The City of Charlotte and TreesCharlotte have spent much of 2016 working with Davey to identify the greatest challenges facing Charlotte's urban forest and how to reach the city's 50% canopy goal. Thanks to involvement of over 40 organizations, almost 3,000 public citizens, and the urban forestry expertise and national perspective provided by Davey Resource Group, a predecent has been set for a clear direction forward through the twelve recommended action steps listed below. Since partnership is the key to success in Charlotte, each recommendation considers not only what needs to be done, but also who can realistically accomplish the action, and how we can move forward together.
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Part One: Get a Team Together

Over 80% of the city's tree canopy is located on private land. Real progress can only be achieved with a larger community team.  
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ACTION STEP 1: Canopy Team Formation  
​A "Canopy Team" will be developed to allow implementation through partnership.

ACTION STEP 2: Redefine and Expand Partnership between TreesCharlotte & City of Charlotte      

ACTION STEP 3: Engage the Neighborhoods  
​Efforts to better engage neighborhoods are critical to support tree canopy efforts at the local level. If YOU want to get on a team, get in touch!
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Part Two: Implement Remaining 9 Action Steps Together

​ACTION STEP 4: Update the Tree Canopy Assessment  
Any changes or new work should be based on solid data findings. A new UTC and change analysis is key.

ACTION STEP 5: Initiate a Citywide Identity Campaign  
Charlotte is unique because of its tree canopy. Education and awareness can stem from city pride.  

ACTION STEP 6: Connect Expertise and Resources Where Most Needed 
Large trees are expensive to maintain yet extremely valuable to the community.  A needs gap was identified in expertise and resources to make good decisions in tree care on private land.

ACTION STEP 7: Explore Corporate Partnership Opportunities  
Charlotte's corporate community is extensive, but the community is not yet fully engaged in tree canopy efforts.  

ACTION STEP 8: Further Study Impacts from Development   

ACTION STEP 9: Refine and Improve Communication and Education ​

The final four action steps focus on improved proactive management of the public trees by city staff:  

ACTION STEP 10: Complete and Update Tree Inventory Data

ACTION STEP 11: Formalize a Management Plan for Public Trees

ACTION STEP 12: Refine the Public Tree Planting Strategy ​
How will this all be funded?  There is no miracle answer to this question, but there are options. Click here to learn more about funding this plan.

​Part Three:  Measure Progress and Adjust.

All tasks within all twelve action steps have been combined and prioritized into a 5-year achievement timeline, together with benchmarks and metrics to measure progress. 
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