Achieve the desired tree canopy cover according to goals set for the entire City and neighborhoods. Alternatively, achieve 75% of the total canopy possible for the entire City and in each neighborhood.

• Low - Canopy is decreasing and/or No canopy goals have been set.
• Medium - Canopy is not dropping, but not on a trajectory to achieve the established goal.
• High - Canopy goal is achieved, or well on the way to achievement. 

Davis' Urban Tree Canopy Score

A 2003 canopy study  found that city trees in Davis provided approximately 5% canopy cover in relation to all other land cover in Davis (Maco et al. 2003). A 2020 canopy assessment determined that public trees contribute 5.8% of the overall land cover. Some of this increase in estimated canopy cover may be a reflection of growth and development as well as the differences in the methodology of the two assessments, as the current study was based on more accurate aerial imagery, rather than plot sampling as in the previous study. In 2020, the overall canopy cover from public and private trees is 26.2%. 

Achieve low variation between tree canopy and equity factors citywide by neighborhood. Ensure that the benefits of tree canopy are available to all, especially for those most affected by these benefits.

• Low - Tree planting and public outreach and education is not determined by tree canopy cover or benefits.
• Medium - Tree planting and public outreach and education is focused on neighborhoods with low tree canopy.
• High - Tree planting and public outreach and education is focused on neighborhoods with low tree canopy and a high need for tree benefits.

Davis’ Equitable Distribution Score

The local non-profit Tree Davis has been integral in supporting the city-wide tree planting initiatives. Through the Community Canopy Grant Program, nearly 1,000 climate-ready trees on both public and private land were planted throughout Davis between 2019 and 2022. Plantings have been targeted to areas with lower canopy and representative of lower median incomes. Tree Davis engages community groups at the neighborhood level to diversify the species and age distributions at the neighborhood level.

Establish a diverse-aged population of city trees across the entire City and for each neighborhood. Ideal standard:

• 0-8" DBH:  40%
• 9-17" DBH:  30%
• 18-24" DBH:  20%
• Over 24" DBH: 10%
• Low - No current information is available on size - OR - Age distribution is not proportionally distributed across size classes at the City level.
• Medium - Size classes are evenly distributed at the City level, though unevenly distributed at the neighborhood level.
• High - Age distribution is generally aligned with the ideal standard diameter classes at the neighborhood level.

Davis’ Size/Age Distribution Score

The age distribution of Davis’ 2018 city tree resource shows a well-established population, with 36% of trees in the smaller age class (8-inches or less in diameter) and 9.8% of trees in the large diameter classes (>24”). While the city-wide distribution is evenly distributed, size classes are not evenly distributed at the neighborhood level. 

Possess a detailed understanding of tree condition and potential risk of all intensively-managed, publicly-owned trees. This information is used to direct maintenance actions.

• Low - No current information is available on tree condition or risk.
• Medium - Information from a partial or sample or inventory is used to assess tree condition and risk.
• High - Information from a current, GIS-based, 100% complete city tree inventory is used to indicate tree condition and risk.

Davis’ Condition of City Trees—Streets, Parks Score

The City has a complete inventory with some data discrepancies. The 2018 inventory includes information on condition and maintenance needs, but the city tree resource is constantly changing and condition and maintenance needs have not been consistently updated as work occurs. 

Possess a detailed understanding of the ecological structure and function of all publicly-owned natural areas (such as woodlands, ravines, stream corridors, etc.), as well as usage patterns.

• Low - No current information is available on tree condition or risk.
• Medium - Publicly-owned natural areas are identified in a sample-based "natural areas survey" or similar data.
• High - Information from a current, GIS-based, 100% complete natural areas survey is utilized to document ecological structure and function, as well as usage patterns.

Davis’ Condition of City Trees—Natural Areas Score

While some information on the condition of trees in natural areas, these trees are managed by other departments or agencies. 

Possess a solid understanding of the extent, location, and general condition of trees on private lands.

• Low - No data is available on private trees.
• Medium - Current tree canopy assessment reflects basic information (location) of both public and private canopy combined.
• High - Detailed information available on private trees. Ex. bottom-up sample-based assessment of trees.

