Urban Forestry Master Plan Presentation and Discussion - Norman City Council (September 9, 2025)

The Norman City Council held a conference meeting on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, at 5:30 PM to receive a presentation and hold a discussion on the proposed 20-year Urban Forest Master Plan developed by Davey Resource Group in partnership with city staff. The meeting covered the current state of Norman's urban forest, community engagement results, benchmarking data, and a series of strategic recommendations.

Presentation of the Urban Forest Master Plan

• Introduction: James Briggs, Park Development Manager, opened the presentation, explaining the plan was contracted in late summer 2024 to guide the city's forestry division for the next 15 to 20 years. He noted the plan graphically aligns with the Community Wildfire Protection Plan and the Parks and Recreation Master Plan.
• Findings and Community Engagement: Dana Carcher, Urban and Community Forestry Specialist with Davey, presented the findings. The planning process included a park tree inventory, a steering committee, stakeholder focus groups, public meetings, and a community survey. Key findings showed 84% of survey respondents felt there were too few trees in the park system. Cooling shade and providing wildlife habitat were identified as the most valued benefits of trees by the community.
• Current Forestry Operations: The citywide tree canopy is approximately 30%. A park inventory counted 5,775 trees (excluding wilderness areas). Eastern Red Cedar is the most prevalent species, approaching the recommended 10% diversity limit. Other major species include Lacebark Elm, Bald Cypress, American Elm, and Loblolly Pine. The forestry division operates with relatively low staffing (one primary forester and part-time support) and an annual budget of roughly $450,000, which staff noted allows them to do a significant amount of work with limited resources.
• Recommendations: The plan offers five strategic pillars:
  1. Grow Crew: Expand to a dedicated 3-person tree crew plus a crew chief (requiring a $1.4 million budget increase) and acquire a grapple truck.
  2. Prioritize Maintenance: Implement routine maintenance cycles (5-10 years), care for young trees, and outsource high-risk removals.
  3. Protect the Urban Forest: Adopt climate-resilient species, monitor pest threats like Emerald Ash Borer, manage invasive species, and track canopy changes.
  4. Plan for Sustainable Growth: Identify priority planting areas, expand NeighborWoods, review development impacts on trees, and preserve historically significant trees through a mechanism for creating 'historic tree districts' currently being drafted by city staff.
  5. Partner on Implementation: Engage volunteers, nonprofits, institutions, and utility forestry, along with regular reporting to the Parks Board.

Council Discussion and Key Positions

• Councilor McPico questioned the status of Eastern Red Cedar as an invasive species and inquired about programs for historically significant trees. The presenters confirmed the plan includes recommendations on both topics, and staff noted a 'historic tree district' ordinance is being drafted for future council consideration.
• Councilor Pico asked about the proposed $1.4 million budget increase, which was confirmed as solely for new staffing and equipment, and inquired about federal funding. Dana Carcher stated that federal urban forestry programs have been heavily cut and advised the city to stop depending on such grants. Councilor Pico also asked how other cities finance these programs, learning that general funds and dedicated taxes are common. Councilor Pico expressed strong support for a parking lot tree retrofit program modeled after Hanford, California, and advocated for aggressive replanting policies on city projects, specifically suggesting a replacement ratio of four new trees for every one removed.
• Another Council Member praised the work of the city's sole forester, Colin, but strongly advocated for incremental staffing additions. The member argued it is poor business practice to rely on a single person for critical institutional knowledge and expertise, stating, “It is never a good business practice to only have one person… if you lose that one person, you just lost all that knowledge.”
• Councilor Pico aligned the city's priorities with the plan’s direction. He suggested identifying cost savings from reduced use of storm cleanup contractors to help fund staffing increases. He also raised the possibility of increasing the visitor tax and dedicating a portion of the revenue to fund the expanded parks and forestry functions requested in the plan.

Key Outcomes

• The meeting was a presentation and discussion only; no formal vote was taken on the plan or its budget recommendations.
• Council members expressed general support for the plan and directed staff to consider its recommendations during the upcoming city budget development process.
• City staff confirmed they are currently revising the tree ordinance to include a mechanism for neighborhoods to apply for 'historic tree district' designation, which will be brought before the council at a later date.
• The Urban Forest Master Plan is intended to serve as a 20-year strategic roadmap guiding the future of Norman's forestry division.