Outlook
FW: Public Comment-August 11, 2026 City Council Item 5.2, File No. 26-836 From City Clerk <[email protected]>
Date Thu 8/ 6/2026 12:29 PM
To Agendadesk <[email protected]>
~ 1 attachment (196 KB)
Our City Forest Public Comment Regarding Civil Grand Jury lnvestigatio n.pdf; From: Tara Sreekr ishnan <
Sent: Thursday, August 6, 2026 12:08 PM
To: City Clerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Public Comment - August 11, 2026 City Council Item 5.2, File No. 26-836 [External Email. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. Learn morel You don't often get email fro~ . Leam why this is important Dear City Clerk's Office,
Please accept the attached letter from the Our City Forest Board of Directors as public comment regarding the August 11, 2026 City Council meeting , Item 5.2, File No. 26 836: Response to the Civil Grand Jury Report, "A Canopy in Decline."
This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.
Our City Forest | 1195 Clark Street, San Jose, CA 95125 | 408.480.7833 | ourcityforest.org August 6, 2026
VIA EMAIL AND PUBLIC COMMENT
Honorable Mayor Matt Mahan and Members of the San José City Council City of San José
200 East Santa Clara Street
San José, CA 95113
RE: August 11, 2026 City Council Meeting - Item 5.2 (File No. 26-836): Response to “A Canopy in Decline”
Dear Mayor Mahan and Members of the City Council:
On behalf of the Board of Directors of Our City Fores t (OCF), we respectfully submit these comments regarding Agenda Item 5.2 and the City’s response to the Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury report.
The report confirms what residents, City staff, and community partners already know: reversing San José’s canopy decline will require sustained implementation, not only goals. The City cannot do that work alone.
Our City Forest has more than three decades of local experience in tree cultivation, planting, young -tree care, technical assistance, community education, volunteer engagement, workforce training, project management, and grant a dministration. We are ready to help the City translate its commitments into visible results in neighborhoods across San José.
We also appreciate the Department of Transportation staff who have been engaging with OCF on many of these issues and recommendations. We offer the following ideas as part of that ongoing, constructive dialogue and look forward to continuing to work togeth er on practical strategies to protect and expand San José’s urban forest.
Five opportunities for City-OCF partnership
1. Establish an annual, funded implementation plan with Our City Forest The City and OCF should develop a clear annual work plan under the existing master services agreement that identifies priority neighborhoods, planting and maintenance targets, outreach responsibilities, timelines, and funding. The partnership should use OCF’s full capacity - including its Community Nursery and Training Center, field crews, AmeriCorps members, volunteer network, education programs, and long-term tree-establishment model - rather than treating OCF only as a per -tree vendor. A formal plan would also help the City leverage OCF’s ability to raise outside funding and bring state, federal, corporate, and philanthropic resources into San José.
The City’s own 2022 audit provides a strong foundation for expanding this partnership. The audit specifically recommended that the City strengthen its partnerships with outside organizations, including nonprofits, and recognized that successful tree planting requires more than paying for the tree itself. It requires community outreach, coordination with property owners, stewardship agreements, monitoring, and ongoing establishment support. The audit also cited the Envision San José 2040 General Plan’s direction to “expand the City’s existing partnership with Our City Forest” to maximize available resources to maintain and expand the Community Forest. The City’s Community Forest Management Plan (CFMP) itself similarly identified an opportunity to strengthen the City -OCF partnership and recommended that the City and OCF further define OCF’s role in supporting the City’s community -forest goals, establish shared priorities, dedicate funding to the programs that advance those priorities, and explore joint grant applications.
OCF therefore respectfully asks the City to build upon this existing policy direction by establishing a more formal and adequately funded implementation partnership with OCF, with clearly defined outcomes aligned with the Community Forest Management Plan.
OUR CITY FOREST*
1195 Clark Street
San Jose, CA 95125
ourcityforest.org
OUR CITY FOREST | PUBLIC COMMENT ON SAN JOSÉ'S TREE CANOPY Page 2 Our City Forest | 1195 Clark Street, San Jose, CA 95125 | 408.480.7833 | ourcityforest.org
2. Increase OCF’s AmeriCorps matching grant and operating grant While the City’s annual matching support and operating support has remained largely stagnant since 2008, AmeriCorps member stipends have more than doubled and costs have significantly increased.
