UPDATESUpdate 6/26/25
Share Your Comments on the Tree Technical Manual Revisions Columbus Recreation and Parks Department is revising the Tree Technical Manual, which was finalized in May 2024. This document details the rules and regulations for the public tree code. These minor revisions include improved definitions, when to use tree tags versus Tree IDs, clarified mitigation methodologies and expanded tree protection options. Review the redlined version along with a summary of changes, and share your comments online by July 31. Update 6/25/24
June 2025 UFMP Implementation Progress update is now available here. Update 3/25/25
Implementation Report for 2024 is now available here. Update 9/25/24
September 2024 UFMP Implementation Progress update is now available here. Update 6/28/24
June 2024 UFMP Implementation Progress update is now available here. Update 3/5/24
2011-2021 Tree Canopy Assessment Report Now Available. The City of Columbus and Franklin County just released a comprehensive report on the regions trees and change in canopy cover over time. Learn more and view the report. Update 2/21/24
Implementation Report for 2023 is now available here. Update 12/12/23
December 2023 UFMP Implementation Progress update is now available here. Update 12/11/23
Updated Public Tree Code Passes. Columbus City Council voted to adopt the new tree code that manages and protects public trees in Columbus. Learn more. Update 9/12/23
September 2023 UFMP Implementation Progress update is now available here. Update 8/24/23
The proposed changes to the Public Tree Code are now available for review and public comment. Comment period will be open until September 22, 2023. Learn more. Update 6/28/23
June 2023 UFMP Implementation Progress update is now available here. Update March 2023
Columbus UFMP Featured in Loyola Marymount University CATE Journal Columbus' urban forest master plan project was featured in Loyola Marymount University's Cities and the Environment (CATE) journal. This journal focuses on peer-reviewed scholarship on urban ecology research and urban ecology education. Read the journal article. About Cities and the Environment (CATE), a web-based journal, aims to provide an international forum for urban researchers and practitioners to explore ecological theory, share relevant data and exchange best practices. Industry sectors that this journal targets include the biophysical, social and educational aspects of urban management, landscape transformation and educational interventions. The ability of web-based publishing to reach the widest readership possible and the publisher’s goal to keep this journal free of charge will produce a scholarly environment where the audience can exchange ideas and findings that contribute to continued positive urban transformations. Update 12/14/22
December 2022 UFMP Implementation Progress update is now available here. Update 9/28/22
September 2022 UFMP Implementation Progress update is now available here. Update 3/22/22
2021 Annual Progress Report on UFMP Implementation Now Available. The City of Columbus is dedicated to providing annual reports on the progress of UFMP implementation. This is important to keeping the work from the plan in the forefront, as well as part of an effort to improve communication with the public. Update 1/11/22
City Begins Tree Policy Updates. One of the most significant actions recommended in the UFMP is to improve regulations to protect and preserve trees in Columbus. We are happy to announce that the City is moving forward on working to improve these regulations. Learn more about the process, and how you can weigh in. Update 11/15/21
Advisory Group Meets to Get City Implementation Update, Discuss Formation of a Tree Coalition. This month the UFMP Advisory Group met to get an update on the City implementation progress to-date, as well as to explore the formation of a tree coalition (per Action #1 from the plan). At this meeting, the Advisory Group heard an update on implementation progress for the City’s tasks by Rosalie Hendon (Columbus Recreation and Parks), and then participated in a discussion on the idea of the formation of a potential tree coalition. Two guest speakers - David Meshoulam of Boston Urban Forest Friends, and Elizabeth Grace of Cleveland Tree Coalition, shared their experiences with their own community's coalition efforts. The remaining meeting was allotted to discussion by Columbus community members on next steps. Recording of meeting is available here, along with a PDF of the presentation. Update 10/20/21
Columbus UFMP Receives Two Awards of Excellence. We are excited to share the news that the UFMP has been awarded the Best Practice Award from the Ohio Chapter of the American Planning Association, as well as an Honor Award for Planning + Analysis from the Ohio Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects.
