Rochester Updating Urban Forest Master Plan

The City of Rochester, New York is revising its Urban Forest Master Plan for the first time since 2012. Community engagement is a key component of the process, with the city offering multiple opportunities for the public to provide input, including both in-person and virtual meetings. The update will highlight the City's forestry initiatives to address critical issues such as environmental justice, climate change, and educational opportunities. As reported by Liam Healy, the Master Plan update is expected to be done by June 2024.

Rochester's Forestry Division manages the care and maintenance of an urban forest consisting of approximately 64,000 public trees located along streets and in parks and cemeteries. This includes tree pest management, pruning, planting, removal, inspection, and responding to public requests. The City has also developed a Forestry Services dashboard where the public can find out more about the city's urban forest, including information on tree planting, tree expansion initiatives, annual tree pruning, tree removal, stump removal, and more.

Urban forests offer a variety of benefits. Trees help to filter air and water, control storm water, conserve energy, and provide wildlife habitat and shade. They also add beauty, form, and structure to urban design. In addition, urban forests reduce noise and provide places to recreate, thereby strengthening social cohesion, spur community revitalization, and add economic value to communities.