An Introduction to Plans and Progress
Words by Sophie Vaughan
The Urban Tree Canopy (UTC) in Akron, Ohio became an area of focus for the greater Akron community in November of 2013, when Plan-It Geo was commissioned to perform “An Assessment of Urban Tree Canopy in Akron, Ohio” for the City of Akron, Akron Engineering Bureau, Akron Parks Maintenance Division, and GreenPrint Akron. Funding for the study was provided by the USDA Forest Service through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Project Clean Lake grant. This project presented data on the extent of Urban Tree Canopy (UTC) across the City of Akron, provided analysis of Possible Planting Areas (PPA) and areas unsuitable for planting, detailed the ecosystem services provided by Akron’s UTC, and recommended objectives and goals for support and facilitation of future tree planting and canopy preservation.
In 2016, the City of Akron under the administration of Mayor Dan Horrigan released the “Master Tree Planting Plan.” The mission for this plan is “to maximize the economic, environmental, and social benefits of a sustainable Urban Forest for the residents of Akron, Ohio” (p. 2) The plan sets forth goals necessary to accomplish this mission, followed by supporting strategies for tree planting, maintenance, and removal, as well as community education. Action items for carrying out the plan’s mission include specifications and implementation recommendations for the following: an inventory of trees and planting sites; a master planting design; annual tree risk assessments; community education and activities; protection for heritage trees and heritage tree corridors; a memorial tree planting program; tree maintenance; and a plan for meeting Akron’s UTC goals.
While the “Master Tree Planting Plan” is available to the public on the City of Akron’s website, the Appendices mentioned throughout the plan have not yet been posted to the website. These Appendices are purported to contain a wealth of detailed information and recommendations crucial to the implementation of each Action specified in the plan.
Then in 2020, the City of Akron released the “2020 State of the Canopy Report” prepared by Davey Resource Group, Inc. (DRG). This report used aerial imagery captured in 2018 to assess Akron’s UTC in comparison with the 2013 assessment by Plan-It Geo, which used imagery from 2011. The report details the results of this analysis, which DRG used in conjunction with other community data to develop a prioritized planting plan to address threats to the canopy caused by infestation, the combined sewer overflow (CSO) project, and other infrastructure improvements. The report also includes possible scenarios for future tree planting based on goals established by the City of Akron. The report findings could potentially be leveraged to establish private partnerships with organizations in Akron’s nonprofit and business sectors that could greatly impact canopy growth.
Additionally, the City of Akron has created a Tree Commission, which meets monthly to discuss items of importance regarding the City of Akron’s trees, including the Urban Tree Canopy and the execution of the “Master Tree Planting Plan.” The meetings are aired live and recorded for future reference, viewable by the public at akronohio.gov/youtube. However, it was not feasible to identify whether any meetings prior to January 11, 2020, are available to the public at this time. Furthermore, it appears that some of the meetings from 2020 and 2021 were not uploaded to the City of Akron’s YouTube channel.
It is unclear from the available information exactly how or when the Akron Tree Commission was assembled, who the original members were, and how or when the membership has changed since its formation. As of the December 2022 meeting, the current members of the Akron Tree Commission are Jim Aitkin, Sara Biviano, Jeff Fusco, Jon Malish, Sarah Vradenburg, and Patricia Wyatt.
Stay tuned for future coverage on the subject of Akron’s Urban Tree Canopy and the City’s planting plans, which will include the current status of goals and objectives set forth in each of the aforementioned documents, opportunities for community and private sector involvement, and reporting on the Akron Tree Commission’s progress to date and upcoming plans.