Update 9/15/21
Columbus’ First Urban Forestry Master Plan Gets Funding. Last week the Columbus City Council voted to fund the priorities established in the Urban Forestry Master Plan, committing $1.45 million to fulfill the needs of the Plan. Access the full plan here. Update 4/27/21
Columbus’ First Urban Forestry Master Plan is Official. We are pleased to announce that Columbus’ first Urban Forestry Master Plan has been finalized and approved by City leadership! The Columbus Recreation and Parks Commission voted unanimously to support the Urban Forestry Master Plan on April 14, 2021. All seven City Council members sponsored resolution 0072X-2021 to support the immediate implementation of the Urban Forestry Master Plan, and it passed unanimously on April 26, 2021. With the support of the Mayor’s Office, City Council and the Recreation and Parks Commission, the Urban Forestry Master Plan is finalized. We are now starting the implementation phase. Access the full plan here. Update 4/1/21
Public Comment Period Closed. The public comment period for the UFMP drafts closed yesterday, after 6 weeks of open comment period. Edits are being made now and the final plan documents will be available very soon. Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback! Update 3/24/21
Columbus Council Hearing on Urban Forest Master Plan. Columbus City Council Hearing on the UFMP took place today from 4-5:30 p.m. Access to recorded session is available on the City's YouTube Channel here (presentation is minutes 10 to 18). The Master Plan is still open for public comment until March 31st - view and comment here. Update 3/9/21
Interested in learning more about the Urban Forestry Master Plan? Join us for the Columbus City Council Hearing on Wednesday, March 24, from 4-5:30 p.m. Watch live (or recorded afterward) on the City of Columbus YouTube channel or the City Council Facebook page. Anyone interested in speaking at the meeting (all comments will be limited to three minutes of remarks per person) should email James Carmean at [email protected] by Tuesday, March 23rd. Update 2/17/21
Master Plan Drafted and Ready for Review. We are pleased to announce that the Urban Forestry Master Plan draft is ready for public review! The public comment period will be held from Tuesday, Feb. 16, and is expected to last through Wednesday, March 31. Download the full plan draft and be sure to submit any comments or questions that you may have. Frequently Asked Questions. Frequently asked questions about the plan, the process, and what’s next can be found here. Update 11/25/20
Thank you for your support of the Urban Forestry Master Plan! We wanted to share some updates with you. Master Plan Drafted. We continue to work on this document and will share it for public feedback in the next few months. Stay tuned, we are looking forward to you learning more about our City’s first-ever Urban Forestry Master Plan! Street Tree Inventories. Columbus’ public tree inventory is outdated, and updating this data is a key initiative of the Urban Forestry Master Plan. Updated data on street trees will empower our department’s forestry team to manage our urban forest more effectively. Our pilot street tree inventory in the South Linden neighborhood identified the health, species and size of existing trees, as well as spaces to plant new trees. More than 500 street trees were planted this fall, using the spaces identified in the inventory! Columbus Recreation and Parks Department is starting a new round of street tree inventories this winter using federal grant funds. The inventories will focus on five more priority neighborhoods: Far South, Milo-Grogan, North Central, South Side and Southwest. These neighborhoods were chosen in part because they have low canopy and high need. Educational Tree Videos Now Available. A key theme we heard from the public was that more education is needed to encourage tree planting and preservation across the community. Columbus Recreation and Parks Department worked with GreenSpot Columbus to produce two educational videos. One video demonstrates how to plant trees to increase our City’s urban tree canopy, and the other teaches people how to prune their trees correctly. Please watch these brand-new videos and share them with your networks! Below is the information on each video, along with the links to watch them.
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In the NEWSAugust 26, 2024 | Columbus Underground
“Forestry Progress Presented at ArborFest Tree Summit” Representatives from Green Columbus and Recreation & Parks presented for about an hour about the implementation of the UFMP, and asked for crowd suggestions on what next steps should be taken. Read the article. August 22, 2024 | Columbus Underground “Urban Forestry Master Plan Moves Forward Under New City Forester” Rosalie Hendon takes the role of Columbus City Forester, leading the effort to implement the Urban Forestry Master Plan. Read the article. August 20, 2024 | Columbus Underground “Whetstone Park to Host City’s First ArborFest, Tree Summit” Columbus ArborFest, organized by Clintonville GreenSpot, Green Columbus and the Recreation & Parks Department, will help fulfill one of the action plans of the Urban Forestry Master Plan (UFMP) by hosting the city’s first annual Tree Summit. Read the article. July 24, 2024 | City Chat “Ohio's First Comprehensive Tree Canopy Study” Understanding our regional urban forest is an important step to prioritizing, expanding, and growing tree canopy over the coming decades. Watch the interview. March 13, 2024 | Axios Columbus Report: Franklin County tree coverage improved, but still has room to grow Franklin County communities need to take action to protect and grow the area's tree coverage, a new environmental report urges. Read the article. January 4, 2024 | The Columbus Dispatch New Columbus law requires tree replacement or fee for tree removal from city property A change in Columbus city code