AmeriCorps fun ding covers roughly one -third of eligible program costs, while OCF must provide the remaining two-thirds. OCF’s AmeriCorps program is also expanding by approximately 30% in FY26-27 from the previous fiscal year . Our City Forest’s direct AmeriCorps member stipends, payroll taxes, and benefits are budgeted at over $1,000,000 for FY 2026 -27. This does not include accounting for staff supervision, recruitment, onboarding, training, equipment, transportation, insurance , and program administration that Our City Forest directly provides through its own budget. To keep the larger program fully deployed in service to San José, we request additional funding in the City’s matching gr ant for FY 2026-27. The City should also preserve OCF’s operating, matching, and facilities support and provide a reasonable inflation adjustment of at least 3% so rising costs do not reduce the number of trees planted, cared for, or monitored.
3. Put development mitigation fees to work faster and more strategically Development-related tree mitigation fees should be collected consistently, spent promptly, and tied visibly to replacement planting and establishment care. The 2022 City audit found that more than $1.5 million had been collected between FY 2018-19 and FY 2021-22, while only about six percent had been spent by the end of that period. The City’s current Free Street Tree Planting Program confirms that mitigation fees are now used for planting outside the federal grant area. The City should build a predictable pipeline of OCF fee-for-service projects using these revenues, including allowable planting, watering, establishment care, outreach, and project administration in the districts where funds may be used.
OCF’s DOT fee-for-service planting work has remained at approximately 300 trees annually for much of the past decade. Any OCF planting above that level has been supported through separate state, county, federal, corporate, philanthropic, or other fee-for-service funding, not through City funding. OCF has demonstrated the ability to plant substantially more when adequate funding and coordinated planting sites are available, but without increased City investment, that higher capacity depends on piecing together temporary and restricted outside funding.
4. Protect mature trees through a Zero Net Canopy Loss framework and better pruning Planting is essential, but San José cannot plant its way out of canopy decline while losing mature trees faster than new trees can replace their shade. The number and canopy value of mature trees removed must therefore be considered alongside the number of new trees planted. Counting planting without fully accounting for mature-tree loss can present an incomplete picture of whether the City’s canopy is actually improving. The City should develop a policy framework that prioritizes Zero Net Canopy Loss, strengthens mature-tree preservation, verifies required replacement planting, and accounts for the actual canopy value lost through development or removal. The City should also increase preventive and structural pruning for mature trees, particularly in lower -income neighborhoods where residents may be least able to afford required work. The City should develop a stronger residential street-tree pruning strategy. When residents lack access to affordable, qualified pruning services, well -intentioned but improper pruning can weaken trees, create future hazards, and shorten their lives.
OCF can support outreach, stewardship, inspections and monitoring, young -tree care, and qualified maintenance work where appropriate, in coordination with City arborists and licensed contractors.
5. Create a public implementation dashboard that shows where progress is happening The public should be able to see whether investments are producing lasting canopy. We support and are eager to help in any way to support a straightforward dashboard tracking annual planting, survival, canopy growth, tree removals and verified replacements, mitigation fees collected and spent, maintenance activity, and results by Council district and equity-priority area.
OUR CITY FOREST | PUBLIC COMMENT ON SAN JOSÉ'S TREE CANOPY Page 3 Our City Forest | 1195 Clark Street, San Jose, CA 95125 | 408.480.7833 | ourcityforest.org Requested next steps
Our City Forest respectfully asks the Mayor and City Council to:
1. Develop an annual City -OCF implementation and funding plan under the existing master services agreement, with clear roles for planting, three -year establishment care, outreach, education, workforce development, volunteer mobilization, and data collection.
2. Identify a pathway to increase OCF’s AmeriCorps matching grant in FY 2026 -27 and to maintain adequate operating and facilities support for the expanded program.
3. Prepare a transparent development-mitigation-fee spending plan that expands OCF planting projects.
4. Advance a Zero Net Canopy Loss and mature -tree preservation framework , including stronger preventive pruning and targeted assistance for residents who cannot afford required tree care.
5. Launch a public implementation dashboard tracking planting, survival, canopy change, and equity outcomes.
Our City Forest is ready to help San José succeed
Since 1994, OCF has planted more than 80,000 trees and 20,000 shrubs, engaged more than 175,000 volunteers, reached more than 35,000 students, and trained more than 650 AmeriCorps members. OCF has planted in every San José ZIP code and on more than 300 sch ool campuses while building the community relationships necessary for trees to survive beyond the day they are planted. Those assets already belong to this community and can be deployed more fully through a stronger partnership with the City.
For more than three decades, OCF has raised and leveraged more than $30 million in public and private resources to support San José’s urban forest. This funding has expanded the impact of the City’s own investments by supporting tree planting and care, com munity outreach, volunteer engagement, environmental education, workforce development, and long-term stewardship in every San José ZIP code.
San José’s experience also demonstrates that substantially higher planting levels are possible when OCF has adequate capacity, reliable funding, and coordinated access to planting sites.
The Civil Grand Jury report should be a catalyst for increased collaboration. San José has a capable local partner, a proven service workforce, and residents who want to participate in growing our urban canopy.
With stable City funding, a better use of mitigation revenues, stronger mature-tree care, and transparent measures of progress, we can create a healthier and more equitable urban forest.
Thank you for your consideration and for your continued commitment to a greener San José.
Sincerely,
Richard Stewart
Chair, Board of Directors
Our City Forest
On behalf of the Board of Directors
Staff contact: Tara Sreekrishnan, Executive Director |
Outlook
FW: August 11, 2026 City Council Meeting Agenda Item 5.2: Response to Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury Report Entitled "A Canopy in Decline"
From City Clerk <[email protected]>
Date Mon 8/10/2026 7:39 AM
To Agendadesk <[email protected]>
From: Lynne Paulson
Sent: Sunday, August 9, 2026 1:15 PM
To: City Clerk <[email protected]>
Subject: August 11, 2026 City Council Meeting Agenda Item 5.2: Response to Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury Report Entitled "A Canopy in Decline"
[External Email. Do not open links or attachment s from untrusted sources. Learn morel You don't often get email from . Learn why this is im1201tant August 9, 2026
To: Mayor Matt Mahan and members of the San Jose City Council Subject: August 11, 2026 City Council Meeting Agenda Item 5.2: Response to Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury Report Entitled "A Canopy in Decline"
Dear Mayor and City Council,
I am writing this as a resident of San Jose and a volunteer active in local neighborhood organizations and events.
I appreciate the fact that the Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury investigated the important issue of the need for an increased tree canopy in San Jose. The tree canopy is important to all residents in the city with its impacts on cleaning our air, cooling our air and land, improving wildlife habitat and increasing our enjoyment of the scenic values of our community.
While the City's response addresses the formal requirements of the Grand Jury report, it does not yet provide enough detail to give the public confidence in how the City will reverse the long-term decline in canopy.
What is missing includes:
1. More transparency and accountability based on a clear implementation plan for how the city will accomplish its goal of increasing the tree canopy.
2. Public access to reports with measurable annual progress towards meeting the goal.
3. Funding for an increased effort by the city to advance towards the target due to the challenges shown in Figure 2 page 12 of the Grand Jury Report. That figure shows the past downward trend in San Jose canopy coverage and also indicates that a tremendous effort must be maintained for decades in order to reach the 2051 canopy goal.
I have read the comments by Our City Forest on the matter in their letter of August 6, 2026. Their suggestions to have a detailed public implementation dashboard and to increase funded support from Our City Forest would help This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. address the above issues. They have made some other important comments as well.
I respectfully ask the City Council to direct staff to incorporate the recommendations outlined by Our City Forest, including a funded implementation plan, as the City moves forward from this Grand Jury response.
Regards,
Lynne Paulson
Email
Outlook
FW: Public Comment Item 5.2--August 11, 2026 Council Meeting--Response to Civil Grand Jury Report
From City Clerk <[email protected]>
Date Tue 8/11/2026 7:20 AM
To Agendadesk <[email protected]>
~ 1 attachment (563 KB)
Grand Jury Response CNRC.pdf;
From: Bob Kass
Sent: Monday, August 10, 2026 5:39 PM
To: City Clerk <city.clerk@sanjoseca .gov>
Cc: Burton , Chris <Christopher .Burton@sanjoseca .gov>; Ristow, John <John.Ristow@sanjoseca .gov>; Lee, Lynn <Theresalynn .lee@sanjoseca .gov>; Davis, Sara <[email protected]>; Seguin, Jennifer <[email protected]>; Tara Sreekrishnan >; Mulcahy, Michael <Michael .Mu [email protected]>
Subject: Public Comment Item 5.2--August 11, 2026 Council Meeting--Response to Civil Grand Jury Report [External Email. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. Learn morel You don't often get email fro ~ ,. Learn why this is important Please find attached c~e Cory Neighborhood Association Reforestation Committee regarding Item 5.2 on the August 11, 2026 San Jose City Council Agenda--"A Canopy in Decline"
This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.
To: Honorable Mayor Matt Mahan and Members of the San Jose City Council RE: August 11, 2026 City Council Meeting--Item 5.2--Response to “A Canopy in Decline” From: Cory Neighborhood Association Reforestation Committee Date: August 10, 2026
Dear Mayor Mahan and Members of the City Council:
In August, 2025, the Cory Neighborhood Association (CNA) Board of Directors established a Reforestation Committee (CNARC) to explore opportunities for reversing urban forest decline in the Cory Neighborhood. Prior to formal establishment of the CNARC, Cory residents had identified various urban forest issues, including: a significant loss of large canopy trees; numerous missing street trees; ongoing improper care and pruning of street trees; and a lack of coordination between the Departments of Transportation (DOT) and Planning, Building and Code Enforcement (PBCE) on installation and replacement of street trees associated with major single-family residential construction projects (remodels, ADUs, scrape-downs).
