Environmental Commission Urban Forestry Committee Meeting - Permitting And Development Center, Events Center, Room 1401 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Drive Austin, Texas 78752

Agenda — original pdf

Urban Forestry Committee Meeting June 2nd, 2025 at 11:30 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) Hanna Cofer Isabella Changsut Mariana Krueger Martin Luecke 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 1. Approve the minutes of the Urban Forestry Committee Meetings on October 10, 2024 and December 13, 2024 DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. Discussion and presentation on Austin’s Heritage Tree Ordinance – Naomi Rotramel, City Arborist, Development Services Department 3. Discussion and presentation on Austin’s tree canopy and related programs – Emily King, Urban Forester, Development Services Department 4. Discussion and presentation on Ashe Juniper’s role in the Central Texas ecosystem – Lisa O-Donnell, Environmental Science Senior, Wildland Conservation, Austin Water 5. Discussion on goals and future meeting times for the Urban Forestry Committee – Richard Brimer, 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

20250602-001: Draft Minutes from Dec 13, 2025 UF meeting — original pdf

URBAN FORESTRY COMMITTEE MEETING REGULAR CALLED MEETING MINUTES Friday, December 13, 2024 The Urban Forestry Committee convened in a REGULAR meeting on Friday, December 13, 2024, at 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Drive in Austin, Texas. Chair Brimer called the Urban Forestry Committee Meeting to order at 2:34 p.m. Commissioners in Attendance: Richard Brimer, Mariana Krueger Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Colin Nickells, Melinda Schiera Commissioners Absent: None PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL None APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Urban Forestry Committee Meeting of October 10, 2024 The minutes from the regular meeting on October 10th, 2024 will be approved at the next meeting. STAFF BRIEFINGS 2. Overview of Transportation and Public Works's Urban Forestry's mission and budget – Lisa Killander, Forestry Program Manager, TPW Item conducted as posted. No action taken. 3. Overview of Parks and Recreation's Urban Forestry Division's mission and budget – Joshua Erickson, Urban Forestry Program Manager, PARD Item conducted as posted. No action taken. 4. Discussion on Urban Forestry meeting dates for 2025 - Richard Brimer, Urban Forestry Committee Chair This item will be discussed at a future meeting. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS None Chair Brimer adjourned the meeting at 3:11 p.m. without objection.

20250602-001: Draft Minutes from Oct 10, 2024 UF meeting — original pdf

URBAN FORESTRY COMMITTEE MEETING REGULAR CALLED MEETING MINUTES Thursday, October 10, 2024 The Urban Forestry Committee convened in a REGULAR meeting on Thursday, October 10, 2024, at 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Drive in Austin, Texas. Chair Brimer called the Urban Forestry Committee Meeting to order at 11:06 a.m. Commissioners in Attendance: Richard Brimer, Mariana Krueger Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Colin Nickells, Melinda Schiera Commissioners Absent: None PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL None APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Urban Forestry Committee Meeting of June 27, 2024 The minutes from the regular meeting on June 27th, 2024 were approved on Commissioner Krueger’s motion, Commissioner Schiera’s second on a 4–0 vote. STAFF BRIEFINGS 2. Presentation on 2024 Tree Preservation Report – Naomi Rotramel, City Arborist, Development Services Department Item conducted as posted. No action taken. 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 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 A motion to table the item passed on Commissioner Krueger’s motion, Commissioner Brimer’s second on a 3-0 vote. Commissioner Nickells was off dais. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS None Chair Brimer adjourned the meeting at 12:41 p.m. without objection.

20250602-003: Austin's Tree Programs and Canopy — original pdf

Austin's Tree Canopy Presentation for the Urban Forestry Committee J u n e 2 0 2 5 Presentation Overview • Austin's urban forest stats • Urban forest management • Canopy cover • Additional tools Significant Benefits https://texasforestinfo.tamu.edu/urbanforeststats/assets/standard/AustinTX2022.pdf Urban Forest Management Development Services Parks & Recreation Public Works Austin Energy Austin Fire • Parks Forestry • PWD Forestry • Utility Forestry • Wildfire Division • Urban Forest Program • City Arborist Program Watershed Protection • Env. Resource Mgmt • Policy & Planning • Field Operations Canopy Cover Heading 41% Canopy Cover 39K Acres of new canopy needed to meet 50% canopy cover goal. https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/d9ba0b99c60b4b8395414a09c4533949 The City of Austin measures tree canopy every 4 years using the calculation: tree canopy area divided by land area. The canopy cover number uses the City of Austin's boundary, inclusive of full purpose, limited purpose, and extraterritorial jurisdictions in May 2023. Analysis provided by Alan Halter, IT Geospatial Analyst Senior, Development Services Department, Urban Forest Program Additional tools My City's Trees • Urban Forest Inventory and Analysis data • • Inventory statistics Summary Reports https://mct.tfs.tamu.edu/app Additional tools Tree Canopy • National tree canopy database • View tree canopy cover and land cover classes • Planning tool built-in https://hub.treesatwork.org/ Emily King Urban Forester Emily.King@AustinTexas.gov Follow Nature in the City for events, updates, job postings, and more! facebook.com/NatureCityATX instagram.com/NatureCityATX

