CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE
TWENTY FIFTH COUNCIL
COUNCIL BILL NO. R-22-82 ENACTMENT NO. _________________
SPONSORED BY: Tammy Fiebelkorn, Isaac Benton
RESOLUTION
title
Formalizing The City’s Urban Tree Canopy Grant Program (Fiebelkorn, Benton)
body
FORMALIZING THE CITY’S URBAN TREE CANOPY GRANT PROGRAM.
WHEREAS, promoting and protecting the City’s urban tree canopy advances the health, safety and welfare of the City through beautification, and by helping remove pollutants from the air, soil, and water, and by helping mitigate urban heat island effects; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has for several years funded and promoted the “NeighborWoods” community tree planting pilot program led by Tree New Mexico; and
WHEREAS, the pilot program has been successful in expanding the City’s urban tree canopy by working directly with neighborhood groups to organize and implement the planting of street trees; and
WHEREAS, in addition to advancing these important purposes, the community-based approach to the NeighborWoods program has also promoted community development by organizing and investing neighbors and neighborhood groups in the wellbeing of the trees within their communities; and
WHEREAS, the NeighborWoods program has been historically funded through City Councilor District set asides in the participating districts and funding from the Parks and Recreation Department, and can continue to be viable in all areas and districts of the City where funding is made available; and
WHEREAS, the City has launched the “Let’s Plant Albuquerque” initiative to coordinate and increase tree planting across the City in order to maintain and expand the urban forest canopy; and
WHEREAS, the NeighborWoods program and other tree planting efforts are making and will continue to make important contributions to the “Let’s Plant Albuquerque” initiative; and
WHEREAS, given the success of the NeighborWoods pilot program, the purpose of this resolution is to establish a formal Urban Tree Canopy Grant Program to continue urban tree planting efforts, including but not limited to the NeighborWoods program, while expanding funding opportunities for additional urban forestry tree planting projects and initiatives.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL, THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE:
SECTION 1. Grant Program Established:
The City’s Urban Tree Canopy Grant Program (“Program”) is established as a grant program of the City to fund contracts with civic groups, to provide community services related to tree planting and maintenance. The Parks and Recreation Department will administer the Program and oversee contracts funded through the Program for the purpose of completing tree planting and related services (“Projects”).
Work on Projects will include, but not be limited to the following:
• Working with neighborhoods or other identified areas throughout the City to select planting sites consistent with Sections 6-6-2-1 et. seq. ROA 1994, the Street Trees Ordinance, and other laws;
• Recruiting and training volunteers from Project areas;
• Conducting tree inventories and mapping Project areas;
• Coordinating tree species selection, and the purchase, delivery, planting, and mulching of trees;
• Providing traffic control measures during Project activities;
• Providing excavation, digging, and irrigation services;
• Providing supplies for each Project;
• Providing on-going support on tree maintenance and irrigation for completed Projects;
• Tracking Project area tree inventories to reflect new plantings;
• Other activities in furtherance of restoring or expanding the urban tree canopy; and
• Performing follow-up assessments of Projects.
SECTION 2. Funding. The Urban Tree Canopy Grant Program will be funded through Councilor District set asides from participating districts, or through specific appropriations of the Council.
SECTION 3. The Parks and Recreation Department shall develop an application process that makes funding available for grant awards to Tree New Mexico for its Neighborwoods program, and any other qualified grantees, by no later than January 1, 2023.
X:\CL\SHARE\CL-Staff\_Legislative Staff\Legislation\25 Council\R-82final.docx