Sustainability and Energy Action Plan

NS-1-1. Employ a Software System to Better Manage the Urban Forest Subscribing to an urban forest management software system like TreePlotter or one of its competitors could allow Grants Pass staff to track tree health and make maintenance decisions to support a rigorous urban forest.79 Consideration should be given to ensure that any data entered into a system could be transferred in the future should the need arise. As shown in the methodology for Urban Forest Sequestration calculations, there is very limited data currently available for which to base measurements of current urban forest sequestration.80 Adopting this software would allow for improved measurements that would likely increase sequestration estimates,81 ultimately requiring less of the City to meet Plan goals. This software adoption would also act in support of the Urban Tree Advisory Committee (UTAC) in creating their comprehensive inventory of City trees, assist City Staff with maintenance which will also help in meeting Plan objectives, provide savings calculations, and generate a publicly accessible interface that would allow community members to see information on the trees around them.82 In fact, training members of the public who volunteer could serve as a method for expanding data collection efficiency.NATURAL SYSTEMS GRANTS PASS SUSTAINABILITY AND ENERGY ACTION PLAN Projects and Steps Project NS -1. Enhance the Urban Forest To make the most of limited expansion opportunities, a significant part of efforts to increase the carbon sequestration of the Grants Pass Urban Forest should be dedicated to strategic planning.NS-1-2. Update Relevant Existing Tree Management Plan(s) Update relevant plans like the Urban Forest Framework or Urban Forest Management Plan to include: •sequestration as a goal and benefit of forest management; •including sequestration capabilities as a consideration in species selection (choosing tree species which typically sequester more carbon over those that do not, all other factors being equal); •including resilience of species to increasing natural hazards and higher temperatures as a consideration in species selection; and •selection of planting locations to better utilize existing resources to maximize results. NS-1-3. Follow Urban Forest Enhancement Recommendations Follow recommendations from UTAC and other advisory bodies on efforts towards enhancement of the urban forest , increasing urban forest sequestration by a minimum of 1% every 5 years, reaching 5% total increase from 2021 by 2045. 76