Management of the Urban Forest and the Tree Mitigation Fund In Addison

Addison's Parks & Recreation Director Janna Tidwell shared information about Addison's Urban Forest Management Program with the Council at its June 25 meeting, including new practices, policies, and technology.

The Addison Parks Department currently has two certified Arborists on staff who help manage the health of the Town's trees. Trees are pruned annually to prevent and treat disease and provide clearance over walks and roads. All trees are pruned at least every five years to encourage healthy growth.

Addison places a high priority on planting trees but the Town has faced challenges due to dense tree planting and evolving development standards. Increased maintenance needs of maturing trees have led to budget restructuring to allocate more funds to pruning and maintenance. A Tree Mitigation Fund was established in 2022 to allow the mitigation of trees on Town property if trees cannot be mitigated on a development site but also to supplement the costs of the maintenance increases.

As part of the Unified Development Code update, this policy permits contributions to the Tree Mitigation Fund in lieu of on-site mitigation. Funds are used primarily for new tree planting, with a portion allocated to maintenance and a citywide tree inventory.

In November 2023, Addison began using a tree inventory software called "Tree Plotter" to track trees, plan and mitigate issues, and manage the urban forest. The software provides detailed information on tree conditions, identifies at-risk trees, assigns maintenance tasks, and tracks trees needing mitigation.