Since its establishment in 2025, the CNARC has met regularly with City of San Jose staff and District 6 Council representatives to develop a neighborhood-based strategy and a list of action items for joint implementation by the neighborhood and the City to address key urban forest issues. As part of the Cory Neighborhood’s evolving strategy and implementation scheme, the CNARC has also recently engaged Our City Forest to provide additional assistance on neighborhood reforestation initiatives, including outreach and targeted neighborhood implementation of the City’s Free Street Tree Program.
The CNARC has reviewed the Civil Grand Jury report “A Canopy in Decline” and the City’s proposed response to this report. We believe the following findings to be most relevant to both the City’s efforts to improve its urban forest, and to our neighborhood-specific reforestation efforts:
Finding 1: The CFMP requires significant coordination across stakeholders, but the City has not designated a single agency or employee to own the implementation and coordination, which has resulted in confusion, inefficiency, and a lack of accountability.
CNARC Comment: The CNARC supports consolidating street tree responsibility firmly within one department. For example, there is often limited coordination between the Departments of Transportation (DOT) and Planning, Building and Code Enforcement (PBCE) on street tree requirements, resulting in a frequent lack of compliance with City standards for major single family residential remodels, scrape-downs, or construction of ADUs. Dozens of examples can be found just throughout the Cory neighborhood where major residential projects are constructed, occupied or sold, without compliance with City street tree standards. (0~ ij
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Cory Neighborhood Association Reforestation Committee August 10, 2026
Examples of new single-family residential projects where street trees have not been installed.
Examples of street trees that have been severely pruned or topped.
Finding 2: The Community Forest Advisory Committee (CFAC) lacks direction and accountability, and has not been meeting regularly as required to set direction and priorities.
CNARC Comment: We believe a clear scope of responsibility, as well as formalizing Community Forest Advisory Committee (CFAC) membership, would benefit the City’s efforts to implement the Community Forest Management Plan, as well as enable the CFAC to act as a long-term steward and advisory body for urban forest issues. The City Council should consider establishing the Community Forest Advisory Committee as a formal Council Advisory Body, similar to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC), with advisory authority to the City Council through an existing Council Committee.
Finding 5: The City has explored options to reduce the burden on private-property owners for tree maintenance and sidewalk repair, including financial assistance and assuming greater responsibility for street trees, but has not completed a comprehensive evaluation to determine feasibility or inform a decision on whether to proceed.
Cory Neighborhood Association Reforestation Committee August 10, 2026
CNARC Comment: The decline of San Jose’s urban forest is years in the making. The majority of Santa Clara County cities maintain trees street trees as a public service. Property owner street tree maintenance in San Jose is inconsistent, and the financial issues associated with street tree maintenance exacerbate the improper or negligent practices and can act as a disincentive to property owners to responsibly maintain street trees. A serious evaluation of assuming street tree maintenance responsibilities should be a priority for the City.
Respectfully submitted to the San Jose City Council by:
Bob Kass, Chair, Cory Neighborhood Association Reforestation Committee Rita Crawford, Cory Neighborhood Association Reforestation Committee & CNA Board Member
About the Cory Neighborhood
The Cory Neighborhood is located in the northwest corner of San Jose Council District 6, and is generally bordered by the City of Santa Clara to the north and west, I-880 to the east, and Forest Avenue (Westfield Valley Fair) to the south. It is primarily a neighborhood of single- family residential homes, with small pockets of neighborhood commercial and multi-family residential uses. There are no City of San Jose parks within the neighborhood boundaries; the former Cory Elementary School (SJUSD) provides some neighborhood open space, including Little League fields and playgrounds, which have limited hours of public use due to existing tenant uses at the former school.
The majority of the original single-family homes in the Cory neighborhood were constructed in the late 1940’s and into the early 1950’s as part of the post-WWII suburban housing boom.
Many of the original two- and three-bedroom single-story ranch-style homes of 850 to 1100 square feet still remain, although increasingly, the original homes are being replaced with much larger (3000+ sqft) single-family homes of both 1 and 2 stories.
Distinctive characteristics of the Cory Neighborhood include: winding streets of varying widths; separated sidewalks; park strips of varying widths; overhead utilities primarily located in rear- yard easements; and, a variety of mature street trees and on-site private property trees.
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