now requires trees to be replaced if they are removed from city-owned land or rights-of-way, such as tree lawns next to city streets. Read the article. December 26, 2023 | NBC4i Penalties increasing for chopping down public trees after Columbus City Council vote Columbus City Council is taking steps to enact stronger protection for trees. Read the article. December 18, 2023 | Columbus Underground City Passes Stronger Tree Protections Columbus City Council voted unanimously on December 11 to change the public tree code, bringing the city a step closer to the goals of the Urban Forestry Master Plan. Read the article. September 20, 2023 | Axios Columbus Columbus sees momentum for local tree growing plan A citywide plan is underway to preserve public trees and plant new ones, while local leaders will eye code changes this fall to protect tree coverage. Read the article. September 15, 2023 | Columbus Underground City Seeks Public Comment On Updated Tree Code Public comment period is now open on the proposed public tree code in Columbus. Read more about the work done to-date. July 7, 2023 | Columbus Underground A New Urban Forest Grows on the Far South Side Last November, city workers began planting the first of what would be 2,400 trees in a little-known park on Lockbourne Road. The trees are small, but they are growing, and the city is hopeful that they can bring some of the well-documented benefits of urban forests to a part of town that does not have very many trees, relative to the rest of Columbus. Read more about the pilot reforestation program at Stockbridge Park. March 2023 | Cities and the Environment Journal Tree Equity, Investment, and Health: Columbus’ First Urban Forestry Master Plan The master plan project was featured in the the Cities and the Environment (CATE) journal. This journal focuses on peer-reviewed scholarship on urban ecology research and urban ecology education. Read the journal article. July 12, 2022 | NBC4i Columbus effort seeks to increase trees across city Columbus is preparing to enter an important phase of a master plan to increase the number of trees across the city. The goal is to almost double the tree canopy in the next 30 years and this is the second year of the plan. Read the full article. July 8, 2022 | Axios Columbus A tree plan grows in Columbus Though it may take years for Columbus' burgeoning urban forestry plan to come to fruition, the city believes that effort is well worth it. Read the full article. July 6, 2022 | Columbus Dispatch Planting trees in Columbus would help economy, study says Read the full article. June 2, 2022 | WOSU Radio: Columbus' Tree Canopy A look at the master plan that has been developed for the city and the role it can play in improving our overall quality of life. Listen to the full episode. April 28, 2022 | Columbus Monthly Columbus' Tree Canopy is Meager and Inequitable. Can the City’s New Master Plan Make an Impact? City plans to make a more robust and equitable urban canopy. Read the full article. February 4, 2022 | WOSU Public Media City of Columbus drafting more protections for trees Columbus is moving forward with efforts to preserve trees on public land within the city. Read the full article. September 15, 2021 | Columbus Underground City Council Commits Money to Forestry Plan Columbus City Council approved a new ordinance from the Recreation and Parks Committee funding the priorities established in the Urban Forestry Master Plan. Read the full article. September 13, 2021 | The Columbus Dispatch Columbus plans to spend $1.45 million to begin boosting city's tree canopy Columbus City Council is set to vote on committing funds to begin implementing the Urban Forestry Master Plan. Read the full article. April 6, 2021 | This Week Community News City of Columbus: Urban-forestry master plan calls for increasing tree canopy 40% Tree canopy goal announced in new Urban Forestry Master Plan. Read the full article. March 19, 2021 | The Ohio Environmental Council Columbus Canopy - How Do Trees Support Equity, Climate, & Health? Watch a recorded Q&A session between Rosalie Hendon, the UFMP project manager, and Nathan Johnson, public lands director of the Ohio Environmental Council. March 7, 2021 | WBNS-10TV Residents can weigh in on Columbus' first-ever Urban Forestry Master Plan Columbus is lagging behind its peer cities when it comes to the canopy cover of trees. And city leaders want to change that. Read the full article. February 25, 2021 | Columbus Underground Columbus Reveals Urban Forestry Plan Columbus just released the draft of its first ever Urban Forestry Master Plan for public comment (open through the end of March). Read more about this plan, highlights and major findings. August 24, 2020 | New York Times How Decades of Racist Housing Policy Left Neighborhoods Sweltering A visual "story map" by the NY Times showing the higher heat stresses and less trees in poor neighborhoods exists today from decades of redlining in housing policy. Read more. May 6, 2020 | The Straits Times Cities step up bid for green pandemic recovery Mayors from Seoul to Seattle are stepping up plans to make their cities greener and healthier as part of a global strategy to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and fight climate change at the same time. Read more. March 4, 2020 | Columbus Underground Urban Forestry Plan Needs Public Input Columbusites [were] encouraged to visit Wyandot Lodge between 6 and 8 p.m. to offer input on the city’s plan to reduce air pollution, stormwater damage and the urban heat island effect through the long-term tree canopy planning in Columbus. Read more. February 22, 2020 | ThisWeek Community News Columbus' urban forestry master plan taking root When it comes to the city’s tree canopy, Columbus Recreation and Parks Department officials said there is nowhere to go but up -- and out. Read more. |
THANK YOU to all who
GAVE THEIR INPUT online and at the let's talk trees public open house!
