TO: HONORABLE MAYOR FROM: John Ristow
AND CITY COUNCIL
SUBJECT: COMMUNITY FOREST DATE: November 29, 2021
MANAGEMENT PLAN
Approved Date
12/03/21
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt the Community Forest Management Plan.
OUTCOME
Approval of the Community Forest Management Plan (CFMP) will enable staff to begin implementation of the Strategic Work Plan in order to protect, enhance, and grow the City’s tree canopy.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The CFMP (Attachment A), which was developed with a grant from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), is a highly technical document which provides the City with an independent analysis of its tree programs, the current state of the community forest, and opportunities for improvement. The CFMP development process included the completion of a third-party strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis of all aspects of the City’s current tree programs, departmental policies and procedures, and ordinances to identify opportunities for improvement. The process included a canopy study, analysis of potential funding options for the City’s tree programs, development of a new tree management database, and the planting of over 200 trees in disadvantaged communities. The report also includes a Strategic Work Plan which provides preliminary goals and objectives that align with the eight key findings from the SWOT analysis, and an updated Tree Policy & Best Management Practices Manual. A significant key finding is that the City’s tree canopy declined citywide between 2012 and 2018, and that substantial additional investment is needed to protect, enhance, and grow the City’s community forest. Adoption of the CFMP will fulfill objectives of the CAL FIRE grant and provide the necessary direction for City staff to begin prioritizing the development and delivery of an improved community forestry program in San José. Near-term follow-up actions will include a recommended reallocation of anticipated savings within the Traffic Capital Program to support the creation of a Community Forest Advisory Committee to assist in navigating these changes.
COUNCIL AGENDA: 12/14/21
FILE: 21-2567
ITEM: 5.1
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
November 29, 2021
Subject: Community Forest Management Plan
BACKGROUND
What is the Community Forest?
Urban forest is an arboriculture term used to describe the collection of trees and other vegetation found within a built urban environment. The CFMP uses the term community forest to be inclusive of San José’s diverse neighborhood landscape (urban, suburban and rural), and recognizes the connected relationship between people and trees, which are mutually dependent on each other to thrive. The term community forest recognizes that the benefits provided by trees are shared by everyone who lives and works under their canopies, who in turn have a shared responsibility to protect and preserve the trees. The concept of a community forest allows us to think holistically about trees within the City, quantify their benefits, and manage these natural resources for the enjoyment of present and future generations.
San José’s community forest is a vital component of the City’s assets and infrastructure. Like the pipes that deliver water to our faucets, trees support the function of the City and provide many environmental services to San José and its residents, which are correlated with mental and physical health, and economic benefits. Unlike most assets that depreciate over time, the value of trees increases as they age and grow larger. These benefits, as displayed in Figure 1, can help us appreciate the value trees bring to our everyday life. Understanding how a tree performs these functions highlights the importance of maintenance practices and management decisions to support large and healthy trees that are appropriate for their planting locations.
Figure 1 – The Benefits of Trees Infographic
Graphic created by Dudek based on information from U.S. Forest Service, University of Washington, Public Mental Health, Environmental Protection Agency, and CAL FIRE
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
November 29, 2021
Subject: Community Forest Management Plan
While trees in a natural forest setting have the necessary resources to grow and regenerate without supplemental intervention from people, a human-created community forest is frequently planted in a setting that is distinguished by paved surfaces and compromised soils that does not support the natural growth and regeneration of trees. San José’s community forest will require human intervention to maintain its health and safety in the built environment.
Why Develop the CFMP?
The Department of Transportation (DOT) actively pursues grant funds for projects and initiatives that support Citywide, Transportation and Aviation City Service Area, and department goals.
The CFMP complements and supports the following City policy goals and plans:
• Envision San José 2040 General Plan – specifically areas pertaining to Streetscapes for People; Measurable Sustainability/Environmental Stewardship; Life Amidst Abundant Resources; Design for a Healthful Community and Urban Villages. • Climate Smart San José – data-based climate action plan that prioritizes and focuses needed efforts and programs to minimize citywide greenhouse gas emissions. The City is developing a new Climate Smart section on Natural and Working Lands strategies and planning on developing a new section around climate adaptation and resiliency. One or both of these new sections may include trees as part of the City’s longer-term climate efforts.
• Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) Plan – a multidisciplinary approach of GSI uses including soils, plants and pervious surfaces to capture, treat, infiltrate, and/or use stormwater runoff.
In FY 2016-2017, DOT applied for a California Climate Investments grant from the CAL FIRE Urban and Community Forestry Program to complete a CFMP. Execution of the grant with CAL FIRE was finalized in Fall 2017. The
purpose of the CFMP is to provide the City
with an independent analysis of its tree
programs, the current state of the
community forest, and opportunities for
improvement. The CFMP makes
recommendations that would protect,
enhance and grow the community forest –
including recommendations on staffing and
program funding, and includes updates for
effective tree maintenance procedures.
In early 2018, DOT began planning the
tree planting project and early stages of the
database development work which were also part of the CAL FIRE grant. In 2019, DOT focused efforts on preparing the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the CFMP consultant and an RFP for the tree inventory work. Dudek was selected in May 2019 to develop the CFMP. Dudek is a California-based consulting agency and has a diverse urban forestry practice with experience in a Trees provide many benefits to their communities
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
November 29, 2021
Subject: Community Forest Management Plan
variety of urban and wildland forestry specialties. Dudek is well-versed in urban forest master plan development, having completed similar projects in recent years, including for the cities of Downey, Los Angeles, and Irvine.
The CFMP development process included the completion of a third-party (Dudek) SWOT analysis of all aspects of the City’s current tree programs, departmental policies and procedures, and ordinances, to identify opportunities for improvement. The process included a canopy study, analysis of potential funding options for the City’s tree programs, and development of a new tree management database. The grant also provided for the planting of over 200 trees in disadvantaged communities, as
defined by CAL EPA, based on
environmental, health and socio-
economic data. A tree inventory was
to be completed for City managed
facilities, such as parks and
community centers, and the existing
street tree inventory was to be
updated, but the tree inventory work
was not completed as part of the
CFMP project. Staff was prepared to
go out to bid for the inventory work,
but due to the COVID-19 pandemic,
City procurement efforts were
prioritized to focus on essential
services and provide community services in response to the pandemic.
Although much of the focus of this plan and the staff facilitating this work is on street and public right-of-way trees, the majority of trees within the community forest in San José are not street trees. It is estimated that there are over 1.2 million trees on private property, wholly under the maintenance responsibility and supervision of the respective property owner or non-City entity.
There are also an estimated 233,000 street trees in the public right-of-way that property owners are responsible to maintain, 37,000 street trees maintained by DOT, and 30,500 trees maintained by either the City’s Department of Parks, Recreation, and Neighborhood Services (PRNS) or Department of Public Works (DPW). Additionally, there are an estimated 70,000 trees along trails and in undeveloped park areas. Furthermore, the Department of Planning, Building and Code Enforcement (PBCE) manages a system of practices and policies that impact private property trees throughout the City at every stage of their life-cycle from determining and approving site plans, enforcing planting activities, and collecting mitigation funding for projects in which adequate trees cannot be planted on site. Although DOT is the most public facing City department managing urban forestry, a resilient urban forest would benefit from the alignment and participation of the community.