Davis’ Trees on Private Property Score

The 2020 tree canopy data included the mapping of the distribution and extent of tree canopy and relative canopy health on private property. However, the species composition and age of private trees is mostly unknown. There is interest in having a better understanding of the extent, location, and general condition of private trees within the easement.

Establish a genetically diverse population of publicly-owned trees across the entire City and for each neighborhood. Tree populations should be comprised of no more than 30% of any family, 20% of any genus, or 10% of any species.

• Low - No current information is available on species - OR - Fewer than five species dominate the entire tree population citywide.
• Medium - No species represents more than 20% of the entire tree population citywide.
• High - No species represents more than 10% of the entire tree population citywide.

Davis’ Species Diversity Score

Establish a tree population suited to the urban environment and adapted to the overall region. Suitable species are gauged by exposure to imminent threats, considering the "Right Tree for the Right Place" concept and invasive species.

• Low - No current information is available on species suitability - OR - Less than 50% of trees are considered suitable for the site.
• Medium - 50% to 75% of trees are considered suitable for the site.
• High - More than 75% of trees are considered suitable for the site.

Davis’ Climate Resilience/Suitability Score

The 2018 tree inventory collection did not include data specifications that documented the suitability of tree species for the site. Recent tree plantings through the Community Canopy Program focused on increasing the amount of climate-ready species on both public and private property. 

According to the 2018 tree inventory, 14% of city trees are listed as invasive on the California invasive species list (California Invasive Species Advisory Committee 2010). Additionally, 66% of city trees are susceptible to at least one of 36 emerging and existing pests and pathogens. 

Establish minimum street tree soil volume requirements to ensure there is adequate space and soil for street trees to thrive. Minimum soil volumes by mature size: 1,000 cubic feet for large trees; 600 cubic feet for medium trees; 300 cubic feet for small trees.

• Low - Minimum street tree soil volumes have not been established.
• Medium - Minimum street tree soil volume has been established based on the mature size of the tree.
• High - Minimum street tree soil volumes have been established and are required to be adhered to for all new street tree planting projects.

Davis’ Space and Soil Volume Score

Planting standards do not have any minimum soil volumes established.

Citizens understand, cooperate, and participate in urban forest management at the neighborhood level. Urban forestry is a neighborhood-scale issue.

• Low - Little or no citizen involvement or neighborhood action.
• Medium - Some active groups are engaged in advancing urban forestry activity, but with no unified set of goals or priorities.
• High - The majority of all neighborhoods are organized, connected, and working towards a unified set of goals and priorities.

Davis’ Neighborhood Action Score

Several neighborhoods have volunteer groups that contribute to advancing urban forestry in Davis neighborhoods. Activism includes planting/maintenance initiatives and providing educational information on how to care for trees. These neighborhood groups coordinate with local non-profit partners to the City on some initiatives. 

Large, private, and institutional landholders embrace citywide goals and objectives through targeted resource management plans.

• Low - Large private landholders are unaware of issues and potential influence in the urban forest. No large private land management plans are currently in place.
• Medium - Education materials and advice is available to large private landholders. Few large private landholders or institutions have management plans in place.
• High - Clear and concise goals are established for large private landholders through direct education and assistance programs. Key landholders and institutions have management plans in place.

Davis’ Large Private & Institutional Landholder Involvement Score

The City of Davis works with private landholders to plant and maintain trees in the City easement. This involves outreach and education to engage with residents to help water and care for their trees. The City of Davis has an interest in working with larger institutions such as Davis Joint Unified School District to improve and increase the canopy on school lots throughout the City.

The green industry works together to advance citywide urban forest goals and objectives. The City and its partners capitalize on local green industry expertise and innovation.

• Low - Little or no involvement from green industry leaders to advance local urban forestry goals.
• Medium - Some partnerships are in place to advance local urban forestry goals, but more often for the short-term.
• High - Long-term committed partnerships are working to advance local urban forestry goals.

Davis’ Green Industry Involvement Score

No partnerships currently exist.

