NE-4Update the Tree Canopy Management and Replacement Plan

Longmont completed a City-wide tree canopy assessment for all annexed land and determined the tree canopy to be 12.7% from 2020 aerial imagery, a growth of 3.7% from the 2008 assessment. Forestry Services is taking the approach of preserving the existing tree canopy by planting future climate adapted trees, treating ash trees to protect them from the invasive insect, emerald ash borer; and only planting trees in areas that are irrigated and support long-term tree health and survival. However, Forestry Services maintains trees on less than 5% of the total land area of Longmont, so increasing tree canopy needs to occur on private property. Forestry Services supports private property tree canopy growth by hosting the annual Spirit of Arbor Day Tree Sale, and subsidizing the cost of the trees by 40-50%. Future planning for implementation of this action will require development of plans for strategically planting trees in areas of Longmont with climate-vulnerable populations.