It is important to note that for several generations, property owners in San José have been responsible for street tree and sidewalk maintenance adjacent to their property per the City’s municipal code. While the City had previously operated a grant program that reimbursed Tree plantings on Monterey Rd
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
November 29, 2021
Subject: Community Forest Management Plan
residents for this work, this funding was eliminated about 15 years ago due to successive years of General Fund shortfalls. The City’s street tree program has been primarily administrative, regulatory, and enforcement-based, where permits are required and issued for tree-related activities. Enforcement action is taken when staff is aware the municipal code has not been followed, such as in instances of illegal removals and pruning. While property owners have always had primary maintenance responsibility, DOT previously had a crew of maintenance workers who would provide occasional supplemental support by performing minor work like clearance for street signs, traffic signals and streetlights. This “tree crew” would also take on clearance pruning for pavement work or remove trees that were in poor health. In 2008, as a result of extreme General Fund budget shortfalls, the DOT’s tree crews were eliminated, and street tree maintenance and care was placed solely on the property owner.
ANALYSIS
Upon execution of the grant agreement with CAL FIRE (October 2017) and the commencement of the tree planting project, DOT proceeded with the early stages of the database development work. This was an early priority and its completion needed to precede the tree inventory in order to ensure the usability and adequate storage of these robust datasets. Designing a new database was challenging as the previous database did not have the ability to properly track the individual tree asset traits and condition, so this feature had to be designed and built by DOT’s information technology staff.
Once progress was made in developing the database, the DOT arborist team focused its efforts on preparing the RFPs for both the CFMP consultant and the tree inventory work in early 2019.
In the fall of 2019, Dudek was awarded the contract to develop the CFMP, which was to include a thorough analysis of current City management practices, policies, ordinances, and funding to understand the deficiencies and strengths of the City’s community forest management program.
The analysis of current practices was initially informed by reviewing City planning documents, including the Tree Policy Manual, Envision San José 2040 General Plan, and Climate Smart San José. It also included an analysis of City permit practices, tree ordinances, standard details, annual service data and budget levels.
Understanding the effectiveness of the community forest management program was further informed by interviews with City staff, elected officials, and the city’s nonprofit tree-planting partner, Our City Forest (OCF). These initial interviews explored the roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder with respect to influencing and supporting city tree management, clarified internal City procedures, and informed areas where the City could improve management of the community forest.
In addition to the department interviews, input from residents and stakeholders helped to inform the analysis of City management practices and the development of guiding principles, goals, and objectives to reflect the values and priorities of the City and residents.
CFMP Contents
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
November 29, 2021
Subject: Community Forest Management Plan
The CFMP consists of the following sections:
• Part 1: Analysis of the San José Community Forest Program • Part 2: Strategic Work Plan
• Part 3: Tree Policy & Best Management Practices Manual
The intention of this work is to analyze and summarize current conditions and practices, highlighting challenges and obstacles to desired outcomes. This analysis is synthesized and focused into recommendations to improve those conditions, and ultimately establish relatively uniform best practices and policies across the administrative, enforcement, and tree-planting functions and with stakeholders throughout the City.
Part 1: Analysis of the San José Community Forest Program
This analysis represents a SWOT analysis. The SWOT analysis is a detailed examination of the entire breadth of the community forest management program to understand the strengths and weaknesses of current City practices and determine the avenues by which the City could improve in these areas. The City’s procedures and results are measured against urban forest sustainability metrics, comparison with other cities known to have exceptional community forest management programs, standards of the International Society of Arboriculture and American National Standards Institute, and consultant team experience. The analysis includes recommendations to align the various departmental policies and procedures because residents often expressed confusion or lack of clarity on which City department handles various tree issues.
Key Findings
1. Immediate action must be taken to reverse the trend of declining canopy cover:
Based on a review of spatial imagery analysis conducted by the U.S. Forest Service in 2012 and 2018 across California,
canopy cover in San José
decreased from 15.36% to
13.54% during this time period.
The 1.82% reduction is
equivalent to losing 1,728 acres
or 2.7 square miles of tree
canopy cover. As shown in
Table 1, all Council Districts
experienced a decline in canopy
cover.
