planting strips
Water Needs: H-High, M-Moderate, L-Low
Maintenance Needs-H-High, M-Moderate, L-Low
Growth Rate: F-Fast, M-Moderate, S-Slow
Botanical
name
Common
name
Evergreen
or
Deciduous
Mature
height
Mature
width
Growth
Rate
Water
needs
Minimum
distance from
hardscape
(in feet)
Minimum
distance from
building
foundation
Maintenance
Requirements Comments
Carya illinoensis Pecan D 70-100' 70' M M 8 15' L Spreading tree requires ample growing space.

Catalpa speciosa Northern
catalpa D 40-60' 20-40' M M 8 15' M White flowers in spring, followed by large 3-6" long seed pods.

Cedrus atlantica Atlas
cedar E 60' 35-50' M M 8 20' L
pyramidal form, bluish green
needles, drought tolerant when
established
Cedrus deodara Deodar
cedar E 75-80' 20-40' M L 8 20' L
develops a loose pyramidal shape
with a nodding top. Fairly drought
tolerant
Celtis australis European
hackberry D 50-60' 40-50 M M,L 8 15' M,L develops an oval form and is fairly drought tolerant Celtis reticulata Netleaf
hackberry D 25-30' 25-30' M L 8 15' M,L forms a rounded crown; small red berries *# Cercis
canadensis
Eastern
redbud D 20-25' 25' M M 6 10' M,L
pink spring flowers along stems
followed by 2-4” long flat seed
pods
*# Cercis
occidentalis
Western
redbud D 10-20' 10-20' M M,L 6 10' M,L CA native, usually multi-stemmed and shrub-like *# Chionanthus
retusus
Chinese
fringe tree D 20-25' 15' M M 6 6' L white blossoms in spring Chilopsis linearis desert
willow D 20-40' 20-40/ M L 6 6' L small desert accent tree *trees suitable for planting under high voltage wires
# trees suitable for planting strips
Water Needs: H-High, M-Moderate, L-Low
Maintenance Needs-H-High, M-Moderate, L-Low
Growth Rate: F-Fast, M-Moderate, S-Slow
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

220 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 221 Botanical
name
Common
name
Evergreen
or
Deciduous
Mature
height
Mature
width
Growth
Rate
Water
needs
Minimum
distance from
hardscape
(in feet)
Minimum
distance from
building
foundation
Maintenance
Requirements Comments
*# Chitalpa x
tashkentensis Chitalpa D 20-25' 30' M M,L 6 10' M,L
lavender to pink trumpet shaped
flowers in spring, smooth bark
cracks & fissures with age,
generally requires structure
pruning to develop strong trunk &
structure. Cross between catalpa
and chilopsis.

Cinnamomun
camphora
Camphor
tree E 50' 50-60' M M 10 20 L
needs plenty of room as roots
are competitive and may heave
paving
*Citrus spp. Lemon, lime,
orange
E 25' 20' M M 6 10' H,M
Citrus trees need good drainage.

Some lemon & lime trees have
thorns.

Cladrastis
kentukea
American
Yellow wood D 30-50' 30-50' M M 8 20' L
develops a broad, oval crown,
pendulous clusters of white
flowers in spring
Corylus colurna Turkish hazel D 40-50' 30' M M 8 15' L
corky bark, prefers moist welldrained soil, tolerates moderate drought when established
Corymbia
papuana ghost gum E 30-50' 20-35' F L 8 15' L blooms in summer, drought tolerant *Crataegus
phaenopyrum
Washington
hawthorn D 20-25' 20-25' M M,L 5 6' L
white spring blossoms, thorns on
branches, bright red berries in
winter
*Diospiros kaki Japanese
Persimmon D 20-30' 20-25' M M 6 10' M Needs well-drained soil; Different varieties available; edible fruit.
*trees suitable for planting under high voltage wires
# trees suitable for planting strips
Water Needs: H-High, M-Moderate, L-Low
Maintenance Needs-H-High, M-Moderate, L-Low
Growth Rate: F-Fast, M-Moderate, S-Slow
Botanical
name
Common
name
Evergreen
or
Deciduous
Mature
height
Mature
width
Growth
Rate
Water
needs
Minimum
distance from
hardscape
(in feet)
Minimum
distance from
building
foundation
Maintenance
Requirements Comments
*# Eriobotria
deflexa
Bronze
loquat E 25' 15-25' M M 6 8' L reddish bronze new foliage, pink flowers in spring, rarely sets fruit Erythrina cristagalli Cockspur
coral tree D 20-30' 15-20' M M,L 6 10' M,L
rounded umbrella shape, red
flowers followed by 3” long pods;
has thorns, seeds are poisonous
Eucalyptus
nicholii
Peppermint
gum
E 50-60' 20-40' F M,L 8 15 L drought tolerant
Eucalyptus
robusta
Swamp
mahogany E 60-70' 30-75' F Any 8 20' L drought tolerant Geijera parvifolia Australian
willow E 35 20 M L 6 15' L non-invasive roots
Ginkgo biloba
‘Autumn Gold’
Autumn
Gold Ginkgo D 50' 25-35' S M,L 8 15' M,L fruitless variety, slow growing . Good commercial frontage tree.

