Cleveland Tree Plan Making Cleveland the Forest City Once Again

October 27, 2016 Matt Gray

1 The Forest City Cleveland has so few trees that city boundaries can be easily seen on Google Earth

3 33 Climate Actions

Focus Area # of Actions Energy Efficiency & Green Building 7

Advanced & Renewable Energy 8 Sustainable Mobility 6 Waste Reduction & Resource Conser. 3 Land Use & Clean Water 6 Comm. Engagement & Public Health 3 Observed changes in Northeast Ohio

2.4 Rising average temps 26 More rain 20 Longer freeze-free season 22 More heavy rain

USDN Great Lakes Climate 13 Adaptation Network 5 What’s the climate affect on Northeast Ohio?

• Public Health: urban heat island effect, decreased air quality, change in vector borne and allergy-related disease patterns • Water Quality: algal blooms, combined sewer overflows, beach health • Food Systems: increase crop yields in short term, decreased agricultural productivity in long term • Forests: Tree species shifting northward • Energy and Industry: increased energy prices, reduced building heating loads, increased A/C • Transportation: lengthened commercial navigation season, but local infrastructure affected by freeze-thaw cycles, flooding and erosion, lake effect snow, heat waves • Fish and Wildlife: ecosystem disturbances Sustainable Cleveland Summits Cleveland Tree Plan

Collaborating to Rebuild Our Urban Forest Thank You

This plan was funded by the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability, Cleveland Neighborhood Progress, Western Reserve Land Conservancy's Thriving Communities Institute, and LAND Studio. Special thanks to Holden Arboretum for in-kind technical assistance.

Stakeholders involved in the development of this project:

▪ Broadway Slavic Village Development ▪ First Energy ▪ City - Capital Improvements ▪ Forest Citizens Working Group of Sustainable Cleveland 2019 ▪ City - Office of Sustainability ▪ Forest City Working Group ▪ City - Planning ▪ Holden Arboretum ▪ City - Urban Forestry ▪ LAND Studio ▪ City – Parks & Recreation ▪ MetroHealth ▪ Cleveland Foundation ▪ Northeast Ohio Area-wide Coordinating Agency (NOACA) ▪ Cleveland Metroparks ▪ Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District ▪ Cleveland Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) ▪ ODNR Division of Forestry ▪ Cleveland Neighborhood Progress ▪ Ohio City, Inc. ▪ Cuyahoga Board of Health ▪ Old Brooklyn Community Development ▪ Cuyahoga County Planning Commission ▪ St. Luke’s Foundation ▪ Cuyahoga Landbank ▪ Western Reserve Land Conservancy ▪ Cuyahoga River Restoration ▪ Dominion East Ohio Gas

Overview ▪ Process

▪ State of the Urban Forest

▪ Vision & Goals

▪ Action Overview ▪ A roadmap for implementing the vision for Cleveland’s urban forest

▪ A scope of work for dedicated partners to advance urban forest management

▪ A handy resource for anyone making decisions on tree planting

▪ Makes the case for trees as integral city infrastructure

▪ Emphasizes the need to improve equitable distribution of benefits

▪ Prioritizes the most urgent needs to turn things around

▪ Promotes deep collaboration

▪ Determines roles of community partners

Process

What Do We Have? Our Trees (Vegetation Resource)

How Are What Do We Doing? We Want? Our Our Players Approach (Community (Management) Framework)

How Do We Get There?

Kenney, W. A., et al. 2011. “Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Urban Forest Planning and Management.” Miller, R. W. 1988. Urban Forestry: Planning and Managing Urban Arboriculture & Urban Forestry 37(3): 108 – 117. Greenspaces. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Clark, J. R., et al. 1997. “A Model of Urban Forest Sustainability.” Journal of Arboriculture 23(1): 17 – 30. Benefits Benefits State of the Urban Forest State of the Urban Forest Our Trees Assessed (Vegetation Indicators of a Sustainable Urban Forest Resource) Performance Level Tree Canopy Low Size/Age Distribution Mod. Condition of Public Trees - Streets, Parks Low Our Our The Trees Condition of Public Trees - Natural Areas Low Approach Players Species Diversity Mod. (Community (Management) Framework) Species Suitability Low Neighborhood Action Mod. Large Private Landholder Involvement Low Green Industry Involvement Mod. City Dept./Agency Cooperation Low The Players Funder Engagement Mod. Utility Engagement Low Public Awareness Low Regional Collaboration Low Tree Inventory Low Canopy Assessment Good Management Plan Low Risk Program Low The Maintenance Program - Streets, Parks Low Management Maintenance Program - Natural Areas Low Approach Planting Program Low Tree Protection Mod. City Staffing & Equipment Low Funding Low Equitable Distribution Low Vision Cleveland’s vision for a healthy urban forest now and in the future:

▪ Increase tree canopy and the benefits it provides. ▪ Ensure those benefits are available to all residents. ▪ Leverage the economic advantages of urban trees. ▪ Use trees as an effective tool in neighborhood revitalization.

Only through partnership can Cleveland rebuild its urban forest

Goals ▪ Goal #1: A fundamental shift in thinking on the subject of urban tree infrastructure

▪ Goal #2: A reversal of the ongoing canopy loss trend

▪ Goal #3: A full stewardship for the public tree infrastructure Recommended Actions ▪ #1: Establish a Unified Voice, Formalize Partnerships

▪ #2: Develop an Outreach and Education Strategy

▪ #3: Develop Funding Plan

▪ #4: Obtain a Tree Inventory

▪ #5: Develop and Implement a Management Plan

▪ #6: Develop an Operational Review

▪ #7: Establish a Canopy Goal

▪ #8: Institute Policy Changes

▪ #9: Plant with a Purpose

Action Sheets

What Do We Have?

How Are What Do We Doing? We Want?

How Do We Get There? Recommended Actions ▪ #1: Establish a Unified Voice, Formalize Partnerships

Culture Change!

Recommended Actions ▪ #2: Develop an Outreach & Education Strategy

Recommended Actions ▪ #7: Establish a Canopy Goal

American Forest UTC Standards Compared to Cleveland Current Canopy Cleveland Rec.* 2011 Average of All Zones 40% 19% Central Bus. Districts 15% 4% Urban Residential** 25% 21% Suburban Residential 50% n/a Recommended Actions ▪ #9: Plant with a Purpose

Questions? ▪ Chad Clink Holden Arboretum/Cleveland Botanical Garden

▪ Matt Gray Office of Sustainability, City of Cleveland

▪ Colby Sattler WRLC Thriving Communities Institute

▪ Jennifer Braman Urban Forestry Section, DPW, City of Cleveland

▪ Joe Gregory Davey Resource Group Celebration Years Cleveland = 19% = room to grow THROUGH PARTNERSHIP, CLEVELAND WILL ONCE AGAIN BE KNOWN AS THE FOREST CITY

28 Planting with a Purpose The Way Forward:  ActionAction #9: Plant Steps with a purpose: trees for neighborhood equity

29 Cleveland Climate Action Fund Proposals Due Nov. 18

30 Thank You!

Matt Gray, Director City of Cleveland Mayor’s Office of Sustainability [email protected]

Join us at : www.SustainableCleveland.org

Cleveland Tree Plan