This downward trend in canopy
cover will most likely continue if
funding and management of the
community forest continues at current levels. Many factors contribute to this significant decline including climate change, tree removal for development, and not enough new trees being planted. It is important to note that, while losing canopy cover happens as soon as a
CD 2012 Canopy
Cover
2018 Canopy
Cover
Change
1 18.75 % 15.50 % - 3.16 %
2 13.61 % 12.29 % - 1.22 %
3 13.25 % 12,27 % - 0.98 %
4 12.19 % 10.62 % - 1.58 %
5 15.81 % 12.64 % - 3.17 %
6 21.36 % 19.46 % - 1.90 %
7 12.06 % 11.02 % - 1.04 %
8 12.86 % 12.67 % - 0.19 %
9 16.92 % 14.18 % - 2.74 %
10 20.43 % 17.14 % - 3.30 %
Table 1 – Canopy Cover by Council District
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
November 29, 2021
Subject: Community Forest Management Plan
tree is removed, replacing lost canopy takes 30–40 years. Delay in taking action to reverse the trend will begin to multiply the scale, cost, and time it will take to achieve an adequate level of tree canopy cover in San José. Approximately 40,000 35-foot canopy spread trees would need to be planted to recover 1% of lost canopy cover, making the prioritization or retaining existing mature trees where possible the most cost effective and efficient way to maintain canopy cover. Based on a report by Leahy from American Forests, a realistic baseline canopy cover target for an urban city is 20%.
2. Limited financial and human resources to manage the community forest: The City’s Community Forest Program budget of approximately $4 million would need to be increased by an additional $20–$24 million annually, to manage all trees in the public realm at a sustainable level – parks, city facilities, and streets. This would fund a tree planting campaign to replace lost canopy, establishment care for newly planted trees, and pruning trees on a five to seven-year cycle. Currently, for most street trees, this cost is largely passed on to private property owners who are estimated to spend approximately $912 every five years to maintain the tree and sidewalk adjacent their property. To provide for the maintenance of approximately 70,000 trees for which DOT, PRNS, and DPW possess responsibility, an additional estimate of $3-$4 million annually would be required.
3. The City must complete an inventory of all public space street and park trees: The City last completed a street tree inventory in 2014
and does not have current information on the
condition of trees in the public space. The prior
inventory provides some data to inform
management decisions but lacks key information
on the health and safety condition of street trees.
There is no inventory data available for parks
and other City facility trees. Current inventory
information is vital to understand what species
are in decline and contributing to the loss of
citywide canopy cover as well as to inform the
appropriate management actions to preserve the
health and safety of trees in the public space.
Funding has been identified to complete the inventory for City parks, libraries, and community center; this inventory will be completed in the current fiscal year. DOT will continue to seek opportunities to complete and update the street tree inventory and to conduct an inventory for City facilities.
4. Economically disadvantaged communities have fewer trees than higher income communities: The top ten most economically disadvantaged census tracts in San José have an average tree canopy cover of 12.04%, with 70% having a canopy cover of 10% or less.
Conversely, the top ten most economically advantaged census tracts have an average canopy cover of 16.87%, with 50% having a canopy cover of 18% or higher. While canopy cover is low for almost all census tracts, disadvantaged communities in San José experience the San Jose Municipal Rose Garden
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
November 29, 2021
Subject: Community Forest Management Plan
lowest totals of canopy cover and increased vulnerability to pollution, extreme heat, and potential health issues when compared to other areas. Figure 2 displays the canopy cover by Council District based on the U.S. Forest Service 2018 analysis.
Figure 2 – Canopy Cover by Council District
Graphic created by Dudek based on information the U.S. Forest Service
5. Current urban infill and development practices limit the space for trees: Current development practices favor maximizing the size of building footprints with minimal consideration for street trees. Space that could be made available to a street tree is either unavailable or greatly reduced, resulting in locations where trees are not planted or planted with a small tree that has lower community benefit. Without trees to shade and cool sidewalks on hot days, the walkable nature of these neighborhoods will be reduced.