20250602-004: Ashe Juniper's role in central Texas ecosystem — original pdf

Role of Ashe Juniper in Central Texas Ecosystems Lisa O’Donnell Senior Environmental Scientist Ashe Juniper (“cedar”) is both a pioneer… …and an old growth species Ashe Juniper Helps to Build Nutrient-Rich Soils That Are High In Organic Carbon ) % ( I N O B R A C C N A G R O L I O S 16.00 14.00 12.00 10.00 8.00 6.00 4.00 2.00 0.00 Open Young Junipers Old Junipers Juniper-Oak Canopies Keep Temperatures Cooler and More Stable During Summer Droughts Summer Soil Temperatures No Vegetation Forest Canopy 120⁰ F 86 ⁰ F air temperature = 104 ⁰ F 5 Roots are also important! • Help infiltrate water into the ground • Promote carbon sequestration and storage in soil Ashe juniper and shin oak roots (and Dr. Brian Pickles) Cotterell Cave Bray (1904) believed the forests of the Edwards Plateau were critical to protecting water supplies downstream and advocated for their protection: • Forests build soil • Forests protect soil from erosion, keep it cool and moist • Forest soils act as a sponge and promote recharge He concluded: “For all these reasons, forests tend to conserve the water supply and to maintain full springs and an even flow of streams.” Ashe juniper supports a diversity of rare and endemic plants Texas Amorpha Cedar Sage Texas Madrone Twistleaf Yucca Buckley’s Tridens © Chuck Sexton Canyon Mock-Orange Heller’s Marbleseed Shade During Summer Drought is Critical to Oak Seedling Survival l t o P / s g n i l d e e S e v L i f o # August: Under Canopy August: No Shade Texas Red Oak Seedlings (planted as acorns in fall 2017) caged, 60% shade caged, no shade uncaged, no shade 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 -5 Both living and dead trees (“nurse trees”) can promote the growth of other plants Texas red oak sapling growing under living tree Carolina buckthorn sapling growing under dead tree Juniper also provides essential habitat for a variety of wildlife Robin Golden-cheeked Warbler Cedar Waxwing Juniper Hairstreak 11 Endangered and rare species that depend on or occur in juniper-oak ecosystems © John Ingram © John Ingram Contribution of “cedar” to economic growth and development “With the exception of cedar, the hill timber finds a market chiefly as fuel, of which enormous quantities are consumed….Cedar likewise is extensively consumed as fuel and in charcoal burning; but its …

20250602-002: Austin’s Heritage Tree Ordinance Presentation — original pdf

Urban Forestry Committee Meeting June 2nd, 2025 Naomi Rotramel, City Arborist 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 The Larger the Tree, the Greater the Protection 4 Land Development Code 25-8.B.1 • Prohibits removal of Protected or Heritage trees without a permit • 8"+ trees – preserve "to extent feasible" on site plan applications • Defines removal - physical removal, over pruning, or excessive root disturbance • Approval criteria for removal: • Reasonable use • Reasonable access • Dead, Diseased, or Imminent Hazard • Variances and appeals • • Administrative rules – preservation criteria, protection Creates position of City Arborist to implement tree regulations requirements, mitigation 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 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 Regulated Trees in Austin Preserved Removed/ Mitigated Must meet criteria in ECM 3.5.2 Must fall under LDC 25-8-624 Regulated Trees in Austin • Includes hackberry, Ashe juniper, invasives, hazardous trees, etc. • Certain species are designated as Heritage Trees when they reach 24” diameter (LDC 25-8-602) • Palm trees are not regulated under the COA tree ordinance. Hackberry Ash Juniper Heritage Trees in Austin • Is a tree that has a diameter of 24 inches or more, measured four and one-half feet above natural grade, and is one of the following species: • Texas Ash, Bald Cypress, American elm ,Cedar elm, Texas madrone, Bigtooth maple, All oaks, Pecan, Arizona walnut, and Eastern Black walnut • 25-8-641 – Prohibits removal unless a permit is issued and is only issued if a variance is approved under Section 25-8-642 (Administrative Variance) or 25- 8-643 (Land Use Commission Variance). • The requirements apply to trees on private and public property. • Without a variance, a damaged heritage tree may be removed that is an imminent hazard to life or property if removed within seven days of being damaged. The …