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URBAN FORESTRY & TREE MITIGATION PLAN UPDATE 10.15.2024FY 2024-25 Tree Mitigation Plan and Urban Forest Management Plan Update Brooke Costanza and Frank Fentress 10/15/2024 •Our average individual tree size – 414 square feet of canopy •Conservatively, 6.5 million trees in Virginia Beach •Ecosystem Services – $446 Million/Year Urban Tree Canopy (UTC) Analysis 2 •Virginia Beach UTC Analyses •2012 – 41.7% overall UTC •2018 – 40.3% overall UTC •2024 – Analysis in the works •Between 2012 and 2018, Virginia Beach lost 1.4% of our UTC - 2082 acres - 219,105 trees •Urban Forest Management Plan adopted by Council in 2014 •Urban Forest Management Plan Update to be voted on tonight •Keeps the 2014 overall UTC goal of 45% by 2045 Urban Tree Canopy (UTC) Analysis 3 Urban Tree Canopy (UTC) Analysis 4 Urban Tree Canopy Loss by Council District How do we get to 45% by 2045? 5 -Continue Tree Inventory -Identify available parcels for reforestation, preservation -Continue with tree loss mitigation -Undertake a Multi-Level Education Program -Target Public Lands UFMP Explains Strategies to Reach the Goal Future Considerations -Inform Other City Departments and Development Community about UTC Goals and Tree Mitigation -Incentivize Tree Protection Through Land Development Ordinances (bonuses for development density, fund tree planting offsite, preservation credits) -Establish a Tree Protection Easement Program (existing trees & tax relief) Internal Review & Public Engagement 6 Question #4: Where would you like to see more trees preserved? On November 14th and November 29th of 2023, Public Meetings occurred at the Great Neck Recreation Center and the Princess Anne Recreation Center, respectively. Surveys were handed out at the meetings and made available online through January, 2024. Public Engagement Internal Review In late summer 2023, the document was sent to various city agencies for comment. Agencies include (but not limited to) Planning, Public Works, Parks & Recreation, and VB Schools. Stakeholder Workshops Meetings started in 2021 with Planning, Public Works, Public Utilities, Parks & Recreation, Department of Geospatial Information, and SG&A/WPL to review components of UFMP update: Assessment, Management, and Collaboration. 7 Urban Tree Canopy (UTC) Analysis 8 UTC loss is outpacing UTC gain by twofold. At the current pace and with no proactive plan or policy measures, the UTC would decrease to roughly 34.3% by 2045. This would amount to a net loss of over 800,000 trees or roughly 7,600 acres between 2022 and 2045, which is equivalent to about 13% of our existing tree canopy. Without tree preservation in addition to planting, achieving 45% UTC by 2045 is not probable. Existing and Proposed Ordinances 9 Existing Ordinance and Policy adopted by city council: -Anyone must have the approval of the City Arborist or Landscape Administrator to remove vegetation on city property. -2020 Council Policy - Any tree removed on city property as a result of a city project must be replaced. Proposed New Ordinance: -Any tree removed on city property as a result of private construction must be replaced. -Park & Landscape Services has been working with Planning to amend the mitigation standards and finalize processes before proposing a modified ordinance. Tree Mitigation Fund Revenues 10 FY22-23 •$51,000 from various sources, mostly Public Works CIP’s. FY23-24 •$1,525,277 Dominion Energy CVOW mitigation •$74,400 various mitigation payments •$106,875 committed for tree planting – Parks and Rec CIP’s FY24-25 (Work in Progress) •$148,217 in potential mitigation funds owed for removals Tree Planting FY24 11 Tree Type # Planted Maple 135 Serviceberry 4 River Birch 13 Hornbeam 30 Cedar 3 Redbud 40 White Fringetree 11 Dogwood 1 Hawthorn 2 Beech 13 Fig 1 Ginkgo 2 Holly 10 Juniper 14 Crape Myrtle 4 Tulip Poplar 34 Magnolia 108 Sequoia 17 Blackgum 88 Hop Hornbeam 25 Ironwood 5 Pine 8 Chinese Pistachio 22 Sycamore 11 Cherry 8 Oak 320 Bald Cypress 25 Linden 19 Elm 100 •1073 trees planted in FY24 •400 trees with Dominion Energy mitigation funds – about $100,000 •$256,115 total for tree planting in FY24 -Mitigation Funds -General Fund -Grant Funds Council District Tree Planting 1 60 2 127 3 68 4 30 5 524 6 96 7 34 8 45 9 35 10 54 Mitigation Plan for FY25 12 •$426,400 for tree planting (about $250k from Dominion Energy mitigation) •2000+ Trees •$70,000 for new Urban Forestry position to expand tree planting program •Target areas •Neighborhoods prone to flooding •Urban heat island neighborhoods •Other areas where the most tree loss has occurred according to UTC data Mitigation Plan for FY25 13 Preservation •$100,000 in mitigation funds •Materials and equipment for in-house flexible pavement installation •Advanced Tree Care Tree Preservation FY25 14 Tree Preservation FY25 15 74” Sycamore at Francis Land House -Estimated to be almost 350 years old -Considered removal in 2012 Instead, we chose to do: -Corrective Pruning -Exclusion Fencing -Expanded Mulch Ring -Lightning Protection -Aeration -Fertilization QUESTIONS?