Des Moines Forestry Division Releases Master Plan To Maintain And Strengthen Our Urban Forest

Press release from the City of Des Moines:

December 14, 2020

DES MOINES, IOWA – Monday, December 14, 2020 – The City of Des Moines Forestry Division has a bold vision for the future of the City’s tree canopy, and presented its Urban Forest Master Plan to City Council during a December 14 City Council Work Session. This plan is the culmination of over two years of research and writing that utilizes hyper-local data on Des Moines’ temperatures, canopy density and storm runoff to create recommendations for the Des Moines’ Forestry Division.

“Our team has been focused on this plan for years,” City Forester David Jahn said. “This plan is data-driven and backed up by the numbers to give Des Moines a clear path and direction on how to utilize its forestry resources and efforts.”

The Urban Forest Master Plan will guide the development of the urban tree canopy into the future with plans to evaluate, maintain, and expand the tree canopy while being more resilient to climate change, reducing the urban heat island effect, mitigating stormwater runoff, reducing nutrient runoff, and contributing to community well-being. This plan will be coordinated with the efforts of the citywide PlanDSM efforts as well as the City’s sustainability goals.

Recommendations in the plan include increased maintenance and strategic tree-planting increases in targeted areas of emphasis in Des Moines.

To read the learn more about the plan, visit DSM.city/forestplan.

This press release was produced by the City of Des Moines. The views expressed here are the author’s own.