A key piece of the Columbus Urban Forestry Master Plan (UFMP) process began in December 2019: a public outreach campaign to engage Columbus residents in the future of the city’s urban forest. The goals were to learn about the public’s priorities related to tree canopy, as well as current challenges in Columbus and potential solutions.
The public gave input on the Columbus UFMP in five different ways: 1) a public open house, 2) an online comment form, 3) small-group presentations, 4) individual interviews with stakeholders, and 5) guidance from two stakeholder groups. Information on each of these avenues follow.
Highlights of findings from all public input can be found below, or you can download the full public engagement summary report here.
Recurring Themes
Comments and input received from the public fell largely into the following most prevalent themes. More detail can be found on the PDF report above.
- We are not where we should be.
Many commented on how far behind the City is in tree canopy cover, that we should have started this decades ago, and how important this is to maintain a livable city with healthy residents going forward. The overarching theme to these comments was that this should be a priority going forward. - Knowledge and awareness is lacking.
The most obvious consensus of the public comments expressed the lack of knowledge and awareness of the reasons trees are critical to cities. There appears to be a general feeling of apathy among the majority of Columbus residents when it comes to trees. Many do not fully understand the economic, public health, and environmental benefits of trees, and may not even feel that trees are their responsibility to care for. In addition, many residents (and even organizations), have little knowledge about how trees are actively managed in the city. As such, stakeholders wanted to see education as a priority with future public engagement and marketing efforts. Educating the public was cited as the most effective solution to the challenges presented above - not only in regards to the benefits of tree canopy in general, but also in terms of tree species, maintenance, and resources available. Residents would like to see this on an individual level, as a public marketing campaign, and as a part of the school system to educate youth. - Better management is needed for existing trees.
All parties agree that the current status quo regarding management of existing tree canopy is not working. While all want to see an increase in trees and better protection for them, they also want to see better management of what they currently have. This includes addressing the conflicts between City departments, each of which have their own priorities to fulfill, creating conflicts of interests in most projects. - There are not enough tree protection measures in place currently.
The general consensus from both stakeholders and residents is that there are not enough tree protection standards. Many hope the UFMP will kickstart the process to update the tree protection ordinance and make changes in multiple areas of city code to ensure new development standards that prioritize tree canopy, mandatory planting ratios, and tree removal permits. - Focus on equity in next steps to improve Columbus tree canopy.
The 2015 Urban Tree Canopy Assessment data shows that tree canopy in Columbus varies greatly by neighborhood, from 9% at the lowest to 41% in the areas with the most tree cover. This disparity means that not all residents have access to the benefits that trees provide. Many in Columbus want to correct this inequity in canopy cover and further engage low-income areas that can benefit the most from tree canopy benefits. Neighborhood disparity is a challenge, as there is a lack of resources in many lower-income or renter-dominated neighborhoods. Additionally, some residents are not physically able to care for trees. There is also a concern that funds are not distributed equitably, as well as the fact that many maintenance costs fall on homeowners who may not afford the upkeep. - Address the lack of resources and funding.
Many respondents felt that there are not enough resources currently dedicated to tree canopy efforts across the city, showing an overall lack of priority for this effort city-wide. - Need updated data.
Tree canopy cover in Columbus was last measured from 2013 aerial photos. Concerns were raised on the use of old data when so much development has occurred in the subsequent years. The city is using old tree inventory data as well. The question was raised multiple times how we can manage what we don’t know about. - Take steps to encourage tree planting and preservation
Revitalizing the canopy will take more than just city efforts. It will require private property owners to support preservation, maintenance, and expansion of tree canopy. The community cited a number of ways to encourage tree planting and care across the community--both on private and public property. The most popular options for encouraging trees on private property included tree giveaways, assistance in maintenance and reductions in stormwater fees. Changes in city policies and operations were also cited as a way to encourage trees, specifically providing leaf pick up, shifting responsibility for sidewalk damage to the city, improving general communication with the public, and providing options for planting on the private side of the sidewalk/right-of-way.
- Address challenges from rentals / landlords.