Gymnocladus
dioicus
‘Espresso’
Espresso
Kentucky
coffee tree
D 60-80' 40-45' M M 10 20' L seedless variety
Hesperocyparis
arizonica
Arizona
cypress
E 40' 20' M M,L 8 15' L
pyramidal form, dark brown
bark peels in thin curling shreds,
exposing bright red layer
beneath
Hesperocyparis
glabra
Smooth
Arizona
cypress
E 40' 20' M M,L 8 15' L bluish to gray-green foliage,
drought tolerant
Juglans hindsii Northern CA
black walnut D 30-60' 30-60' M M,L 8 15' L
Northern CA native, susceptible
to mistletoe; produces a 2"
edible nut.
*trees suitable for planting under high voltage wires
# trees suitable for planting strips
Water Needs: H-High, M-Moderate, L-Low
Maintenance Needs-H-High, M-Moderate, L-Low
Growth Rate: F-Fast, M-Moderate, S-Slow
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

222 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 223 Botanical
name
Common
name
Evergreen
or
Deciduous
Mature
height
Mature
width
Growth
Rate
Water
needs
Minimum
distance from
hardscape
(in feet)
Minimum
distance from
building
foundation
Maintenance
Requirements Comments
Juglans regia English
walnut D 60-100' 50-60' M M,L 8 15' M,L Susceptible to mistletoe; produces a 2" edible nut. # Koelreuteria
bipinnata
Chinese
flame tree D 30-40' 15-30' M L 6 15' M,L
rounded umbrella shape, yellow
flowers in summer followed by
rose colored seed capsules in fall
# Koelreuteria
paniculata
Goldenrain
tree D 30-40' 25-40' M L 6 15' M,L
rounded umbrella shape, yellow
flowers in summer followed by
yellow then brown seed capsules;
Drought tolerant . Good parking
lot tree
# Laurus
‘Saratoga’
Saratoga
laurel E 40' 15-30' M M,L 6 15' M,L rounded leaves are aromatic and can be used in cooking # Maackia
amurensis
Amur
maackia D 25-35 15-25' M M 6 10' L Creamy white flowers in summer Maclura pomifera
‘White Shield’
White Shield
Osage
orange
D 30-50' 30-35' M Any 6 15' L thornless & fruitless cultivar, tolerates poor soil
*# Magnolia
grandiflora 'St.

Mary'
St. Mary
Magnolia E 20' 10' M M 6 10' L
Smaller cultivar of the southern
magnolia, has white fragrant
flowers in spring & summer.
# Magnolia
hybrid ‘Galaxy’
Galaxy
magnolia D 30' 15-20' M M 6 10' L
single trunk, more columnar than
saucer magnolia, reddish purple
flowers appear in spring before
leafing out
*# Magnolia x
soulangiana
Saucer
magnolia D 20-25' 20-25' M M 6 10' L
often multi-trunked, flowers in
early spring before leafing out
with large white, pink , burgundy
or purple flowers; Intolerant of
drought
*trees suitable for planting under high voltage wires
# trees suitable for planting strips
Water Needs: H-High, M-Moderate, L-Low
Maintenance Needs-H-High, M-Moderate, L-Low
Growth Rate: F-Fast, M-Moderate, S-Slow
Botanical
name
Common
name
Evergreen
or
Deciduous
Mature
height
Mature
width
Growth
Rate
Water
needs
Minimum
distance from
hardscape
(in feet)
Minimum
distance from
building
foundation
Maintenance
Requirements Comments
*Malus floribunda
Japanese
flowering
crabapple
D 25' 20-30' M M 5 10' M,L pink or white flowers in spring, several varieties available
# Nyssa sylvatica Tupelo D 30-45' 20-30' M M 6 15' L pyramidal when young, red fall color, grows well in any soil
# Olea europaea
‘Swan Hill’
Swan Hill
olive E 25-30' 25-30' M M,L 6 15 L fruitless variety ; drought tolerant # Parkinsonia x
‘Desert Museum’
Desert
Museum
palo verde
D 20-40' 20-40' M L 6 15 L
Semi-deciduous, thornless
hybrid has distinctive green trunk
& branches, yellow flowers in the
spring, strong upright branching
structure. Small leaves cast light
shade. Drought tolerant.
# Parrotia
persica
Persian
ironwood D 15-30 15-30' M M,L 6 10' M,L Drought tolerant, may need training to be a single stem tree. # Pistacia
chinensis
Chinese
pistache D 30-40' 30-40' M M,L 6 15' M,L
full round canopy, leaves turn
brilliant yellow, orange, & red
in fall; drought tolerant. Good
parking lot shade tree.