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
November 29, 2021
Subject: Community Forest Management Plan
6. The City and Our City Forest need to strengthen
their partnership: Since 1994, OCF has been the main
conduit for the City to provide many community forest
program functions like community engagement and
education, tree planting, establishment care, operating a community nursery, and volunteer training, while also
building financial support for these services through
state and federal grant funds. OCF has implemented
many new and replacement tree plantings throughout
San José. In addition to funding provided by the City, OCF has been successful in receiving both state and
federal grants to benefit the City’s urban forest,
including efforts that are in addition to the partnership with the City.
In the agreements with OCF, it would be beneficial to
include an outline of the strategies and processes
through which they will continue to collaborate toward the betterment of the community forest. The process of realignment will help the City and OCF leverage their expertise and shared resources in a way that will benefit both programs, the residents and businesses of San José, and expansion of the community forest. For example, it may be advantageous for the City and OCF to collaborate on a joint grant submittal for tree planting funds which could lead to larger grant awards.
7. City staff are reliant on DOT arborists for support: DOT is the only City department with arborists on staff, one City Arborist and two Assistant Arborists, qualified to make decisions about the health and safety condition of a tree, how development will impact tree health, and whether tree removal is appropriate on both public and private land. Frequently, PBCE, PRNS and DPW staff will seek assistance from DOT arborists to support City functions that are outside the scope of DOT. While DOT will generally try and provide the requested support, it does so at the expense of its main responsibilities and without receiving additional funding for this support. Whether arborist services are consolidated and adequately funded in one division, or if the relevant departments determine that hiring their own arborist staff is appropriate, more capacity within the City is needed with respect to urban forestry.
8. Parks are a valued community space that receive minimal funding for tree management: Parks are one of the city assets residents most value, contributing to their economic, environmental, social, emotional, and physical wellbeing. They are a place where residents of all ages, cultures and abilities can connect with nature, play, take care of their mental and physical health, and take solace, and they are also a favorite location for elected officials to host community volunteer events and other activities. Despite the high value of City parks, PRNS has minimal funding for tree services – only $150,000 is budgeted annually for tree trimming, planting, and replacement of an estimated 30,000 trees.
Resident receiving a free tree and
planting assistance from OCF
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
November 29, 2021
Subject: Community Forest Management Plan
However, this funding is used entirely to respond to tree failure or emergency safety issues rather than annual maintenance of the trees. The minimal funding prohibits PRNS staff from conducting annual tree inspections and maintaining a five- to seven-year pruning cycle that is critical to maintain the safety of park trees, and requires PRNS to use funding budgeted for other purposes to address emergency safety issues once the ongoing $150,000 is exhausted.
On a year-to-year basis, new and expanded park development and rehabilitation projects may include tree planting or re-planting, which is paid for from the PRNS capital budget and varies based on the funding available and the scope of the project..
Part 2: Strategic Work Plan
The second section of the CFMP is the long-term strategy to advance the City toward a sustainable urban forest. As a preliminary step, City staff and the consultant collaborated in the drafting of the following vision statement:
“The City of San José Community Forest is a testament to our history and honors our diversity while striving to cultivate the equitable values we hold true towards building a strong and resilient landscape and community forest.”
The vision statement is further segmented into guiding principles that reflect the specific tree values City staff and residents hold, providing an equitable quality of life for all San José residents and identifying the priority areas towards which City resources should be directed. The guiding principles provide the reasoning for the steps outlined in the strategies and objectives.
The goals represent the intended CFMP outcomes. The objectives are the specific actions it will take to reach the goals. The CFMP is a living document that will require regular review and updating as the current environmental and economic conditions change over the 40-year CFMP timeframe. To ensure the City can adapt to the changing conditions, staff are assigned responsibility for implementing objectives and completing goals.