All City departments and agencies cooperate to advance citywide urban forestry goals and objectives.

• Low - Conflicting goals and/or actions among City departments and agencies.
• Medium - Informal teams among departments and agencies are communicating and implementing common goals on a project-specific basis.
• High - Common goals and collaboration occur across all departments and agencies. City policy and actions are implemented by formal interdepartmental and interagency working teams on all City projects.

Davis’ City Department/Agency Cooperation Score

City of Davis departments work together to maintain city assets. My Davis, the citizen request management system, is automatically sent to a department based on the category chosen on the form. Approximately 10% of the time service requests require service from multiple departments or need to be re-assigned to the correct department. All departments work together to ensure the requests are addressed. 

Local funders are engaged and invested in urban forestry initiatives. Funding is adequate to implement a citywide urban forest management plan.

• Low - Little or no funders are engaged in urban forestry initiatives.
• Medium - Funders are engaged in urban forestry initiatives at minimal levels for short-term projects.
• High - Multiple funders are fully engaged and active in urban forestry initiatives for short-term projects and long-term goals.

Davis’ Funder Engagement Score

Since the 2008 financial crisis, the funding for many departments has been cut. This, and the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted funding for the Urban Forestry Division. The current funding levels cover emergency response but the City has fallen behind on their 7-year pruning cycle and is addressing a backlog of service requests based on priority.

All utilities are aware of and vested in the urban forest and cooperates to advance citywide urban forest goals and objectives.

• Low - Utilities and City agencies act independently of urban forestry efforts. No coordination exists.
• Medium - Utilities and City agencies have engaged in dialogues about urban forestry efforts with respect to capital improvement and infrastructure projects.
• High - Utilities, City agencies, and other stakeholders integrate and collaborate on all urban forestry efforts, including planning, site work, and outreach/education. 

Davis’ Utility Engagement Score

Utilities are marked with concrete stamps on the curb and documented in the Public Works/Utilities & Operations asset management system. This helps the Urban Forestry Division locate appropriate planting sites. The Urban Forestry Division tries to enforce tree protection during CIP through the permitting and the inspection processes. Two public utility companies also operate within Davis and there is an opportunity to explore partnerships.

State departments/agencies are aware of and vested in the urban forest and cooperates to advance citywide urban forest goals and objectives.

• Low - State departments/agencies and City agencies act independently of urban forestry efforts. No coordination exists.
• Medium - State department/agencies and City agencies have engaged in dialogues about urban forestry efforts with respect to capital improvement and infrastructure projects.
• High - State departments/agencies, City agencies, and other stakeholders integrate and collaborate on all urban forestry efforts, including planning, site work, and outreach/education.

Davis’ State Engagement Score

Grant funding from CAL FIRE has provided the opportunity to expand the urban canopy through the Community Canopy Program and develop an urban forest management plan.

The general public understands the benefits of trees and advocates for the role and importance of the urban forest.

• Low - Trees are generally seen as a nuisance, and thus, a drain on City budgets and personal paychecks.
• Medium - Trees are generally recognized as important and beneficial.
• High - Trees are seen as valuable infrastructure and vital to the community’s well-being. The urban forest is recognized for the unique environmental, economic, and social services it provides to the community.

Davis’ Public Awareness Score

People in Davis are actively engaged with and appreciate and recognize that trees provide benefits to the community. Though the benefits of trees beyond providing shade are not as well-known.

Neighboring communities and regional groups are actively cooperating and interacting to advance the region's stake in the City's urban forest.

• Low - Little or no interaction between neighboring communities and regional groups.
• Medium - Neighboring communities and regional groups share similar goals and policy vehicles related to trees and the urban forest.
• High - Regional urban forestry planning, coordination, and management is widespread.

Davis’ Regional Collaboration Score

As of 2022, Davis is involved in a regional group that includes UC Davis and other research institutions focused on climate-ready trees, which has provided a platform for cooperation with neighboring communities. The City’s collaborator, the non-profit organization Tree Davis, serves the City of Davis, the City of West Sacramento, and the City of Woodland.

