During its last November Citrus Heights City Council meeting, city officials presented multiple urban forest expansion initiatives. Designed by Magnific

CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) – In coming years, the city of Citrus Heights would like to see the total number of trees within the city increase through a series of urban forest initiatives under consideration, officials said.

The City of Citrus Heights active urban forest contains approximately 22,000 public trees along streets and roadways and Sunrise Recreation and Park District maintains more than 5,500 trees within its parks.

“Many of these proposed programs have been supported by Council but are still in the early stages of development,” said Marisa Brown, city communications officer.

During its last November Citrus Heights City Council meeting, city officials presented multiple urban forest expansion initiatives, including a “New Growth” tree giveaway program, which would offer new parents a free tree to plant at home, aligning with the city’s “Solid Roots. New Growth.” tagline. The estimated cost of providing larger trees with a retail value up to $150 is about $7,000 annually, assuming modest participation, city officials say.

Another proposal from the city was to revive the Urban Forest Photo Contest, which encourages residents to share photos of local trees. The proposed contest would have minimal costs beyond small prizes and staff coordination.

The city also hopes to develop a more sustainable urban forest by improving conditions for urban trees to thrive and optimizing the environmental, economic and social benefits trees provide to the community.

Another concept, called the Canopy Over Our Lots (C.O.O.L.) Grant Program, would provide matching grants of up to $20,000 to help commercial property owners add shade trees to parking lots. The proposal includes a total of $100,000 in available grant funding for the initial rollout, modeled after the city’s Façade Improvement Program.

An additional initiative, the Community Tree Planting Grant Program, would provide $20,000 in small grants to schools, community groups and neighborhood associations for tree planting in public spaces. One potential project mentioned involves beautifying Tupelo Drive along the I-80 sound wall, though feasibility studies would be needed due to underground utilities.

Following its incorporation in 1997, the city of Citrus Heights adopted Sacramento County’s Tree Preservation and Protection Ordinance. Intended to preserve the quality of life, history, and character of the community, the county ordinance was modified slightly in 2006 by the city to provide protection and mitigation measures for heritage and significant trees in the face of ongoing development.

With new development and the natural aging of existing trees, city staff say ongoing investment in tree planting and replacement is essential.

As a component of the Citrus Heights Urban Greening Strategy (CHUGS), the Urban Forest Master Plan (UFMP) does provide a framework for the long-term care, preservation and expansion of the community's public trees.

What defines a heritage tree in the city of Citrus Heights?

“A heritage tree is a designation beyond a tree protected by the tree preservation ordinance. The city council can place the designation on a tree for a variety of reasons, could be age, stature, grove, etc.  Since incorporation, the city has not identified any trees as heritage,” Brown said.

According to a 2014 inventory, Citrus Heights had more than 27,000 trees, which is more per capita than the City of Sacramento. The city’s tree composition includes over 175 unique species with Valley Oak being the most prevalent species.

 In recognition of the City's efforts to protect its urban forest, the city of Citrus Heights has been recognized with the Tree City USA designation. To qualify for Tree City USA designation, the city had to meet standards set by the Arbor Day Foundation and the National Association of State Foresters.

An urban forest is the collection of trees, plants and green spaces, including those in parks, along streets, around homes, businesses, schools and in open spaces that provide shade, improve air and water quality, support wildlife, reduce urban heat and enhance the health and well-being of the community.

“Trees are an important part of Citrus Heights' infrastructure as they provide an array of benefits to our community that cannot be replicated,” Brown said.

The city is continuing to seek to identify and secure necessary funding (short-term and long-term) for the establishment, preservation and maintenance of the community urban forest and overall canopy cover.

Mature trees and canopy cover play an important role in establishing the history and permanence of these areas and their preservation ensures that the character and charm is maintained.

The city recognizes many of its residential retains a rural quality with overall larger lots, larger yards, narrow streets without sidewalks and natural features like creeks.

With new development and the natural aging of existing trees, staff said ongoing investment in tree planting and replacement is essential to maintain these benefits.

Future programs may be funded through the city’s Tree Mitigation Fund, which currently holds about $900,000. The fund is generated through developer in-lieu fees when on-site tree preservation or replacement isn’t possible and is intended to support projects that maintain and grow the city’s tree canopy, according to the city.

Currently, the Tree Mitigation Fund supports several city programs, including the Tree Assistance Program, which connects homeowners with certified arborists for free consultations.

Since 2019, that program has helped more than 300 properties and assessed over 500 trees, the city said.

In addition to local funding sources, staff said they plan to pursue state and regional grant opportunities, such as those offered through CalFire’s Urban and Community Forestry Program and the California Green Infrastructure Grant Program.