The strategies for establishing a sustainable Community Forest are focused in the following program areas:
1. Streamline the Governance Structure: The division of tree management by land use type is an extension of the defined department roles and responsibilities. With PBCE, DOT, PRNS and DPW all maintaining various levels of enforcement and maintenance roles, the current system is too decentralized and insufficiently resourced to ensure that tree canopy preservation is appropriately prioritized. With only one arborist in the City reporting through the DOT management structure this issue is exacerbated. It is important to explore the potential benefits of alternative management structures, and whether this may improve City efficiency and ultimately, lead toward a safer and healthier community forest. This evaluation would include consideration of expanded collaboration between departments involved in the community forest.
2. Ensure Community Forest Sustainability: The purpose of these strategies is to balance objectives pertaining to tree species diversity, wildlife habitat and the interface with the urban environment, resiliency in the face of drought and climate change, and the planting of
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
November 29, 2021
Subject: Community Forest Management Plan
sufficient trees to reach 20% canopy cover – citywide - by 2051. Critically embedded in this area is the development of a dashboard of community forest sustainability indicators, implementing the practice of annually updating these dashboard statistics by regularly collecting tree inventory data, and reporting on the status of the community forest to the City Council, residents, and other stakeholders.
3. Support Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: As Key Finding #4 illustrates, tree canopy cover is low for nearly all San José census tracts but is especially low in economically disadvantaged communities. Strategies incorporate a series of objectives ranging from the engagement and education of community members and organizations, to the formation of a Community Forest Advisory Committee, to prioritizing the expansion of tree canopy in these communities leading to canopy cover equitably. Additionally, the Office of Racial Equity will provide support and guidance so that equity is considered in a meaningful and productive manner.
4. Funding the Community Forest: Key Finding #2 highlights the severe funding needs of the City’s urban forestry program. Strategies contain a series of objectives pertaining to the proper funding and maintenance and appropriate management responsibilities of trees in the City rights-of-way, at parks, and at all City facilities. Objectives also include an exploration of incentive programs and policies that may lead to the preservation and expansion of the street tree canopy by relieving some – or all – of the maintenance responsibility from property owners citywide. Figure 3 highlights a potential loss in canopy cover over the next 20 years if the downward trend of tree canopy continues.
Figure 3 – Potential loss in canopy cover
Dudek analysis of U.S. Forest Services 2018 canopy cover data
5. Efficient and Effective Tree Management: Strategy objectives are centered on making data-driven tree planting and management decisions, which will require a completed tree inventory and a regular process for updating the inventory. Staff must also use this data and knowledge to ensure that City tree management activities and design standards reflect the conditions and needs of the community forest. Strategies also emphasize the importance of
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
November 29, 2021
Subject: Community Forest Management Plan
education and ensuring that community members and property owners understand their respective roles in growing and maintaining the community forest.
6. Standardize and Improve Planning and Development: Strategy objectives focus on leveraging planning and development processes to increase and improve the community forest by protecting and preserving mature trees while seeking planting opportunities. By examining and modifying policies at all phases of the development and maintenance lifecycle, the City can help ensure the proper incentives exist to protect the health and sustainability of the community forest.
The full workplan in the CFMP is provided separately as Attachment B for the convenience of the City Council and public.
Part 3: Tree Policy & Best Management Practices Manual
The final section of the CFMP is a completed update of the City Tree Policy and Best Practices Manual, which includes all tree-related ordinances, policies, maintenance practices, landscape practices, and standard details. The intent of this section is to provide clarity for City staff, contractors, and residents on the expected standards for tree planting, watering, tree staking, pruning, irrigation installation, and other physical actions that impact trees. It also provides clarity and updates when needed to existing permit processes and internal practices and makes recommendations for updating ordinances. Other practices such as modifying ordinances and policies will require additional consideration and approval of the City Council before they are put into effect and implemented.
