ABOUT THE PROJECT

FREMONT’S URBAN FOREST MANAGEMENT PLAN

This project, launched on March 11th, 2021 will integrate data collected from the 2020 public tree inventory, the comprehensive Urban Tree Canopy (UTC) Assessment completed in 2020, City and stakeholder input, community engagement, research, and industry standards and best practices to develop a shared vision for the urban forest. To achieve the vision, the Urban Forest Management Plan (UFMP) will identify goals, strategies, actions, and targets to be implemented by the City and partners over a 40-year planning horizon.

Having a healthy, diverse urban forest can provide many benefits to residents as well as the ecosystem. In addition to being aesthetically pleasing, trees also provide a number of ecosystem services for the City. For example, they scrub the air of pollutants, slow the release of stormwater runoff into the watershed, filter stormwater, provide oxygen, reduce energy costs, provide shade, and offer habitat and food for wildlife.

Trees in urban environments not only contribute services to the City, but also provide residents with invaluable green space and health benefits. Proximity to green space has been linked to better mental health (Barton, et al. Environmental Science & Technology, 2010) as well as increases in social connections (Holtan, et al. Environment and Behavior, 2014) and physical well-being (Takano, Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 2002).

This website will routinely be updated to include planning components, upcoming events, opportunities to provide feedback, and additional supporting resources. Stay tuned for more information. Thank you for being a part of this effort to sustain a healthy urban forest benefiting all who live, work, visit, and recreate in Fremont!