Platanus x
hispanica
‘Bloodgood’
Bloodgood
London
plane
D 50-70' 50-70' F M 10 20' L
tough, durable tree native to
Spain. Good commercial frontage
tree.

Platanus
racemosa
California
sycamore
D 50-80' 20-50' F M,L 10 15' L
native to riparian streams of
California foothills and coast.

Good commercial frontage tree.
#* Prosopis
glandulosa x
’Maverick’
Thornless
Honey
mesquite
D 30' 20-30' M L 8 10' L
Thornless cultivar reaches 30’
tall, cold hardy, drought tolerant
and adaptable to a range of soil
types
*trees suitable for planting under high voltage wires
# trees suitable for planting strips
Water Needs: H-High, M-Moderate, L-Low
Maintenance Needs-H-High, M-Moderate, L-Low
Growth Rate: F-Fast, M-Moderate, S-Slow
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

224 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 225 Botanical
name
Common
name
Evergreen
or
Deciduous
Mature
height
Mature
width
Growth
Rate
Water
needs
Minimum
distance from
hardscape
(in feet)
Minimum
distance from
building
foundation
Maintenance
Requirements Comments
Prunus avium Edible cherry D 40' 30' M M 8 15 H,M Pink or white flowers in spring.; Edible fruit.
*Prunus dulcis Almond D 20-30' 20-30' M M,L 6 10' M Whitish pink flowers in spring, edible nut.
#*Prunus mume
Japanese
flowering
apricot
D 30' 30' M M 6 10' M Fragrant pink flowers in spring,
small .5" fruit
Prunus serrulata
Japanese
flowering
cherry
D 15-25' 15-25' M M 6 10' M
Fragrant pink flowers in spring,
small .5" fruit . Needs good
drainage.

Prunus x
'Yedoensis'
Yoshino
flowering
cherry
D 35-40' 30-40' M M 6 10' M
Fragrant white flowers in spring,
small .5" fruit. Needs good
drainage.
*Punica
granatum Pomegranate D 20' 15' M L 6 10' M
Orange, pink or red flowers in
spring or summer, followed by
edible fruit.

Pterocarya
stenoptera
Chinese
wingnut D 50-80 30-50' M Any 10 20' L
broad canopy, roots can
be invasive, thrives in poor,
compacted soil; drought tolerant
Quercus buckleyi Texas red oak D 40-50' 30-50' M M,L 8 15' L drought tolerant . Good commercial frontage tree.

Quercus canbyi Canby’s oak E 30-50' 30-40' M M,L 8 15' L deep rooted and heat tolerant,
evergreen to semi-evergreen.

Good commercial frontage tree.

Quercus
castaneifolia
Chestnut leaf
oak D 60-85' 35-70' M L 8 15' L Good commercial frontage tree. *trees suitable for planting under high voltage wires
# trees suitable for planting strips
Water Needs: H-High, M-Moderate, L-Low
Maintenance Needs-H-High, M-Moderate, L-Low
Growth Rate: F-Fast, M-Moderate, S-Slow
Botanical
name
Common
name
Evergreen
or
Deciduous
Mature
height
Mature
width
Growth
Rate
Water
needs
Minimum
distance from
hardscape
(in feet)
Minimum
distance from
building
foundation
Maintenance
Requirements Comments
Quercus
coccinea Scarlet oak D 60-70' 50' M M 8 15' L
red fall color, usually retains
brown dead leaves through
the winter. Good commercial
frontage tree.

Quercus
douglasii Blue oak D 30-50' 40-50' M L 8 15' L
native to CA central valley &
foothills, broad rounded canopy,
tolerates heat and seasonal
drought; not a lawn tree. Good
commercial frontage tree.

Quercus frainetto
‘Forest Green’
Forest Green
Hungarian
oak
D 50' 50' M M,L 8 15' L Good commercial frontage tree.

Quercus lobata Valley oak D 50-70' 50' M L 8 15 L
native to CA valleys, Sierra
Nevada foothills, and inland
coast ranges, broad rounded
canopy, tolerates heat & seasonal
drought . Good commercial
frontage tree.

Quercus
macrocarpa
Bur oak D 60-70' 30-50' M M,L 8 15 L
tolerates moderate drought
when established. Good
commercial frontage tree.

Quercus x
morehus Oracle oak semideciduous 20-50' 20-30' M M,L 10' 20' L Naturally occuring cross
between two CA native oaks,
the interior live & CA black oak,
characteristics are variable.

