What is an urban forest? Cal Poly's Dr. Jenn Yost says they are "street trees, they're front yard trees, they're people's backyard trees.”
Passed in 2022, Assembly Bill 2251 said that by 2035, California has to increase its urban canopy by 10%. Recently, Cal Poly was awarded a contract to partner with CAL FIRE to research and implement the Urban Forest Strategic Plan.
“The reason why that is so important is that we have this long documented pattern of cities getting hotter, more extreme heat events, and as a result, people are getting sick and having heat-related deaths," Yost said.
State Urban Forester Walter Passmore explains that there’s a financial incentive to a higher urban canopy including $1.9 billion in tax revenue as well as a $12.9 billion positive economic impact from the urban foresting industry.
“So we need to look at it not as a nice to have but an essential piece of the city's infrastructure,” Passmore stated.
On average, 19% of all urban areas have urban tree canopy cover. In San Luis Obispo, that number is 13% which is why Cal Poly and the city have made it their goal to increase the number of trees by 10,000 come 2035.
“Those trees will provide shade. It reduces your energy costs by up to 60%," Yost said. "Then those trees will capture up to 30% of the stormwater, which reduces the burden on our city systems. It saves about 60% of the life of a street if it's under shade.”
Only 20% of the state’s urban forest is public land so it’s not just cities that have a role to play but property owners.
“Citizens have a right to play in this as well, which is like plant a tree and steward that tree on your own property,” Yost said.
Over the next year and a half, Cal Poly students in tandem with CAL FIRE will look at the communities that need improved tree cover the most, which Yost says tend to be economically disadvantaged populations across the state. Then, they'll work with state and regional policies to help implement the strategic plan.
In San Luis Obispo, you can help reach the goal of 10,000 trees by planting your own. If you do so, you can register it with this QR code:
