• Yolo County Oak Woodland Conservation and Enhancement Plan (2007)
  “The City hopes to work through the Yolo County Oak Woodland Conservation and Enhancement Plan to identify additional areas within the Davis Planning Area for oak woodland conservation and enhancement. ”

• Davis Municipal Code
  Municipal code contains several provisions that impact trees, tree care or the urban forest. Policies and provisions relevant to trees are located in Chapter 8, 22, 27, 32, 37, and 40 of municipal code. 

• Chapter 8: Buildings
  Code requires building demolition permits and solar installation to comply with the Tree Preservation Ordinance by having a site plan that includes tree identification and tree protection. The code directs that developers make a reasonable effort to avoid or minimize conflicts during planning by considering existing and new trees. 

• Chapter 22: Motor Vehicles and Traffic
  The code requires trees that present a hazard to traffic be pruned by the responsible property owner when requested by the City. The City may remove or trim trees at their discretion. Code also requires any damage to public property, including trees, be reported to the City police department.

• Chapter 27: Parks and Open Space Areas
  Prohibits the parking or locking of bicycles to structures, trees, not intended for bicycle parking. This chapter also prohibits disfiguring, defacing, injuring, or removing any plant removal (such as trees) in open space areas or parks, unless authorized by the City.

• Chapter 32: Management of Solid Waste
  Restricts yard waste piles outside of green containers to only contain leaves and tree and shrub prunings. Limits tree branch prunings to be no more than eight inches in diameter for yard waste pickup.

• Chapter 37: Tree Planting, Preservation and Protection Ordinance
  The ordinance provides regulations for the planting, preservation and protection of trees. The ordinance defines and distinguishes street trees, landmark trees, trees of significance, city trees, and private trees. 

• Chapter 40: Zoning
  This ordinance defines tree irrigation, selection, planting, and preservation requirements for all zoning types in the City. Historical Resources Management Ordinance authorizes the designation and protection of certain resources that can include landscapes/trees. 

• General Plan (2007)
  The Davis General Plan is a comprehensive document outlining long-term planning and development goals for the community. The Plan also guides policy and decision-makers to follow community objectives. The Plan has 21 chapters and 8 of these chapters directly mention trees or the urban forest and 3 chapters indirectly.
  
  
  • Chapter 1: Land Use and Growth Management
    Defines the Natural Habitat Area land use categories, outlines policies for landscape design, sets open space boundaries around the City, and recognizes areas for infill development while preserving green infrastructure.
  
  
  • Chapter 2: Transportation (updated 2013)
    Calls for the improvement of major streets, ROW, transit and trail systems, that mitigate negative effects associated with gray infrastructure, defines preservation efforts for trees during development, encourages drought tolerant species selection, increased tree plantings where possible, and sets guidelines for “Complete Streets”. This chapter also includes transportation and development policy making.
  
  
  • Chapter 3: Urban Design, Neighborhood Preservation, and Community Forest Management
    Lays out policy standards and actions for community/urban design, managing the urban forest to optimize its benefits, promote human safety, create and enforce clear and reasonable design guidelines, improve neighborhoods (provide tree-lined streets), and preserve desirable characteristics while allowing for evolution.
  
  These policies include:
  
  
  • Allow street width to accommodate tree plantings
  • Implement “greenstreets” where feasible (the greenstreets concept includes landscaping major arterial roads, noise attenuation, and greenbelts)
  • Evaluate existing streets to maximize tree canopy
  • Develop a street tree planting program that utilizes large canopy deciduous trees
  • Develop a street tree master plan that guides species selection specific to different roadways in Davis and provides plans for funding, maintenance, and replacement
  • Establish a tree gift program where trees can be donated to the City for planting
  • Continue collaboration with community groups, including Tree Davis, for tree planting and care
  • Develop a program for replacing trees in a timely manner if street trees are expected to die soon
  • Develop an urban forestry planning document for the City of Davis
  • Implement the tree planting, preservation and protection ordinance, and evaluate/revise when necessary

• Chapter 6: Water
  Promotes the use of lower-quality water for irrigating large landscaped areas to reduce demand for higher-quality supplies.


• Chapter 9: Parks and Open Space
  Includes goals to preserve open space areas, develop improved open space, parks and a parks master plan, provide wildlife habitat, set policy for golf course development, and create new linkages between parks, open spaces, and greenbelts.


• Chapter 10: Youth and Education
  Outlines goals for environmental education and diverse vocational and career education.


• Chapter 14: Habitat and Natural Areas
  Documents the native landscape and tree species prior to urbanization. This chapter sets goals for enhancing, restoring, and creating new natural areas that include tree protection guidelines, native plant usage, tree planting volunteer programs, and development of educational programs for environmental protection. This chapter calls for work to restore natural areas and habitats in the City that have been lost or degraded due to development or other reasons


• Chapter 15: Agriculture, Soils, and Minerals
  Sets requirements for preserving ag industry, standards for developers to reduce impacts, minimize effects of mineral resource exploitation, and promote environmentally friendly agricultural practices. 


• Chapter 16: Historic and Archaeological Resources
  Sets standards to Designate, preserve and protect the archaeological and historic resources. Guides property owners and developers to be aware of trees designated as ‘landmark’ trees for preservation and maintenance.