Good commercial frontage tree.

Quercus
muehlenbergii
Chinquapin
oak D 40-50' 50' M M 8 15' L needs good drainage . Good commercial frontage tree.
*trees suitable for planting under high voltage wires
# trees suitable for planting strips
Water Needs: H-High, M-Moderate, L-Low
Maintenance Needs-H-High, M-Moderate, L-Low
Growth Rate: F-Fast, M-Moderate, S-Slow
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

226 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 227 Botanical
name
Common
name
Evergreen
or
Deciduous
Mature
height
Mature
width
Growth
Rate
Water
needs
Minimum
distance from
hardscape
(in feet)
Minimum
distance from
building
foundation
Maintenance
Requirements Comments
#Quercus
myrsinifolia
Japanese
live oak E 20-40' 15-30' M M,L 8 15' L Dense, broad canopy Quercus phellos Willow oak D 50-90' 40-50' M M,L 8 15' L yellow to red fall color. Good commercial frontage tree.

Quercus rubra Red oak D 60-70' 50-70' M M 8 15' L deep orange to red fall color Quercus
shumardii
Shumard
oak D 60-70' 40-50' M M 8 15' L yellow, orange or red fall color. Good commercial frontage tree.

Quercus suber Cork oak E 50-60' 50-70' M M,L 8 20' L
tolerates many soils but needs
good drainage; tolerates
drought when established. Good
commercial frontage tree.

Quercus
virginana
Southern
live oak E 40-80' 40-80' M M 8 15 L
Native to eastern U.S. Adaptible
to many soil types. Good
commercial frontage tree.

Quercus wislizeni Interior live
oak E 50-75' 40-80' M M, L 8 15' L native to central CA foothills. Good commercial frontage tree. *Rhus lancea African
sumac
E 20-30' 20-30' M M,L 6 12' L dense spreading form, often multi-trunked, drought tolerant
Schinus molle Pepper tree E 30-40' 25-40' M M,L 8 15' M,L native to south America and
naturalized in CA, often called
California pepper tree, oval
weeping shape, tolerates heat &
drought
#Sophora
japonica ‘Regent’
Regent
Japanese
pagoda tree
D 40-50' 30-40' M M,L 8 15' L rounded canopy
*trees suitable for planting under high voltage wires
# trees suitable for planting strips
Water Needs: H-High, M-Moderate, L-Low
Maintenance Needs-H-High, M-Moderate, L-Low
Growth Rate: F-Fast, M-Moderate, S-Slow
Botanical
name
Common
name
Evergreen
or
Deciduous
Mature
height
Mature
width
Growth
Rate
Water
needs
Minimum
distance from
hardscape
(in feet)
Minimum
distance from
building
foundation
Maintenance
Requirements Comments
# Ulmus
propinqua
Emerald
Sunshine
elm
D 35' 25' M M,L 6 15' L
highly resistant to pests &
diseases. Good commercial
frontage tree.

Ulmus 'Frontier' Frontier elm D 40' 20-30' F, M M 8 15 L Tolerates urban conditions,
drought, poor soil and
compaction. Good disease
resistance
Ulmus 'Triumph' Triumph elm D 50-50' 40-50' F, M M 8 15 L Very good resistance to pests & disease
Zelkova serrata Sawleaf
zelkova D 60' 50-60' M M,L 8 20' L forms a broad, arching canopy . Good commercial frontage tree. #Zelkova serrata
'City Sprite'
City Sprite
zelkova D 30' 20-25' M M, L 8 15' L
Semi-dwarf variety, oval to
round shape. Good commercial
frontage tree.

Zelkova serrata
‘Musashino’
Columnar
zelkova D 40-45' 10-15' M M,L 8 15' L narrow upright form Zelkova serrata
‘Village Green’
Village
Green
zelkova
D 50-60' 45-50' M M, L 8 15' L upright vase shape, red fall color . Good commercial frontage tree.
*Zizyphus jujube Jujube D 20-30' 15-30' M M, L 6 10' M Small edible fruits, has thorns. *trees suitable for planting under high voltage wires
# trees suitable for planting strips
Water Needs: H-High, M-Moderate, L-Low
Maintenance Needs-H-High, M-Moderate, L-Low
Growth Rate: F-Fast, M-Moderate, S-Slow
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 229
Glossary

GLOSSARY
Abiotic – a non-living factor typically used to describe a cause of a disorder in trees, such as drought, flooding, limited growing space, and others.

ANSI (American National Standards Institute) – a private non-profit organization that oversees the development
of voluntary consensus standards for products, services, processes, systems, and personnel in the United States.

Arborist – an individual who is trained in the art and
science of planting, caring for, and maintaining individual trees.

