conservation; climate sustainability; stormwater STATE OF THE management; water and air quality; and environmental URBAN FOREST justice and equity. The city’s new Comprehensive Plan sets as an explicit goal “the creation, protection, and expansion of robust urban forests.” FY2021 Annual Report of the Charlottesville Tree Rather than robust and flourishing, Charlottesville’s Commission overall tree canopy continues to decline at an accelerating rate. This alarming trend relates in part to The Tree Commission works with the Parks & another: For a fifth consecutive year the city was Recreation Department to “protect and improve the unable to meet its annual tree planting goal. While the urban forest,” in pursuit of a “better quality of life for Commission acknowledges the difficulties posed by the City residents and . . . environmental and aesthetic pandemic and reduced city resources, it is imperative that benefits.” While aesthetics is important, concern for we confront these unsustainable trends and take every quality of life is the primary reason to preserve and action to plant, preserve, and protect trees. expand our urban forest and local natural resources. Preservation is critical to achieving climate A recent expert analysis of satellite imagery from 2018 sustainability, protecting public health, and ensuring shows a 10% reduction in tree canopy between 2004 and environmental justice and equity. 2021 was another 2018, from 50% coverage of the city’s 6,600 acres to 40%, year of challenges in achieving these aims. It was which is a loss of 660 acres of canopy in a period of difficult for the Commission to engage the community fourteen years. What is worse, the rate of loss is directly, and reductions in fiscal and staff resources increasing over time, and the actual canopy in 2021 may affected the ability of Parks & Recreation to meet be closer to 35%, meaning a loss of nearly 990 acres in green infrastructure goals. This report reflects these less than two decades. The canopy decline across all realities while offering some hope for the years ahead. neighborhoods is most detrimental to those with the lowest coverage, generally low-income neighborhoods. Critical Importance of the Urban Tree Canopy – A stable and flourishing tree canopy is essential for attaining the critical city goals for public health; energy Critical Need to Plant Trees – “Number of trees The urban forest is suffering further fragmentation and planted” is a primary measure for assessing if degradation as a result of the development of private Charlottesville is realizing its vision of a “green city.” The land, a process in which the city’s review and regulation city’s goal is to plant 200 trees every year. It has not met regarding trees is limited and a substantial number of this goal in any of the past five fiscal years, especially trees (many with large, mature canopies) are cut down FY21 in which only 23 trees were planted. or have their lives considerably shortened by construction damage and neglect. This damage extends to public street trees. The zoning ordinance must be revised to address the ways in which development is appropriating a public good for private gain. Planting Large Canopy Trees – Planting trees with a larger canopy size helps to increase the overall cover of the urban forest and complements the quantity of trees planted. As the graph below indicates, to increase canopy cover over the long-term Parks & Recreation continues to include a high percentage of large canopy trees among those it plants each year. This accords with the goals of fostering healthier neighborhoods, providing greater shade for pedestrians and cyclists, reducing energy costs, and mitigating pollution. The city has planted an average of 108 trees each of the past five years, 54% of its planting goal. Compounding this shortfall, it has removed more trees because of disease and damage than it has replaced. With 666 trees removed and 539 trees planted, the city’s tree replacement rate is 81%, which means less than one tree planted for each tree taken down. Too few trees are being planted to counteract the years-long decline in tree canopy. And a majority of trees planted each year simply replace those that have been removed. Location of Trees Planted on Public Property – Although resources did not allow for planting many trees in 2021, the graph below shows that plantings were primarily in the public right-of-way (ROW) and in parks. While these trees contribute to the overall tree canopy, they do not provide sufficient shade in low- canopy neighborhoods to protect residents and pedestrians and to help reduce energy costs and promote health. Thus, in order to improve tree canopy Tree Commission FY21 Report - 2 cover in an equitable manner, the Commission continues Heat Islands, Public Health, & Justice – Fourteen of to support use of a weighted scale to help prioritize the the city’s 19 neighborhoods are now “low-canopy” planting of trees in public ROW within low-canopy and (below 40% canopy cover), and two of these are extremely low-canopy neighborhoods where heat island “extremely low-canopy” (below 20% canopy cover). effects are most severe. Residential zones with tree canopy cover below 40% are effectively unhealthy neighborhoods, accounting for the majority of heat-related illnesses in any community. Neighborhoods with less than 20% canopy face even higher surface temperatures and greater utility costs, and their residents suffer the greatest physical stress. The map below shows that the city’s low-canopy and extremely low-canopy neighborhoods correlate closely with historically and predominantly African-American neighborhoods, and with lower-income neighborhoods designated as CDBG-eligible. These neighborhoods retain higher ground heat and have a more extreme urban heat island effect than high-canopy neighborhoods. By these measures, Starr Hill and 10th & Page (below 20% canopy) and Belmont, Rose Hill, and The Meadows (below 30% canopy) fare worst in the city. An array of national studies confirms a strong correlation between low-canopy areas and neighborhoods that were Tree Commission FY21 Report - 3 historically subjected to racially inequitable “red-lining” department uses these funds to prune, repair, and zoning and lending practices. The city’s goals for protect existing large and valuable trees in the increasing the urban tree canopy cover offer significant community, especially specimen and historic trees opportunities for advancing environmental justice and protected under city ordinance. However, as much as equity in Charlottesville. half of the annual budget available for preservation, maintenance, and dealing with storm damage may have Financial Investment in the Urban Forest – The to be diverted to battling the emerald ash borer in the financial uncertainty of the pandemic led to the absence of CIP funding dedicated to that purpose. Such a elimination of the FY2021 CIP allocation of $75,000 for diversion of resources would degrade the appearance of tree planting. A $7,600 surplus in Parks & Recreation’s the city’s streets and parks in ways obvious to all. tree maintenance budget paired with private donations allowed for planting 23 trees, a small victory in a year of very few. The FY2022 allocation of $75,000 for tree planting is welcome; however, pandemic shortages and inflation have caused the cost of a tree to rise to $450, ensuring that the city will not be able to meet its goal of planting 200 trees in the current fiscal year. It is crucial that Charlottesville plant trees, which requires full funding of future CIP requests. Further delay in investing in the urban forest will only exacerbate negative health, environmental, and social consequences and reduce the likelihood of closing a years-long gap in planting. The inexorable spread of the emerald ash borer is a present dire threat to over 300 ash trees throughout Charlottesville’s urban forest as well as to the safety of persons on the city’s streets and in its parks. Sufficient funding is essential for dealing with the damage caused by these insects. Parks & Recreation has taken steps over the past several years to protect 30 of the city’s most important and vital ash trees, but approximately 300 others will have to be removed. $525,000 will be needed over a five-year period for this time-sensitive and safety-critical work. A request for $50,000 for removals was not approved in FY22, making it all the more crucial that the city begin to fund this priority soon. Infected ash trees become extremely brittle and break apart more quickly than do other diseased trees, posing a significant danger to people and property. As for the preservation of trees, the Commission appreciates that Council recognizes this important need and for several years has provided funding in Parks & Recreation’s operating budget. The Tree Commission FY21 Report - 4 FY2021 Activities of • Prepared nominations for more than 20 mature trees the Charlottesville Tree on Garrett St. and 2nd St. NE now further imperiled by continued development. Commission • Updated criteria for urban tree canopy assessment in fall 2021, allowing City Arborist to submit request for The Tree Commission met virtually throughout the fiscal funding from Va. Dept. of Forestry. year. Despite the constraints this placed on in-person • Worked with Urban Forester to prepare RFQ for collaborative efforts, members worked individually and urban tree canopy assessment. in small groups to educate and advocate on behalf of • Worked with Urban Forester to develop a five-year city trees, and to engage in the planning and regulatory plan for removing 300 ash trees diseased or at risk activities of city and nonprofit bodies. What follows is a for infection by the emerald ash borer. summary of efforts undertaken by committees during another very unusual year. • Updated the Charlottesville Tree Packet, including the Master Tree List, for use by city staff and Education & Advocacy — developers. • Established ReLeaf Cville, a private/public partnership to raise funds through CACF for planting Codes & Ordinances — • Continued to participate in virtual meetings of the and preserving trees on private property and for C’ville Plans Together Steering Committee. educating residents in low-canopy neighborhoods on the many benefits of trees. • Prepared for a thorough review of city zoning code and comments on proposed changes affecting trees. • Collaborated with City of Promise and Charlottesville Area Tree Stewards to begin planting trees in 10th • Continued to participate in steering committees for and Page neighborhood in FY22. Fontaine Avenue and Barracks Road & Emmet Street Smart Scale projects. • With Parks & Recreation presented to Venable 3rd and 4th graders on the importance of trees and • Prepared comments on the city’s draft Strategic Plan. developed outdoor activities on this theme. • Submitted comments on proposed development at • Collaborated with educators in city schools, including 240 Stribling Avenue. the Lugo-McGinness Academy to develop urban tree education programs. General — • Held virtual public meeting each month (except • Began planning for an event at CHS to educate November). teenagers about jobs in the Green Industries. • Worked with City Clerk’s office and City Council to • Presented FY20 report to City Council along with FY21 budget request. appoint four new members, bringing Commission to • Coordinated with Urban Forester to address full membership. neighborhood associations’ concerns for trees on • Revised original (2011) Commission bylaws. private property. • Submitted comments to Council concerning budget for planting trees and removing those affected by Arbor — emerald ash borer. • Held Arbor Day Celebration at Walker Upper • Worked with Parks & Recreation to address concerns Elementary School and joined with the Charlottesville about public activity in Maplewood Cemetery. Tree Stewards in dedicating 150-year-old post oak at • Responded to numerous inquiries from residents and Maplewood Cemetery as a Heritage Tree. business owners concerning condition of trees on city • Nominated six trees approved by City Council under streets and the Downtown Mall as well as in parks. Conservation Ordinance. These include the specimen post oak at Maplewood and white ash at the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society. Tree Commission FY21 Report - 5