Woodland Tree Foundation board members Rolf Frankenbach and Mark Aulman recently completed an on-the-ground survey of neighborhood front yards. The goal is to identify opportunities for additional shade tree planting, especially areas identified in Woodland’s Urban Forest Master Plan (UFMP) as high priority planting spots. Note that for best results, a medium-sized shade tree needs about 200 square feet of space.
Here is what our survey found:
- More than half of the lots (125 or 52 percent) have at least 200 square feet of front or side yard space available for a new tree, and 73 (30 percent) have over 400 square ft. available.
- As we expected, overall tree canopy coverage is greater in older subdivisions, which tend to have larger lot sizes. But surprisingly, we found that areas with smaller lots have just as much available tree space.
- Even in newer subdivisions with very small lot sizes, we identified a high percentage of yards that can accommodate a new shade tree. There is potential to increase canopy in these neighborhoods, most of which do not meet Woodland’s city-wide canopy goal of 25 percent.
- As we expected, lots which the UFMP rates as “High Priority Planting Sites” generally have greater available planting area than those lots of lower priority. Yet about 5 percent of lots rated “Very High Priority” and “High Priority” had no available area for new trees.
- Surprisingly, we found that about 20 percent of the lots we surveyed that are rated “Low Priority,” as well as lots where no priority was indicated in the UFMP, had enough space for a new tree.
- 44 percent of the lots we surveyed had potential tree planting space along the south or west side of the residence. These locations offer the highest benefit in terms of cooling shade and reduced summer electricity demand.
- 65 percent of the lots we looked at had existing trees that provide some shade, while 35 percent have no shade from existing trees.
- 71 percent of lots surveyed have no existing landscaping that would conflict with planting a new shade tree, while 29 percent have potentially conflicting landscaping.
- 12 percent of homes have solar systems that could be compromised by a shade tree.
- A small number of lots have either poorly pruned trees (eight percent) or stumps in the yard (four percent).
In conclusion, our survey found that the majority of residential lots provide an opportunity to plant additional shade trees, and that new tree planting would not be recommended in just a small number of private front yards.