Canopy cover – the area of land covered by a tree’s
leaves and branches when viewed from above.

Diameter at standard height (DSH) – a measurement,
usually in inches, of a tree’s diameter taken at 4.5 feet above the ground. This measurement is also commonly
referred to diameter at breast height (DBH).

Functional value – the annual value of the environmental benefits that the trees provide.

Hardscape – hard materials in the build environment that are incorporated into the landscape. Some examples
include roads, parking lots, driveways, sideways, and
compressed soils.

International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) – serves the tree care industry as a membership association and a
credentialing organization that promotes the professional practice of arboriculture. ISA also works to educate the public about the benefits of trees and the need for proper tree care.

Immature tree – any tree with a diameter at standard
height (DSH) between 0 inches and 6 inches.
i-Tree Eco (application) – a computer-based
program that uses tree measurements and other
data to numerically estimate, both in economic and
environmental terms, the quantity of ecosystem services and the associated value that a given set of trees provide to a given area.

Impervious surface – typically a man-made structure
such as roads, sidewalks, parking lots, and buildings that are covered with covered with a material that does not
allow water to penetrate it, such as concrete, asphalt, metal, brick or stone. Highly compacted urban soils can also serve as impervious surfaces. See also: hardscape.

ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

230 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 231 Glossary
Mature tree – any tree with a diameter at standard height (DSH) of 24 inches or more.

Middle-aged tree – any tree with a diameter at standard height (DSH) between 19 inches and 24 inches.

Pruning – the selective removal of certain parts of a plant such as branches, buds, or roots. Pruning typically involves removing diseased, damaged, dead, non-productive,
structurally unsound, or unwanted tissue from trees or
other plants.

Pruning cycle – the time scheduled between pruning
events. In a municipal setting, this cycle is typically between 5 to 7 years, and depends on the species of tree.

Photosynthesis – process used by plants and other
organisms to convert light energy into food for survival Right tree, right place – an industry-accepted approach for making tree and landscaping selections to ensure
that the vegetation planted is appropriate for a specific purpose or location.

Senescent – the condition or process of deterioration with age.

Stocking rate – the rate at which cities plant trees based on the total number of vacant and planted available space.

Structural value – the cost associated with replacing all trees with the same species, size, and health condition.

Tree – woody perennial usually having one dominant trunk and a mature height greater than 16 feet.

Tree inventory – the systematic gathering of tree attribute data in a given area. Inventories may collect attributes including height, diameter at standard height (DSH),
condition, species, pruning needs, location, and others.

Tree species diversity – the number of different tree
species as well as the number of individuals of a given species represented in population.

Urban Forest - all the trees, both publicly managed by
a city, and privately owned by residents and business
owners, in an urban environment.

Urban forester – an individual who specializes in the care and management of tree populations in urban settings for the purpose of improving the urban environment.

Urban forest master plan (UFMP) – a roadmap that creates a shared vision for the future of a tree canopy in a given area. The plan guides stakeholders to effectively manage and provide for maximum long-term benefits of the urban forest to the community.

Urban heat island –urbanized areas experience higher
temperatures relative to surrounding areas due to
structures, roads, and other infrastructure in the urban landscape that absorbs and re-emits the sun’s heat.

Young tree – any tree with a diameter at standard height (DSH) of 7 inches to 18 inches.

ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 233
American Forests. 2017. “Why We No Longer Recommend
a 40 Percent Urban Tree Canopy Goal.” January 12,
2017. https://www.americanforests.org/blog/nolonger-recommend-40-percent-urban-tree-canopygoal/.

American Forests. 2021. “Tree Equity in America’s Cities.” Accessed March 29, 2021. http://americanforests.org/
treeequity.

Andrea, L. 2019. “Why Urbanisation and Health?”
Acta Biomed 90(2): 181-183. doi: 10.23750/abm.
v90i2.8354.

Arbor Day Foundation. 2021. “How to Plant Trees to
Conserve Energy for Summer Shade.” https://www.
arborday.org/trees/climatechange/summershade.
cfm.

Astell-Burt, T. and X. Feng. 2019. “Association of Urban Green Space With Mental Health and General
Health Among Adults in Australia.” Journal of
the American Medical Association 2(7): e198209.

July 26, 2019. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/
jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/
2739050?utm_source=For_The_Media&utm_
medium=referral&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_
term=072619.

Ball, J., S. Mason, A. Kiesz, D. McCormick, and C. Brown. 2007. “Assessing the Hazard of Emerald Ash Borer
and Other Exotic Stressors to Community Forests.”
Arboriculture & Urban Forestry 33(5): 350–359.

Berland, A., S.A. Shiflett, W.D. Shuster, A.S. Garmestani, H.C.

