Urban Forestry Committee Meeting October 10th, 2024 at 11:00 AM Permitting And Development Center, Events Center, Room 1401 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Drive Austin, Texas 78752 Some members of the Urban Forestry Committee will be participating by videoconference. Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely via telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation by telephone. To register to speak remotely, call or email Elizabeth Funk, Watershed Protection Department, at (512) 568-2244, Elizabeth.Funk@austintexas.gov, no later than noon, the day before the meeting. The following information is required: speaker name, item number(s) they wish to speak on, whether they are for/against/neutral, email address and telephone number (must be the same number that will be used to call into the meeting). CURRENT COMMISSIONERS: Richard Brimer (Committee Chair) Mariana Krueger Colin Nickells Melinda Schiera CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL AGENDA The first 5 speakers signed up prior to the meeting being called to order will each be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. APPROVAL OF MINUTES PRESENTATIONS 1. Approve the minutes of the Urban Forestry Committee Meeting of June 27, 2024 2. Presentation on 2024 Tree Preservation Report– Naomi Rotramel, City Arborist, Development Services Department 3. Staff presentation on Tree Smarts: An Introduction to Austin’s Tree Regulations (Section 3 of the Environmental Criteria Manual) – Naomi Rotramel, City Arborist, and Daniel Priest, Environmental Compliance Specialist Sr., Development Services Department DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 4. Discussion and recommendation on strategies to improve Austin’s tree canopy – Richard Brimer, Urban Forestry Committee Chair FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 2 days (48 hours) before the meeting date. Please 512-568-2244, call Elizabeth Elizabeth.Funk@austintexas.gov; for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. Protection Department, Funk, Watershed at
URBAN FORESTRY COMMITTEE MEETING REGULAR CALLED MEETING MINUTES WEDNESDAY, June 27, 2024 The Urban Forestry Committee convened in a REGULAR meeting on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Drive in Austin, Texas. Chair Brimer called the Urban Forestry Committee Meeting to order at 11:35 a.m. Commissioners in Attendance: Richard Brimer, Mariana Krueger, Colin Nickells Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Melinda Schiera Commissioners Absent: None PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL None APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Urban Forestry Committee Meeting of March 28, 2024 The minutes from the regular meeting on March 28th, 2024 were approved on Commissioner Krueger’s motion, Commissioner Schiera’s second on a 3–0 vote. Commissioner Nickells abstained. STAFF BRIEFINGS 2. 3. City Arborist Quarterly Report FY24 – Naomi Rotramel, City Arborist, Development Services Department Item conducted as posted. No action taken. Staff briefing on climate adaptation and Austin’s urban forest – Emily King, Urban Forestry, Development Services Department Item conducted as posted. No action taken. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 4. Discussion and recommendation on strategies to improve Austin’s tree canopy – Richard Brimer, Urban Forestry Committee Chair The commission discussed this item but did not take action. 5. Discussion and recommendation on the 2023-2024 Urban Forestry Annual Report – Richard Brimer, Urban Forestry Committee Chair A motion to recommend the 2023-2024 Urban Forestry Annual Report passed on Commissioner Brimer’s motion, Commissioner Nickels’s second, on a 3–0 vote. Commissioner Schiera was off the dais. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Chair Brimer adjourned the meeting at 1:39 p.m. without objection.
Tree Preservation Report Environmental Commission Urban Forestry Subcommittee Meeting October 10th, 2024 Naomi Rotramel, City Arborist Preservation Inches Replanted for Mitigation Dead, Diseased, or Imminent Hazard Removals (Site Plan and Stand-alone Tree Permits only) Thank you
Tree Smart: An Introduction to Austin’s Tree Regulations Environmental Commission Urban Forestry Subcommittee Meeting October, 2024 Naomi Rotramel, City Arborist Daniel Priest, Environmental Compliance Specialist, Sr. Introduction to Austin’s Tree Regulations Impacts to Trees • History of the Tree Ordinances • Regulated Trees in Austin • What Are the Tree Regulations? • Measuring Trees • What is a Tree? • • Tree Rules – Development • Tree Preservation Criteria • Alternative Compliance Options • Tree Protection • Mitigation for removals • City Arborist Tree Review • Environmental & Tree Inspections – Routine inspections • Environmental & Tree Inspections - 311 History of Austin’s Tree Ordinance Margret Hofmann, 1925-2012 Hofmann Oaks Park History of Austin’s Tree Ordinance 1983 - Tree Preservation Ordinance 2010 - Heritage Tree Ordinance Regulated Trees in Austin Land Development Code 25-8, Subchapter B, Article 1 Tree and Natural Area Protection “REMOVAL means an act that causes or may be reasonably expected to cause a tree to die, including: • Uprooting; “The rules shall: development; • describe methods to protect trees against damage during • • • identify actions that will constitute removal; identify the root areas that require protection against soil compaction or the effects of impervious paving; and identify mitigation measures and methods of calculation for fiscal security to ensure performance of mitigation measures…” • severing the main trunk; • damaging the root system; • and excessive pruning.” Rules implementing LDC 25-8.B.1 are found in Section 3 of the Environmental Criteria Manual What are the Tree Regulations? Land Development Code (LDC) Environmental Criteria Manual (ECM) What are the Tree Regulations? Land Development Code 25-8, Subchapter B, Article 1 Division 1 – General Provisions Definitions Authorizes Rules Application Requirements Division 2 – Protected Trees Approval Criteria for Removal Division 3 – Heritage Trees Approval Criteria for Removal Variances Environmental Criteria Manual Section 3 3.3 - Survey Requirements Survey and Plan Depictions Hill Country Roadway Ordinance 3.5 - Design Criteria Protection (3.5.2) Mitigation (3.5.4) 3.6 - Tree Protection Environmental Criteria Manual Section 3 Changes to Environmental Criteria Manual Environmental Criteria Manual Section 3 3.3 - Survey Requirements 3.5 - Design Criteria 3.3.1 - Requirements by Jurisdiction 3.5.1 - Significant Tree Identification 3.3.2 - General Tree Survey Standards 3.5.2 - Preservation 3.3.3 - Environmental Assessments 3.5.3 - Design Constraints and Alternatives 3.3.4 - Hill Country Roadway Ordinance 3.5.4 - Mitigation 3.4 - Tree Anatomy 3.6 - Protection Changes have …
URBAN FORESTRY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION 2024XXXX-00X Date: Subject: City of Austin Tree Canopy Ordinance Motion by: Melinda Schiera Seconded by: WHEREAS, the Urban Forestry Committee recognizes Council approved, on August 8, 2019, a Resolution declaring a climate emergency in the City, and WHEREAS, the Council approved, on September 30, 2021, the Austin Climate Equity Plan setting a goal of 50% Tree Canopy by 2050, and WHEREAS, Council re-affirmed its target of net-zeros community-wide emissions by 2040 on February 15, 2024, and WHEREAS, current data shows 41% canopy cover city wide based on satellite imagery captured in the summer of 2022, and WHEREAS, the tree canopy over East Austin is less than West Austin, and there is a specific need to increase tree canopy on private land in East Austin, and WHEREAS, an expansive Tree Canopy mitigates the heat island effect, removes carbon from the air, improves community health be removing pollutants from the air, and improves biodiversity, and WHEREAS, feedback from Urban Landscape Architects to the Environmental Commission is that trees planted from site plan requirements are not surviving, THEREFORE, the Urban Forestry Committee recommends the Environmental Commission advise Council adopt the following actions to more aggressively expand, protect, and enhance the City’s Tree Canopy: 1. Set a goal of 50% city-wide canopy cover by 2040 instead of 2050. 2. Capture satellite imagery to calculate the city-wide canopy cover biennially instead of every four-years. 3. Require the City Arborist and the Development Services Department to document the number and scope of unpermitted removal of protected and heritage trees removed each year by address and actions taken. A report of these activities shall be presented to the Environmental Commission, Urban Forestry Committee, and Council annually. 1 of 3 4. Add fruit and nut bearing trees to the list of preferred trees that are appropriate for the Central Texas climate. Bennually update the list of preferred trees to adjust for changing climate. 5. Define a new category of protected trees, based on the breadth of the canopy in addition to the diameter as measured four and one-half feet above natural grade. 6. Improve incentive plans for developers to encourage retention of existing trees using non- financial incentives, development considerations, density, increased FAR, etc. 7. Require the Urban Forestry Department develop a plan to double the existing canopy coverage in East Austin (east of Interstate I-35) by 2040. This plan shall be presented to …