Next Steps
Staff are already taking steps to accomplish the goals set forth in the CFMP. The 2021-2022 Adopted Budget includes $120,000 in funding to collect tree inventory data for between 25,000 – 30,000 trees at parks, libraries, and community centers. Future inventory work will focus on updating the street trees data as funding allows. The 2021-2022 Adopted Budget also includes $210,600 to plant at least 250 trees in City-owned park strips along neighborhood streets in East San José.
If the CFMP is approved by the City Council, staff will take immediate action to identify resources to begin work on the implementation of the Strategic Work Plan. The Administration anticipates bringing forward recommendations as part of the 2021-2022 Mid-Year Budget Review, scheduled to be heard by the City Council on February 9, to reallocate anticipated savings within the Traffic Capital Program to support these efforts and kick-start implementation of the CFMP. These recommendations are likely to include temporary staffing to lead the early stages of the work plan implementation, perform a review of policies and procedures that may be able to be modified quickly, and help establish and support the Community Forest Advisory Committee to help guide and prioritize the implementation of the work plan. Staff is targeting formation of the committee by the end of June 2022. Establishing a complete and accurate tree inventory is also an immediate priority, and DOT will leverage the existing procurement process to maximize these activities beyond the PRNS inventory with available funds.
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
November 29, 2021
Subject: Community Forest Management Plan
The Administration will also work to identify resources during the 2022-2023 budget development process to continue CFMP implementation beyond the current fiscal year. Though any recommendations would need to be considered in the context of both the City’s budgetary outlook and other important City Council and community priorities, the additional resource needs include additional tree planting activities; increased maintenance for trees in the City right- of-way and at City parks, libraries, and community centers; and ongoing staffing support for the Community Forest Advisory Committee. Staff will also commence the process that would result in added urban forestry capacity to the City by evaluating the consolidation of tree maintenance and management activities in one department or identifying the resource needs that would otherwise be required within each department. Funding these efforts and other elements in the workplan will take many years and a significant infusion of new resources – or the significant reprioritization of existing resources – so the development of a roadmap that is updated regularly will be critical in the creation of lasting and positive change.
CONCLUSION
The CFMP is a first step in the reimagination of tree management and policies within the City of San José. As currently structured, the existing management practices are not sufficiently resourced or designed to sustain San Jose’s tree canopy, which is why there is widespread canopy loss throughout the City. The CFMP will focus staff and community efforts on strategies that would improve current management of the existing community forest and ultimately protect, enhance and grow San José’s tree canopy.
EVALUTION AND FOLLOW-UP
Staff will provide annual updates to the Transportation and Environment (T&E) Committee, where staff will report on the progress of the CFMP strategic work plan.
CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSE
The recommendation in this memo aligns with one or more Climate Smart San José energy, water, or mobility goals.
PUBLIC OUTREACH
Originally, community engagement was planned to occur both online and in-person. However, shortly before the beginning of in-person community meetings, restrictions on gatherings in response to the COVID-19 pandemic were implemented. This led to a pivot from in-person meetings to an online meeting format. DOT staff held four online community meetings in July 2020 and provided American Sign Language and Spanish translation services at respective meetings. OCF staff participated in each of these meetings by presenting content and answering
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
November 29, 2021
Subject: Community Forest Management Plan
resident and stakeholder questions. Vietnamese translation was also planned for one of the meetings, but the meeting was subsequently cancelled due to lack of attendance. In total, 56 participants attended the online meetings.
To reach a larger audience of residents unable to attend the online meetings, DOT implemented a social media campaign and online survey. The social media campaign and online survey was successful in increasing the number of participants and resulted in over 188,000 impressions or views of social media posts, over 2,000 completed surveys, and nearly 1,100 replies or comments to social media posts.
As a key partner, OCF has provided significant input to both Dudek and DOT on the CFMP in the form of written comments and feedback as well as direct meetings with Dudek.
