Cleveland City Council is considering $6 million for the city’s new Division of Urban Forestry as part of its budget hearings over the coming two weeks.
The proposed funding would allow the new division to fill 28 new positions, including 10 certified arborists, according to Councilmember Jenny Spencer, and outlines a $2 million investment in contracted tree maintenance.
The money would help establish a proactive approach to tree care and better address the current backlog of projects, Spencer said.
"We have a lot of catching up to do," she said. "We have over 3,500 pruning work orders that need to get handled citywide, 370 vacant tree removals currently, 170 stump removal work orders, and those are complaint-driven."
Tree canopy can reduce the effects of urban heat islands, improve air quality and reduce the risk of asthma and cardiovascular disease. The city aims to increase its tree canopy from 18% to 30% by 2040.
Work on the canopy was previously handled by the Division of Park Maintenance and Properties. Under that model, it was difficult to track how much money was being allocated to urban forestry directly, Spencer said.
The stand-alone urban forestry division, approved by Cleveland City Council in July, will provide better accountability on both spending and progress, Spencer said.
"You're going to be able to now benchmark year over year, how are we doing with our forestry needs?" she said. "How are we doing with all of our work order backlogs? How are we doing with staffing? Are we providing adequate resources?"
Council is scheduled to discuss the $6 million budget proposal Monday, and has until April 1st to finalize the next city budget.
Spencer said she is "optimistic" council will approve the division's budget.
Outlook on tree plantings
The new Division of Urban Forestry will better protect the city’s existing canopy, Spencer said, while giving the division room to consider resources needed to support new planting efforts.
The city offers grant funding for tree plantings through the Cleveland Tree Coalition, and received a $3.4 million grant from the U.S. Forest Service to support a comprehensive tree inventory.
However, when it comes to city-led plantings, Spencer said the division must first develop a long-term care plan before new trees can go in the ground.
"That's another policy shift that is being talked about a lot at the Urban Forestry Commission," Spencer said, referring to the volunteer advisory council formerly known as the Cleveland Tree Commission on which she serves. "The new director of Parks and Recreation, as well as leadership of this new urban forestry division, are also looking at how can the city get back into more tree plantings, but acknowledging that you can't just plant a tree and walk away."