Comprehensive, GIS-based, current inventory of all intensively-managed city trees to guide management, with mechanisms in place to keep data current and available for use. Data allows for analysis of age distribution, condition, risk, diversity, and suitability.

• Low - No inventory or out-of-date inventory of publicly-owned trees.
• Medium - Partial or sample-based inventory of publicly-owned trees, inconsistently updated.
• High - Complete, GIS-based inventory of publicly-owned trees, updated on a regular, systematic basis.

Davis’ Tree Inventory Score

The 2018 inventory has some discrepancies. Moving forward, the Urban Forestry Division intends to regularly update and maintain the tree inventory as work occurs.

Accurate, high-resolution, and recent assessment of existing and potential citywide tree canopy cover that is regularly updated and available for use across various departments, agencies, and/or disciplines.

• Low - No tree canopy assessment.
• Medium - Sample-based canopy cover assessment or dated (over 10 years old) high-resolution canopy assessment.
• High - High-resolution tree canopy assessment using aerial photographs or satellite imagery.

Davis’ Canopy Assessment Score

A high-resolution tree canopy assessment was completed in 2022 using 2020 NAIP imagery.

Existence and buy-in of a comprehensive urban forest management plan to achieve citywide goals. Re-evaluation is conducted every 5 to 10 years.

• Low - No urban forest management plan exists.
• Medium - A plan for the publicly-owned forest resource exists but is limited in scope, acceptance, and implementation.
• High - A comprehensive plan for the publicly-owned forest resource exists and is accepted and implemented.

Davis’ Management Plan Score

As of the completion of the 2022 Urban Forest Management Plan, the City will have a comprehensive urban forest management plan. 

All publicly-owned trees are managed for maximum public safety by way of maintaining a citywide inventory, conducting proactive annual inspections, and eliminating hazards within a set timeframe based on risk level. Risk management program is outlined in the management plan.

• Low - Request-based, reactive system. The condition of publicly-owned trees is unknown.
• Medium - There is some degree of risk abatement thanks to knowledge of the condition of publicly-owned trees, though generally still managed as a request-based reactive system.
• High -  There is a complete tree inventory with risk assessment data and a risk abatement program in effect. Hazards are eliminated within a set time period depending on the level of risk.

Davis’ Risk Management Program Score

Current practices (2022) are request-based due to reduced staffing and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, the City is moving toward more proactive inspections of trees to identify and abate risk.

All intensively-managed, publicly-owned trees are well maintained for optimal health and condition in order to extend longevity and maximize benefits. A reasonable cyclical pruning program is in place, generally targeting 5 to 7-year cycles. The maintenance program is outlined in the management plan.

• Low - Request-based, reactive system. No systematic pruning program is in place for City-owned trees.
• Medium - All City-owned trees are systematically maintained, but the pruning cycle is inadequate.
• High -  All City-owned trees are proactively and systematically maintained and adequately pruned on a cyclical basis.

Davis’ Maintenance of City-Owned Trees (ROWs) Score

All trees in the inventory marked as City-owned are part of the proactive block pruning program. Snags and deadwood are left in areas that are not accessible to the public in order to promote wildlife habitat. 

The ecological structure and function of all publicly-owned natural areas are protected and enhanced while accommodating public use where appropriate.

• Low - No natural areas management plans are in effect.
• Medium - Only reactive management efforts to facilitate public use (risk abatement).
• High - Management plans are in place for each publicly-owned natural area focused on managing ecological structure and function and facilitating public use.

Davis’ Maintenance of City-Owned Natural Areas Score

Trees in the City’s Open Space areas are pruned and maintained around infrastructure to ensure safe access, and managed for maximum habitat value in other areas. All maintenance activities are done in cooperation with the City’s Wildlife Biologist and to meet established Open Space Program goals.

Comprehensive and effective tree planting and establishment program is driven by canopy cover goals, equity considerations, and other priorities according to the plan. Tree planting and establishment is outlined in the management plan.