Additionally, DOT has communicated with other traditional partners such as the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority and the Audubon Society, and reached out to organizations not traditionally tied to urban forestry matters including those associated with the Sí Se Puede Collective, including SOMOS Mayfair, Grail Family Services, Amigos de Guadalupe, School of Arts and Culture, and Veggielution, as well as the American Association of Retired Persons, SPUR, and others via staff briefings or inclusion on the email distribution list of approximately 200 individuals and organizations.
The goals of these meetings were to inform the community about the contents of the plan, refine the analysis of San José’s CFMP program, including the Strategic Work Plan, and ensure open lines of dialog moving forward. It is important to note that the CFMP is a living document and represents the first step in a multi-year process that will require ongoing engagement with the community and stakeholders to achieve the aggressive goals and priorities set forward in the plan.
Following the CFMP presentation to the T&E Committee on October 4, 2021, DOT met with State Senator Cortese’s office and held two additional virtual meetings with members of the Coalition to Advance Urban Forestry in San Jose. The purpose of these meetings was to discuss issues related to the community forest and how the CFMP aims to address these issues, as well as continuing the dialog with stakeholders, post adoption of the CFMP.
During that time period, DOT also reached out to the Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation Department, who called the plan “overall very good” and supported it. DOT also had conversations with the County Office of Education and PG&E to clarify the plan timeline and discuss how the agencies could be involved in future outreach and implementation.
The refinement and implementation of the work plan will benefit from additional engagement with local community-based organizations, community leaders, and other external stakeholders who engage with residents and have a shared interest in the San José community forest. The inclusion of these organizations and leaders will further support the City’s efforts to reach all demographic and geographic segments of the City by having a trusted community voice directly communicating with their constituency. To that end, the strategic work plan calls for both an annual update to the T&E Committee, as well as the formation of a Community Forest Advisory
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
November 29, 2021
Subject: Community Forest Management Plan
Committee consisting of City staff and external stakeholders with diverse perspectives to guide the implementation of the CFMP. City staff are committed to ensuring open process to develop the Advisory Committee and keeping this group engaged on strategic work plan objectives. As the granting agency, CAL FIRE supports moving forward with the adoption of the CFMP and ensuring sufficient ongoing community engagement in the implementation of work plan efforts.
This memorandum will be posted on the City’s website for the December 14, 2021 City Council meeting.
COORDINATION
This memorandum has been coordinated with the City Manager's Budget Office, the City Attorney's Office, and the Departments of Parks, Recreation, and Neighborhood Services; Planning, Building, and Code Enforcement; Environmental Services; and Public Works.
COMMISION RECOMMENDATION/INPUT
No commission recommendation or input is associated with this action.
COST SUMMARY/IMPLICATIONS
The 2021-2022 Adopted Budget includes one-time funds of $120,000 to complete a tree inventory for City parks and facilities, $210,600 to plant no fewer than 250 trees on City-owned park strips, and $20,000 for the San Jose Parks Foundation to provide rebates for residents who purchase and plant a tree. If the CFMP is adopted, the Administration anticipates recommending the reallocation of Traffic Capital Funding through the 2021-2022 Mid-Year Budget Review process to support near term work on the Strategic Work Plan, which includes the formation of the Community Forest Advisory Committee. The Administration will also evaluate as part of the 2022-2023 budget process any additional resources to support continued development and delivery of an improved community forestry program within the context of both the City’s budgetary outlook and other important City Council and community priorities.
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
November 29, 2021
Subject: Community Forest Management Plan
CEQA
Not a Project, File No. PP17-001, Feasibility and Planning Studies with no commitment to future actions and File No. PP17-009 Staff Reports, Assessments, Annual Reports, and Informational Memos that involve no approvals of any City action.
/s/
JOHN RISTOW
Director of Transportation
For questions, please contact Eric Hon, Division Manager, (408) 794-1987.
Attachment A - Community Forest Management Plan
Attachment B - Strategic Work Plan