Goddard, D.L. Herrmann, and M.E. Hopton. 2017. “The
Role of Trees in Urban Stormwater Management.”
Landscape and Urban Planning 162:167-177. https://
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6134866/.

Cayan, D. R., E. P. Maurer, M. D. Dettinger, M. Tyree, and K.

Hayhoe. 2009. Climate change scenarios for the
California region. Climatic Change 87:21–42.

CHAT (California Heat Assessment Tool). 2021. “California Heat Assessment Tool.” https://cal-heat.org/.

City of Rancho Cordova. 2006. General Plan. https://www. cityofranchocordova.org/i-want-to-/learn-about/
general-plan
City of Rancho Cordova. 2021. “Tree Care Tips.” Accessed March 18, 2021. https://www.cityofranchocordova.
org/departments/public-works/services-andprograms/free-trees/tree-care-tips.

City of Rancho Cordova. 2021a. “Community Development.” https://www.cityofranchocordova.org/government/
community-development.

City of Rancho Cordova. 2021b. 2021-2029 Housing
Element. https://www.cityofranchocordova.org/
home/showpublisheddocument/
References

REFERENCES
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

234 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 235 CRPD (Cordova Recreation & Park District). 2021. “About.” https://crpd.com/about/.

CUFR (Center for Urban Forestry Research). 2005. The
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psw/topics/urban_forestry/
products/cufr_511_large_tree_argument.pdf.

CUFC (California Urban Forest Council). 2015. “Tree
Watering Handouts”. https://ccuh.ucdavis.edu/
sites/g/files/dgvnsk1376/files/inline-files/Tree%20
Watering%20Handouts.pdf.

Data USA .2018. Housing and Home Owner Information.
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Dumbaugh, E. 2005. “Safe Streets, Livable Streets.” Journal of the American Planning Association 71(3): 283–
300.

Dumbaugh, E. 2006. “Design of Safe Urban Roadsides: An
Empirical Analysis.” Transportation Research Record
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EPA. 2013. Stormwater to Street Trees: Engineering Urban Forests for Stormwater Management. EPA 841-B-13-
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documents/stormwater2streettrees.pdf
EPA. 2019a. Reducing Urban Heat Islands: Compendium of
Strategies, Urban Heat Island Basics. https://www.
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EPA. 2019b. “Using Trees and Vegetation to Reduce
Heat Islands.” Last updated December 16, 2019.
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EPA. 2020. “Heat Island Effect.” Last updated December 9, 2020. Accessed January 27, 2021. https://www.epa.
gov/heatislands.

Escalante, E. 2019. “How the City of Rancho Cordova Got its Name in California.” June 7, 2019. https://www.
abc10.com/article/news/history/how-the-city-ofrancho-cordova-got-its-name-in-california/103- f25ee67f-54c2-4a85-b8f8-6b4069d918c0.

ESRI 2018
Ewing, Reid. 2016. Streetscape Features Related to
Pedestrian Activity. https://my.vanderbilt.edu/
greencities/files/2016/10/streetscape-and-pedestrianactivity.pdf.

FUSCD (Folsom Cordova Unified School District). 2015.
“Welcome to Our District.” https://www.fcusd.org/
domain/739.

Hoddle, M. 2021. “Where Do Invasive Species Come From?” https://cisr.ucr.edu/resources/invasive-speciesfaqs#where_do_invasive_species_come_from.

ISA (International Society of Arboriculture). 2017. Best Management Practices, Tree Risk Assessment.

Kenney, W.A., P.J.E. van Wassenaer, and A.L. Satel. 2011. “Criteria and Indicators for Strategic Urban Forest
Planning and Management.” Arboriculture and
Urban Forestry 37(3): 108–117.

Kowarik, I. 2011. “Novel Urban Ecosystems, Biodiversity, and Conservation.” Environmental Pollution 159:1974–
1983.

Kuhns, M. n.d. “Ensuring Effective Community
Involvement in Urban Forestry Programs.” Utah
State University Forestry Extension. Accessed
March 29, 2021. https://forestry.usu.edu/
trees-cities-towns/urban-forestry/ensuringcommunity-involvement#:~:text=Community%20 involvement%20in%20urban%20forestry%20
often%20is%20viewed%20as%20simply,for%20
planting%20or%20restoration%20
projects.&text=Community%20involvement%20
must%20include%20residents,citizen%20control%20
over%20the%20process.

Kuo, F.E., R.L. Coley, and L. Brunson. 1998. “Fertile
Ground for Community: Inner-City Neighborhood
Common Spaces.” American Journal of Community
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Leff, M. 2016. “The Sustainable Urban Forest. A Step-byStep Approach.” September 2016.

Locke, Dexter, Billy Hall, J M. Grove, Steward T. Pickett, Laura A. Ogden, Carissa Aoki, Christopher G. Boone,
et al. 2020. “Residential Housing Segregation and
Urban Tree Canopy in 37 US Cities.” SocArXiv.