• Low - Tree establishment is ad hoc.
• Medium - Tree establishment is consistently funded and occurs on an annual basis.
• High - Tree establishment is directed by needs derived from a tree inventory and other community plans and is sufficient in meeting canopy cover objectives.

Davis’ Planting Program Score

The Urban Forestry Division has a planting program to replace previously removed trees. The City partnered with Tree Davis to temporarily increase tree planting efforts through the Community Canopy Program. Over the last two years, 1,000 trees were planted to increase canopy cover on public and private land. Tree planting is expected to go back to the typical rate after fall of 2022.

Comprehensive and regularly updated tree protection ordinance with enforcement ability is based on community goals. The benefits derived from trees on public and private property are ensured by the enforcement of existing policies.

• Low - No tree protection policy.
• Medium - Policies are in place to protect trees, but the policies are not well-enforced or ineffective.
• High - Protections policies ensure the safety of trees on public and private land. The policies are enforced and supported by significant deterrents and shared ownership of City goals.
• Davis’ Tree Protection Policy Score

Municipal Code Chapter 37, Article 37.05 Protection of Trees During New Construction, provides protections for trees on public and private land. Enforcing the tree protection ordinance is challenging, due to lack of ability to enforce penalties for violations of the chapter.

Adequate staff and access to the equipment and vehicles to implement the management plan. A high-level urban forester or planning professional, strong operations staff, and solid certified arborist technicians.

• Low - Insufficient staffing levels, insufficiently-trained staff, and/or inadequate equipment and vehicle availability.
• Medium - Certified arborists and professional urban foresters on staff have some professional development but are lacking adequate staff levels or adequate equipment.
• High - Multi-disciplinary team within the urban forestry unit, including an urban forestry professional, operations manager, and arborist technicians. Vehicles and equipment are sufficient to complete required work.

Davis’ City Staffing and Equipment Score

Each City Department in Davis has experienced reduced staffing and services to ensure spending remains within budget during the recent economic downturn in 2009 and the COVID-19 pandemic. Current staff have professional credentials (e.g., certified arborists) and access to equipment and vehicles. There is insufficient staff to support proactive maintenance and protection.

Appropriate funding in place to fully implement both proactive and reactive needs based on a comprehensive urban forest management plan.

• Low - Funding comes from the public sector only and covers only reactive work.
• Medium - Funding levels (public and private) generally cover mostly reactive work. Low levels of risk management and planting in place.
• High - Dynamic, active funding from engaged private partners and adequate public funding are used to proactively manage and expand the urban forest.

Davis’ Funding Score

Funding is provided by the General Fund and currently supports reactive maintenance but is not adequate to support maintenance of all city trees on a 7-year cycle. 

A disaster management plan is in place related to the City's urban forest. The plan includes staff roles, contracts, response priorities, debris management and a crisis communication plan. Staff are regularly trained and/or updated.

• Low - No disaster response plan is in place.
• Medium - A disaster plan is in place, but pieces are missing and/or staff are not regularly trained or updated.
• High - A robust disaster management plan is in place, regularly updated, and staff is fully trained on roles and processes.

Davis’ Disaster Preparedness & Response Score

All City employees are designated disaster workers, and must respond if called out. There is a strategy for managing emergencies and citywide coordination for emergency preparedness and response through the Emergency Operations Center. A specific plan focused on urban forest emergency response should be developed and appended to the citywide plan.

Effective avenues of two-way communication exist between the City departments and between the City and its citizens. Messaging is consistent and coordinated, when feasible.

• Low - No avenues are in place. City departments and the public determine on an ad hoc basis the best messages and avenues to communicate.
• Medium - Avenues are in place but used sporadically and without coordination or only on a one-way basis.
• High - Avenues are in place for two-way communication, and are well-used with targeted, coordinated messages. 

Davis’ Communication Score

Community members can submit service requests via email, over the phone, or via the City’s MyDavis app. The City has a social media presence and informs the community about urban forestry related events. Distribution of educational materials also occurs through the City website, utility bill inserts, an electronic newsletter, and information on city trees is included in a packet mailed to all new property owners and owners of multifamily and commercial properties.