March 2, 2026
San Rafael City Council
1400 Fifth Avenue
San Rafael, CA 94901
RE: Three-Year Strategic Plan Work Plan Update
Honorable Mayor and Council Members,
Sustainable San Rafael is, of course, disappointed to see the slippage of the 'Draft Revision of Tree Ordinance' item in the Council's Three-Year Strategic Plan from FY 2025-26 to the first quarter of FY 26-27.
However, we look forward to the proposed resumption of the revision in the upcoming July-September quarter of 2026, and to its rapid completion. We request that the revised timeline be honored for several reasons:
1. Much of the revision of the Tree Ordinance was
completed by DPW staff four years ago in the spring of
2022, with careful input from the community.
2. A solid Tree Ordinance, together with a robust Urban Forestry Master Plan, are essential to the City
effectively addressing climate change, since a healthy
tree canopy both helps cool the community from
increasingly dangerous heat waves and captures
significant amounts of the atmospheric carbon that
drives these and other climate impacts.
3. Climate change is preceding rapidly, and every year of delay in addressing its causes and impacts only leads
to increased dangers and costs.
We ask that you honor the diligent efforts and long
expectations of the community to bring San Rafael's urban forestry policies and programs up to date and well-grounded in best practice, as called for by General Plan 2040.
Thank you for your dedication to the health, safety, and beauty of our city--and to making it a model Tree City.
Sincerely,
Ben Snyder
Ben Snyder,
Co-President
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Annika Osborn, Co-President
Ben Snyder, Co-President
William Carney, Vice President
Miles Smith, Secretary
Greg Brockbank
Kay Karchevski
Rina Lopez
Phil Muller
Marisa Nordstrom
Stuart Siegel
415.302.0110