The high number of rental properties in Columbus emerged repeatedly as a hurdle to growing tree canopy. The general comment is that landlords would rather remove a tree (or not plant one at all) to save costs and hassles in the long run, and that renters are typically not invested in the neighborhood they are living in.
the 5 Avenues of outreach
Avenue #1: “Let’s Talk Trees” Public Open House
March 4, 2020, 6-8pm at Wyandot Lodge
Total Attendees: 135 people
A public meeting was held on March 4 at the Wyandot Lodge with the goal of providing an educational and interactive way for the community to provide input on the challenges and solutions to increasing Columbus’ tree canopy. The meeting included a fifteen-minute presentation from consultant Urban Canopy Works on what tree canopy is and why it is important. There were also seven stations set up for residents to visit and provide input, which were staffed by City staff and UFMP Project Team members. Stations asked attendees where they lived, where they wanted more trees, ideas on how to encourage tree planting and preservation on private property, what the challenges are (and solutions to) maintaining and improving tree canopy in Columbus, how they envision participating in this effort and finally an opportunity to Ask the Arborist any tree question they had.
Hover over each photo for captions, or click to make the image larger.
March 4, 2020, 6-8pm at Wyandot Lodge
Total Attendees: 135 people
A public meeting was held on March 4 at the Wyandot Lodge with the goal of providing an educational and interactive way for the community to provide input on the challenges and solutions to increasing Columbus’ tree canopy. The meeting included a fifteen-minute presentation from consultant Urban Canopy Works on what tree canopy is and why it is important. There were also seven stations set up for residents to visit and provide input, which were staffed by City staff and UFMP Project Team members. Stations asked attendees where they lived, where they wanted more trees, ideas on how to encourage tree planting and preservation on private property, what the challenges are (and solutions to) maintaining and improving tree canopy in Columbus, how they envision participating in this effort and finally an opportunity to Ask the Arborist any tree question they had.
Hover over each photo for captions, or click to make the image larger.
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Avenue #2: Web-Based Survey and Comment Form
Online Comment Form live February 1 - April 15, 2020 Total Submissions Received: 301 Throughout the project, extensive information on the UFMP process, Columbus trees and canopy cover, and more was provided on this website. An online public comment option was also available here in which anyone could provide their input and ideas. Questions mirrored the input requested at the open house above, including: what neighborhood you live in, what does your neighborhood need, where do you want more trees, how to we encourage planting and care of trees on private property, what should our goals be as a community, and what are the challenges of (and solutions to) maintaining and improving tree canopy in Columbus. Over 300 submissions were completed over the course of 2 ½ months via the project website. Avenue #3: Small Group Presentations
UFMP Project Lead Rosalie Hendon offered to speak to small groups throughout the city during the Discovery Phase of this project, on request. Presentations included:
Avenue #4: Interviews
In addition, 23 interviews with more than 30 people were conducted to explore existing conditions, challenges and potential future direction of urban tree canopy in Columbus. These included group interviews with city departments and elected officials as well as one-on-one interviews with representatives from organizations across the community. Avenue #5: Stakeholder Groups of Community Leaders
Two stakeholder groups were formed to guide the development of this work: the Project Team and Advisory Group. Serving as a steering committee, the Columbus UFMP Project Team includes 30 people representing city departments and community organizations across the city. The Project Team has met regularly throughout the process and intensively guides the plan’s direction. Over 100 people served on the Columbus UFMP Advisory Group. Through a series of three workshops, advisory group members reviewed data and findings, worked through challenges and solutions in small groups, and helped secure additional public engagement. See the full member list for both of these groups here. |
Online comment form was available on this website from February 1st to April 15th, 2020.
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Reach of public input Process
As public comments were submitted, the Project Team worked to include data on where the person submitting comments lived, in order to ensure that outreach work reached as many as possible across the entire community of Columbus. Neighborhoods that were underrepresented on the Advisory Group or the public open house received targeted outreach for the online comment form.
Comments received by neighborhood:
Comments received by neighborhood:
- Clintonville (85)
- North Linden / South Linden / State of Ohio (50)
- Olentangy West / University District / Fifth by Northwest (48)
- Northeast / Airport / East Columbus (42)
- Mid East (29)
- Greater Hilltop (26)
- West Scioto (26)
- Near East / Wolfe Park / East Livingston Avenue (24)
- German Village / Brewery District (23)
- South Side (23)
- Far Northwest/Northwest (22)
- Northland (21)
- Southwest (20)
- South East (19)
- Hayden Run/ Far West (16)
- Harrison West / Victorian Village / Italian Village / Milo Grogan / Fort Hayes / Downtown (14)
- Far East (13)
- Far South (9)
- Far North (6)
- Westland (4)
- Dublin Road / Franklinton / Harmon Road (4)
- Rocky Rock-Blacklick (3)
- North Central (0)
