Urban Forestry
Definition
Management and care of trees in cities and suburbs, including planting new trees, maintaining existing trees, removing hazardous trees, and protecting trees during development. Urban forestry provides enormous benefits: cooling neighborhoods, managing stormwater, improving air quality, increasing property values, supporting mental health, and sequestering carbon. Many cities set a tree canopy goal.
Louisville Context
Louisville Metro Government’s Urban Forestry Division manages street trees and park trees on a budget I believe is too small for the city’s needs. West Louisville has far less tree canopy than the East End, contributing to urban heat island effects and health disparities. Urban forestry staffing is insufficient to keep pace with tree needs.
Why It Matters
Tree canopy inequality is environmental injustice causing measurable health and economic harm in low-canopy neighborhoods. Inadequate urban forestry investment makes it harder to grow the canopy where it is thinnest, worsening heat islands, stormwater problems, and environmental quality. Planting trees pays back in cooler streets, cleaner air and less stormwater to manage, making urban forestry a sound investment.
My Proposal
I will raise the Urban Forestry budget to $8 million annually within my $1.13 billion Metro budget, funding 50,000 trees planted over 4 years with priority to low-canopy neighborhoods. I’ll hire additional urban foresters and tree crews. I’ll update development regulations requiring developers to maintain/replace trees rather than clear-cutting. All plantings will involve community input on locations and species.