January 6. doi:10.1038/s42949-021-00022-
0Loughner, C., D.J. Allen, D.L. Zhang, K.E. Pickering,
R.R. Dickerson, and L. Landry. 2012. “Roles of Urban
Tree Canopy and Buildings in Heat Island Effects:

Parameterization and Preliminary Results.” Journal
of Applied Meteorology and Climatology 51(10):
1775–1793. https://doi.org/10.1175/JAMC-D-11-0228.1.

Lusk, A.C. 2020. Pedestrian and cyclist preferences for tree locations by sidewalks and cycle tracks and
associated benefits: Worldwide implications from
a study in Boston, MA. https://www.sciencedirect.
com/science/article/pii/S026427511731329X.

Maco, S.E., and E.G. McPherson. 2003. “A Practical
Approach to Assessing Structure, Function,
and Value of Street Tree Populations in Small
Communities.” Journal of Arboriculture 29:84–98.

McBride, J.R., and I. Lacan. 2018. “The Impact of ClimateChange Induced Temperature Increases on the References
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

236 | RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN RANCHO CORDOVA URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN | 237 Suitability of Street Tree Species in California (USA)
Cities.” Urban Forestry & Urban Greening 34: 348–
356. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/
abs/pii/S1618866718300013?via%3Dihub.

McPherson, E.G., Q. Xiao, N.S. van Doorn, J. de Goede, J.

Bjorkman, A. Hollander, R.M. Boynton, J.F. Quinn,
and J.H. Thorn. 2017. “The Structure, Function and
Value of Urban Forests in California Cities.” Urban
Forestry & Urban Greening 28:43-53.

Miller, R.H., and R.W. Miller. 1991. “Planting Survival of Selected Tree Taxa.” Journal of Arboriculture 17(7):
185–191.

Miller and Sylvester. 1981. “An Economic Evaluation
of the Pruning Cycle.” Journal of Arboriculture
7(4). http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/
search?q=cache:cy62UkGZ39gJ:auf.isa-arbor.com/
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Overview of Structural Diversity.” Forests 11(2): 135.
doi:10.3390/f11020135.

Native Land Digital. 2015. “About.” https://native-land.ca/ about/.

Nowak, D.J., and T. Aevermann. 2019. “Tree Compensation Rates: Compensating for the Loss of Future Tree
Values.” Urban Forestry & Urban Greening 41:93–103.

OEHHA 2018 CalEnviroScreen
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Richards, N.A. 1993. “Reasonable Guidelines for Street Tree Diversity.” Journal of Arboriculture 19(6): 344–350.

SacTree (Sacramento Tree Foundation). 2020a.

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SacTree. 2020b. Neighborwoods Community Action
Toolkit. February 2020. https://drive.google.com/
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view
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Principles.” https://www.sactree.com/pages/4.

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About-us/SMUDs-Territory-Map.

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Wolf, K.L. 2010. “Safe Streets.” College of the Environment, University of Washington. Accessed January 28,
2021. https://depts.washingto
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

Prepared by
FEBRUARY 2022
Technical Review by
Urban Forest Innovations

URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 2

1 Rancho Cordova Urban Forest Master Plan
Rancho Cordova, CA

PRESENTED BY RYAN ALLEN
MARCH 21, 2022
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 3

2 Dudek offers comprehensive
in-house technical expertise

WHO WE ARE
Founded in 1980
700+ Employees
Employee-Owned
We can take any project from
concept design through
implementation.

Urban Foresters
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 3

3 Presentation Outline
Developing the UFMP
Key Findings
Vision and Guiding Principles
Next Steps
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 3

4 What is a UFMP?
• Long term vision for the maintenance
and development of the urban forest.
• Analysis and review of all management
practices, funding, ordinances, policies.
• Strategic plan: goals, objectives,
and recommended actions.
• Implementation with a timeframe
for completion.
• Living document to be reviewed every
2-3 years to assess priorities against
current conditions.

Urban Forest
Master Plan
Stakeholder
Input
City Staff,
Elected
Officials
Tree
Inventory
Maintenance
Practices
Standards
and Details
Internal
Operations
Planning
Documents
Policies and
Ordinances
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 3

5 Developing the UFMP
CAL FIRE GRANT AWARD • Grant award of $369,500 • 7/1/19 – 3/31/22 • Plant 750 trees with a focus on low canopy neighborhoods. • 50% time of Sacramento Tree Foundation staff member • Sacramento Regional Conservation Corps for tree planting and public education.
• Completion of Urban Forest Master Plan
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 3

6 Vision Statement
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 3

7 Guiding Principles

ACCESS AND EQUITY
All communities have equal access to the benefits of trees.

