LA County Releases Draft Community Forest Management Plan

Made up of trees on both public and private lands, the community or urban forest is an essential part of a healthy, thriving, and resilient community. When spread equitably and supported by other urban greening measures, a well-managed urban forest throughout Los Angeles County can deliver a wide range of benefits, such as healthier soils, biodiversity, habitats, shading from heat, and greater community health and well-being.

L.A. County's Chief Sustainability Office (CSO) recently released the discussion draft of Room to Grow, the first Community Forest Management Plan (CFMP) for the county which will serve as a blueprint to guide the planting of new trees and the protection of mature trees throughout the region. The public can review the plan, explore associated resources, and provide comments through the CFMP website.  The Room to Grow plan is open for public comment through May 8^th, 2024. Following the conclusion of the public comment period, the CSO will revise the document and prepare it for adoption by the Board of Supervisors later this year.

OurCounty, L.A. County's Sustainability Plan, calls for the development of a CFMP to ensure a climate-appropriate, healthy community tree canopy that is equitably distributed. A key goal for the CFMP is to address inequities in the distribution of trees and tree canopy as well as the benefits they offer. Research shows that lower-income neighborhoods and communities of color often have less tree canopy.