• Chapter 17: Energy
  Describes the existing strategy of requiring tree canopy shading in parking lots to reduce energy use. This chapter also outlines additional standards and policy for trees to be used in meeting energy-reduction goals:
  
  
  • Guides the City to incorporate trees on all relevant projects to reduce paved areas and provide shade
  • Recommends the preservation of existing shade trees on all building sites
  • Guides the City to provide educational resources for residents to help them understand the correct species, the proper planting methods and where to plant trees to reduce energy use.
  • Calls for the development of an ordinance to promote sustainable, ‘green’ or otherwise environmentally-friendly building projects, such as projects which use “green” building materials or follow permaculture landscape principles.


• Chapter 20: Air Quality
  Aims to improve air quality and comply with state and federal standards for air quality. 

• 2021-2029 Housing Element Update to the General Plan

(adopted in 2021, currently submitted for certification)

Includes an ongoing goal on the need for shade trees and energy-efficient landscaping. This goal is recommended for transfer to the CAAP as it is being addressed by the CAAP actions in the goal area of creating a cooler city with more urban forest and green space for people and habitat. The Housing Element has a focus on providing housing affordable with access to amenities including parks and greenbelts. 

• Davis Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) (2022)
  Includes the goal, “Create a Cooler City with More Urban Forest and Green Space for People and Habitat”. The CAAP recognizes the numerous benefits of trees, including reducing urban heat islands, rain capture, and carbon sequestration. 

• Downtown Davis Plan
  Davis recognizes the importance of trees and the environmental benefits they provide, which is reflected in their Downtown Davis Specific Plan. The Plan notes that trees are providing shade along many downtown sidewalks, reducing energy demand by shading buildings leading to reduced energy costs, and lessening the heat island effect attributed to taller and larger buildings. Trees are part of Davis’ downtown green landscaping and help create a vibrant community space. Proper species selection of street trees is included in their “complete streets” program and trees are to be included in thoroughfare design wherever possible. Green roof designs are also to consider trees to reduce harmful runoff. 

• Community Forest Management Plan
  Developed in 2002, the Community Forest Management Plan focuses on the management, preservation, and protection of the community forest. The Plan was comprehensive in summarizing the tree resource, funding, and policies, along with benchmarking the services provided by the City. It set six goals, five priorities, and five special projects aimed at enhancing the community forest. This document provided a foundation for future urban forestry planning efforts in Davis. 

• Davis Sustainability Background Documents
  In March, 2019 the City of Davis passed a Resolution Declaring a Climate Emergency and Proposing Mobilization Efforts to Restore a Safe Climate.

• Parks and Recreation Facilities Master Plan Update (2012)
  The Parks and Recreation Facilities Master Plan Update is a ten year plan to maintain and expand recreational opportunities and facilities for the community. The plan includes a 2008 inventory of Davis Parks and Recreation Facilities that evaluated parks on tree condition, image value, location suitability, visibility, maintenance, and other pertinent evaluation criteria. Overall, the assessment found that Davis parks are safe, well maintained, and park trees are in good condition. 

• Parking Lot Shade Guidelines
  This document expands on the parking lot shade requirements outlined in Chapter 40 of municipal code. Code requires at least 50 percent of a parking lot to be shaded by tree canopy within 15 years of development. This document provides guidelines for meeting this requirement, which includes creating a parking lot shade plan. Municipal code requires this shade plan to include trees only from the Master Tree List and outline trees based on their expected canopy cover. The guidelines provide information on how to include shade and paved area calculations, which are required in the plan. Planting requirements are also provided, which include minimum planter sizes for trees planted in a well or planting strips and island planters.
  
  The guidelines specify all parking lot trees must be irrigated by a minimum 2-foot deep planting tubes, as outlined in the City’s standard detail for parking lot tree planting and irrigation.

• Street Design
  Provides water meter box standards for planters.

• Integrated Pest Management Policy and Procedures
  The City of Davis follows the IPM Policy in all pest control activities that occur on city property, including those relating to the urban forest. The principles of an IPM program are outlined and include:
  
  
  • Following best management practices (e.g., hire an IPM Specialist to monitor, advise, record, and report the City’s IPM activities)
  • Reducing the use of pesticides through monitoring, and cultural, mechanical, and biological control alternatives
  • Protecting the health of the community and environment (e.g., use the least toxic pesticides and be transparent about any applications by using notices to inform residents of pest control activities)

Trees are considered in pest and disease control, and for root control in sewer lines. The IPM Technical Advisory Committee advises the IPM program and includes City staff from various departments, representatives from advisory groups such as the Tree Commission. An additional Interdepartmental IPM Group develops IPM goals, evaluates IPM plans, and ensures communication around IPM decisions, outlines exemptions, training requirements, pesticide storage, disposal, protective equipment, public notices, and other responsibilities relating to pest control operations. 

• Wildlife Resource Protection Policy and Procedures (DRAFT) - To be posted
  Davis plans to implement policy to aid wildlife and habitat during municipal operations. This draft policy:
  
  
  • Requires appropriate attention and protection is given to wildlife and habitat during maintenance planning and implementation on City property
  • Improve staff awareness of wildlife resources and the need to protect them
  • Improve public awareness of, and input on, maintenance projects that stand to significantly modify existing landscapes/ habitat

The urban forest is a dynamic resource, and its success is not only measured by quantifiable metrics but also the capacity it has to protect its natural inhabitants. This policy also includes gray infrastructure that may support wildlife. Operations done by Davis’ departments/divisions and their contractors will educate and follow new planning procedures for maintenance operations. Tree pruning among other operations will include a wildlife resource specialist to identify possible conflicts with wildlife and aid in surveys to better plan tree maintenance and plantings to avoid these conflicts. New plantings can be assessed for a species capacity to provide habitat to best suit a robust urban forest. This policy also includes public noticing guidelines to help inform the public to better understand why and how the resources are being protected.