GOALS
We intend to advance Syracuse’s urban forest master plan by working towards three goals: Goal 1. Grow canopy equitably This plan recommends increasing canopy from 27% to 34%. This 7% increase (an estimated 984 acres) would place Syracuse just above the national average of 32% for cities its size. It would require an additional 57,400 trees be planted over 20 years or 2,870 trees per year*. This does not include trees that need to be planted to account for losses. The City can lead the way on this effort as a significant amount of this goal can be achieved on a variety of publicly-owned lands. Since the public input process revealed a consistent desire to expand canopy, an implementation team of committed stakeholders could propose more aggressive canopy goals focusing on lands not controlled by the city. Goal 2. Improve urban forest safety and resiliency. Syracuse can achieve a safe urban forest through regular inventory intervals, consistent pruning cycles and systematic removal of structurally compromised and unhealthy trees. A resilient urban forest is realized through strategic planting to ensure species and age diversity and improved site condition to optimize survival, growth and benefits across all neighborhoods and business districts. Fully funded forest operations, improved design standards and construction practices, increased tree protection and better enforcement of rules on the books will protect what we have. At public meetings and through surveys, residents indicated that the city should prioritize increasing canopy where it is needed most. Goal 3. Connect the entire community to the urban forest. This plan strives to connect the whole community to the urban forest through equitable canopy distribution, information and resources that are easy to find and education and training that is readily available. This will improve opportunities for Syracuse residents to value, care for and preserve trees and forests in the city. Robust education and stewardship programs are a keystone to increasing tree canopy on the 80% of lands not controlled by the city.
D AV E Y R E S O U R C E G R O U P | E N V I R O N M E N TA L C O N S U LT I N G
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