Eugene’s Urban Forestry Department plants street trees to reach city climate goals – Oregon Public Broadcasting – OPB

Report on Eugene’s Urban Forest Action Plan and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

1.0 Introduction

The City of Eugene’s Urban Forestry Department has initiated a comprehensive Urban Forest Action Plan, the first major update in over 35 years. This report outlines the plan’s objectives, implementation strategies, and its significant alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The primary objective is to increase the city’s urban tree canopy from its current 23% to a target of 30% by the year 2040, a goal central to advancing urban sustainability and climate resilience.

Strategic Objectives and SDG Alignment

2.1 Enhancing Urban Canopy for Climate Resilience (SDG 13)

The core of the action plan is a direct response to the climate crisis, aligning with SDG 13: Climate Action. By increasing tree canopy, the city aims to mitigate the urban heat island effect, improve air quality, and sequester carbon.

• Annual Planting Target: 3,000 trees to be planted each year on street rights-of-way.
• Long-Term Goal: Achieve 30% total canopy coverage by 2040.
• Climate Benefits: Increased canopy coverage has been demonstrated to regulate temperatures, reducing energy costs for residents and creating a more resilient urban environment.

2.2 Co-Benefits for Sustainable Communities and Ecosystems

The project’s benefits extend across multiple SDGs, contributing to a holistic vision of urban sustainability.

1. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: The plan enhances urban aesthetics and community well-being by creating greener, more pleasant public spaces. The focus on equitable distribution of trees directly supports the goal of making cities inclusive and sustainable.
2. SDG 15: Life on Land: Planting a diverse range of trees creates and restores habitats for urban wildlife, contributing to the protection of biodiversity within the city.
3. SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) & SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation): Urban forests are critical for improving air quality by filtering pollutants and improving water quality through natural filtration processes.

Implementation Framework and Partnerships (SDG 17)

3.1 Funding and Collaborative Partnerships

The initiative is supported by a multi-level partnership, reflecting the principles of SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals. This collaborative funding model ensures the project’s financial stability and leverages expertise from various agencies.

• City of Eugene
• Oregon Department of Forestry (State)
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Federal)

3.2 Data-Driven Planning and Methodology

A systematic approach is being used to maximize the plan’s effectiveness.

1. GIS Inventory: A geographic information mapping system has been used to inventory all 75,000+ existing public street trees.
2. Gap Analysis: This data is used to identify areas with the lowest canopy coverage and the greatest opportunity for new plantings.
3. Site-Specific Assessment: Arborists conduct on-site evaluations to account for factors such as right-of-way dimensions, soil conditions, and proximity to infrastructure to ensure the long-term health of newly planted trees.

Advancing Urban Equity (SDG 11)

4.1 The “Tree Equity” Framework

A central component of the plan is “Tree Equity,” a framework designed to ensure the benefits of the urban forest are distributed fairly across all neighborhoods. This directly addresses SDG 11 by promoting inclusive access to green spaces.

• Equity Scoring: Neighborhoods are assigned a “tree equity score” to prioritize planting efforts in areas with historically low canopy coverage, such as the Bethel neighborhood, where coverage is as low as 9%.
• Targeted Action: By focusing on underserved areas, the department aims to correct historical inequities and ensure all residents benefit from a healthy urban forest.

Operational Challenges and Community Engagement

5.1 Identified Challenges

The implementation faces several operational challenges that require careful management.

• Physical Constraints: Limited planting space in the built environment and variable soil conditions.
• Safety Risks: Arborist safety is a concern in high-traffic areas.
• Property Encroachment: Private fences and structures built on public rights-of-way limit available planting space.

5.2 Requirement for Community Partnership

Achieving the 30% canopy goal is not possible through public plantings alone. The plan emphasizes the need for a partnership with the community, as a majority of the city’s tree canopy exists on private land. The Urban Forestry Department supports residents by offering planting permits and expert advice, fostering a shared sense of ownership and responsibility for the city’s environmental health, further reinforcing the collaborative spirit of the SDGs.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Addressed in the Article

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

• The article focuses on Eugene’s Urban Forestry Department’s efforts to manage and expand the city’s urban forest. This directly relates to making cities more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient. The “Urban Forest Action Plan” is a key component of sustainable urban planning.

SDG 13: Climate Action

• The article explicitly states that one of the city’s climate action goals is to achieve 30% canopy coverage by 2040. It highlights that “High canopy coverage can mitigate the effects of climate change” and regulate temperatures, which are direct actions to combat climate change and its impacts at a local level.

SDG 15: Life on Land

• The initiative to plant thousands of trees contributes to the restoration of terrestrial ecosystems within an urban environment. The article mentions that more trees “create habitats for wildlife,” which directly supports the goal of halting biodiversity loss.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

• The article introduces the concept of “Tree Equity,” where the Urban Forestry Department focuses its planting efforts on “areas of the city where there are the fewest trees right now.” By assigning a “tree equity score” to neighborhoods and targeting areas with low scores (like the Bethel neighborhood), the city is actively working to reduce inequalities in access to the environmental and health benefits of green spaces.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

• The project’s success relies on multi-stakeholder partnerships. The article mentions that “City, state and federal funding will support the project,” specifically naming grants from the Oregon Department of Forestry and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It also emphasizes the need for “partnership with the community,” encouraging residents to plant trees on private land.

Specific SDG Targets Identified

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

• Target 11.7: By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities.
  • The plan to increase canopy coverage and plant trees along streets and rights-of-way is a direct effort to enhance and create green public spaces for the community’s well-being.

SDG 13: Climate Action

• Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning.
  • Eugene’s “Urban Forest Action Plan” and its specific goal of 30% canopy coverage by 2040 to mitigate climate effects is a clear example of integrating climate change measures into local city-level planning and strategy.

SDG 15: Life on Land

• Target 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species.
  • By planting trees, the city is creating and restoring urban habitats for wildlife, which is a significant action to combat the degradation of natural habitats within the built environment.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

• Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.
  • The “Tree Equity” framework, which prioritizes planting in neighborhoods with low canopy coverage (as low as 9%), directly addresses spatial and environmental inequalities within the city, ensuring more equitable distribution of the benefits that urban trees provide.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

• Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships.
  • The project is a collaboration between different levels of government (city, state, federal) for funding and requires partnership with the community and residents to achieve its goals, as noted when the article states that reaching the 30% goal requires community partnership.

Indicators for Measuring Progress

Indicators Mentioned or Implied in the Article

• Urban Canopy Coverage Percentage: The article provides a clear, measurable indicator. It states the city’s current coverage is “about 23%” and the target is “30% canopy coverage by 2040.” This directly measures the overall progress of the urban greening initiative.
• Number of Trees Planted Annually: A specific output indicator is mentioned: “the team will aim to plant 3,000 trees on street rights-of-way each year.” This allows for annual tracking of the implementation of the action plan.
• Tree Equity Score: The article describes a composite indicator used to measure inequality: “the department has assigned neighborhoods a tree equity score out of 100.” This score, which can be tracked over time for different neighborhoods, serves as a direct measure of progress towards reducing environmental inequality.
• Geographic Inventory of Trees: The use of a “geographic information mapping system” to create an “inventory of every tree already existing on street rights-of-way” is an indicator of the city’s capacity for monitoring and managing its urban forest resources, which is essential for effective planning and measuring progress.

Summary of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: opb.org