HEALTHY AND ACTIVE COMMUNITIES
Trees create a healthy environment for active transportation and recreation, with vibrant and diverse outdoor space and habitat for wildlife.

A CITY PLANNED FOR TREES
Tree species are selected for planting in the development of the urban landscape to grow to maturity without interfering with adjacent infrastructure and contribute to canopy cover goals.

ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 3

8 Guiding Principles

PROVIDE RESOURCES FOR SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT
The City funds the urban forest program at a level to meet the goals of the UFMP.

PARTNERSHIPS AND ENGAGEMENT
Priorities of the urban forest program are developed with and achieved by collaborating with community members and external stakeholders.

RESILIENCY AND CLIMATE CHANGE
The City will develop an urban forest to thrive against current and future environmental threats.

ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 3

9 Strengths of Urban Forest Program
• Strong partnerships with SacTree, SMUD,
Park District, schools, local businesses
and community groups like Volunteers in
Neighborhood Services brings
resources and capacity building.
• A focus on community member
engagement and participation in
achieving urban forestry goals.
• Funding levels support 5-year pruning
cycle, community engagement, and tree
planting activities.
• Desire to have a world class urban forest.

ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 3

10 Challenge – Future Growth in Rancho Cordova
5’6”
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 3

11 Challenge– Future Growth in Rancho Cordova
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 3

12 Challenge– Future Growth in Rancho Cordova
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 3

13 Considerations – Future Growth in Rancho Cordova
• Significant future development.
• Follow ‘right tree, right place’ principles.
• Ensure City arborist review of tree species and planting locations in the beginning of site review process.
• Increasing size of tree and canopy cover, increases return on investment.

ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 3

14 Challenge – Developed Rancho Cordova
TO ACHIEVE 20%

CANOPY COVER
• City-wide 6%
• Developed area 12%
• Undeveloped area 1.4%
• Add 18,604 50ft canopy spread
trees.
• Equivalent to planting 651 large
stature trees per year for 30 years.

ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 3

15 Opportunity – Developed Rancho Cordova

PRIVATE

PROPERTY

PARKING
LOTS

STORMWATER
BASINS
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 3

16 Opportunity – Developed Rancho Cordova

PARKS SCHOOLS OPEN SPACE
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 3

17 Recommended Actions to Prioritize
Development standards for
new residential
communities:

1. Focus on ‘right tree, right
place’.

2. Increase enforcement of
50% shading of parking
lot requirement.

Build capacity:

1. Fund the city arborist
position to be full-time.

2. Ensure urban forest
program funding
supports actions of the
UFMP.

Urban Forest Sustainability:

1. Ensure the City inventory
meets species diversity
targets.

2. Update the City tree
species list to be
adapted to expected
climate change
conditions.

Priority 1 Priority 2 Priority 3
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 3

18 Actions to Prioritize
Increase Canopy Cover:

1. Prioritize tree planting
activities towards low canopy
and low CalEnviroscreen
scores.

2. Utilize parks and stormwater
basins to plant large stature
trees.

Community Engagement:

1. Increase funding for the
Sacramento Tree Foundation
to further tree planting on
private property.

2. Develop an urban forest
advisory committee.

Priority 4 Priority 5
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 3

19 Next Steps
 Adopt resolution
approving Urban Forest
Master Plan.
 Build consensus on the
highest priority issues to
tackle that will deliver
the most impact.
 Ensure accountability for
meeting objectives by
assigning specific tasks
to individual staff
members or
departments.

Adopt
UFMP
Prioritize
Objectives
Assign
Roles
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 3

20 THANK YOU

FOR YOUR TIME
ITEM 12.1. ATTACHMENT 3

MEMORANDUM
City Council Staff Report - Page 1 of 1

ITEM 12.2.

DATE: March 21, 2022
TO: Honorable Mayor and Council Members
FROM: Stacy Leitner, City Clerk
SUBJECT: DISCUSSION REGARDING MOBILE HOME PARK SUBCOMMITTEE

MEMBERS

RECOMMENDATION
Reappoint subcommittee members.

RESULT OF RECOMMENDED ACTION
The City Council will reappoint two council members to the Mobile Home Park Subcommittee.

BACKGROUND
Throughout 2021 the City held multiple discussions regarding space rents in mobile home parks. On January 25, 2022 the City Council established a subcommittee to hold further discussions between mobile home park owners and mobile home park residents regarding a space rent stabilization ordinance.

This discussion item was requested at the March 7 City Council meeting to reappoint new City Council subcommittee members. The current subcommittee members are Mayor Donald Terry and Councilmember David Sander.

FISCAL IMPACT AND FUNDING SOURCE
There is no fiscal impact for this item.

ATTACHMENT(S)
None