The i-Tree Tools are a state-of-the-art, peer-reviewed software suite from the USDA Forest Service that helps communities of all sizes strengthen their urban forest management and advocacy efforts by quantifying the urban forest and the environmental, economic and quality of life services that it provides. I-Tree calculates tree canopy coverage percentages for most Minnesota cities, as does this map of city tree canopy coverage from 2013.
Tree inventories and canopy studies can be conducted by:
The Vegetation Risk Management Plan (USDA, 2012) is developed as a tool to help increase public safety after a storm event, maintain optimum urban tree canopy, promote tree health, provide for effective emergency and arboricultural management, and decrease emergency management costs.
Conduct a tree inventory or canopy study on public properties that is less than 10 years old.
Conduct a tree inventory that incorporates private property to better understand trees in the whole community; conduct a community-wide tree canopy study; conduct public property tree inventories every 5 years.
Implement 1- or 2-Star level and: have a qualified professional conduct a tree risk assessment to better prepare for storm and insect/disease damage; analyze a tree canopy study to assess equitable access to green space; evaluate and report on the financial and social benefits of public/private trees. Report Resiliency Hubs and Cooling Centers under BPA 29.1 and heat vulnerability assessments under BPA 29.6.
Who's doing it
Edina - 3 star
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed: 2021
Implementation details:
In April of 2021 the Ground Cover Survey and Carbon Sequestration Study was finalized, wherein a tree canopy study and the findings garnered from it were included in the Survey.
Additionally, also in 2021 the City of Edina completed their Climate Action Plan wherein the section concerning greenspace and trees, goals of increasing City Tree Cover from 35.9% to 39.5% by 2030 and up to 43% by 2040 are listed. This increase in tree cover will help provide critical climate adaptation services across Edina.
A tree inventory was conducted in 2020 by the AmeriCorps Forestry member, which counted 18 different tree species currently in the City limits. The most common trees include Paper Birch, Maple (three varieties: silver, sugar, and amur), Norway Spruce, Quaking Aspen, Pine (Red and White), and Ash (Green and White). Increasing the species diversity would be a good strategy to prevent losing a significant portion of tree cover should a disease wipe out a specific variety.
An estimate of tree cover was conducted for the City in 2020 using the iTree online platform. This estimate showed:
• 30.2% tree coverage for the City, which translates to 197 acres of tree coverage.
• At 2 tons of CO2 equivalent sequestered per acre per year, [19] these City trees currently sequester 394
tons of CO2 equivalent annually.
• Additional benefits include removing nitrogen dioxide, ozone, sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter from
the air.
Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa - 2 star
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed: 1978
Implementation details:
The forestry department of Fond du Lac Resource Management inventories thousands of acres of forested land each year with the goal of ensuring that, of the 45,000+ acres of tribally owned land, no set of acreage goes more than 10 years without being inventoried. Inventories also include privately and federally owned land.
The City hired a tree service to conduct a public/private tree inventory in 2022. We are in the process of adding our tree inventory to the city GIS mapping.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
We are continuing to monitor and protect our trees through the implementation of the EAB Plan, treatment, removal and the replacement of Ash trees.
A canopy study was conducted in 2022 for the City of Mora, MN by a community volunteer using iTree and in consultation with Deanna Pomije, District Manager of the Kanabec Soil and Water Conservation District, and Tony Miller, Forestry Specialist for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
New Ulm's tree survey began in 2017 with help from the Tree Advisory Commission and Park and Recreation Departments Green Corp member. The inventory included mailings to community members for voluntary tree self inventory submittals and Green Corp member extensive work. Over the
course of two years a full inventory of trees (9,000 +) was completed. The inventory consisted of tree species, type, crown width, health of tree (presence of decay-fungus - bird damage - etc.) and many other aspects.
In 2014 the city completed an inventory of all trees in city boulevards, parks and public buildings. This information continues to be used to determine areas for reforestation, coordinated tree planting and monitoring health of changing urban forests.