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MBUFMP City Commisison Workshop Presentation_03022021Urban Forestry Master Plan Commission Workshop Agenda 1.Miami Beach City Code Requirements: Omar Leon, Urban Forester (5 minutes) 2.Construction Impacts: David Martinez, Capital Improvement Program Director (5 minutes) 3.Urban Forestry Master Plan Overview: Kerry Gray & Gianno Feoli (20 minutes) 4.Questions & Answer: (1 hour 30 minutes) Pine Tree Park OUR APPROACH 1.Tree Preservation Program. Chapter 46, Division 2 of the City Code establishes the tree preservation and permitting program. 2.Land Development Regulations. Chapter 126 of the City Code establishes minimum landscape requirements, including diversification and expansion of canopy trees. 3.Urban Forestry Master Plan. The UFMP is a guiding document that establishes best management practices for developing and maintaining a healthy and sustainable urban tree canopy. 4.Citywide Projects 1.Capital improvement projects include planting palms & trees. 2.G.O Bond Reforestation Project -$5 million with the goal to plant over 5,000 canopy trees. Miami Beach Women’s Club Tree Preservation Program – Chapter 46, Division 2 1.Establishes the Tree Permitting Program for the removal and relocation of any palm or tree on public or private property. 2.Establishes mitigation requirements for any palm or tree impacted during redevelopment. ◦Mitigation must be in the form of canopy trees. ◦Minimum of 50% of all replacement trees shall be native to South Florida 3.Enforcement ◦Unpermitted tree removals ◦Improper tree protection ◦Improper pruning and other tree abuses 4.Establishes the Tree Trust Fund Private Residence on North Bay Road Land Development Regulations –Chapter 126 1.Sets forth minimum landscape and tree canopy requirements for new construction on private property 2.Sets standards and requirements for planting canopy trees on public right- of-way adjacent to new construction Baptist Health Center Active Capital Improvement Projects 1,032 491 383 87 921 2,549 Palm Tree Removals Canopy Tree Removals Palm Tree Relocations Canopy Tree Relocation New Palm Trees New Canopy Trees Number of Trees MIAMI BEACH URBAN FORESTRY MASTER PLAN City Commission March 2, 2021 Consultant Team Davey Resource Group + Calvin, Giordano & Associates KERRY GRAY/ DRG I URBAN FORESTRY CONSULTANT/PROJECT MANAGER GIANNO FEOLI/ CGA I DIRECTOR OF LANDSCAPE URBANISM + DESIGN MICHAEL CONNER/ CGA I LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT SHIRLEY VAUGHN/ DRG I BUSINESS DEVELOPER WILL AYERSMAN / DRG I GIS SERVICES COORDINATOR About Davey Resource Group, Inc. Recognized industry leader in providing professional urban forestry services to communities across the United States CurrentTreeKeeper Clients235+ Trees Inventoried each year 1 Million+ Community Urban Forest Plans Developed 400+ Urban Tree Canopy Assessments 100+ DRG’s Inventory Management Software TreeKeeper DRG’s Tree Canopy Prioritization Software TreeKeeper Canopy History Part of the Davey Tree Expert Company. Expertise and knowledge rooted in a tree care company founded over 140 years ago. About Calvin, Giordano & Associates, Inc. Award-winning local multi-disciplinary firm with over 25 years of history developing landscape architecture and engineering projects for the South Florida Region •We are local! •Team consists of Florida- licensed Landscape Architects and Engineers •On-staff ISA-Certified Arborists •Experience delivering major projects for Miami Beach across many different disciplines •Fully aware of the implementation challenges facing Miami Beach MIAMI BEACH’S URBAN FOREST Urban Forest All publicly and privately-owned trees within an urban area Public Trees (22%) •Parks and Natural Areas •Public Right of Ways/Streets •Trees on Public Property Private Trees (78%) •Residential •Commercial •Industrial Why Plan? Benefits of The Urban Forest •Reduce and filter stormwater •Improve air quality & sequester carbon •Wildlife habitat •Moderate local climate •Increase property values & reduce energy costs •Community character and aesthetics •Improve human health Without a Plan and with limited public resources, Miami Beach could lose more trees than it is replacing; preservation is important! Trees as a Tool The Science Urban Heat Island •Trees reduce peak summer temperatures by 2-9F •Trees prevent 1,200 heat-related deaths each year (U.S.) Water Quality and Flooding •Intercepting and allowing rainwater to slowly soak into the ground –trees reduce stormwater runoff and pollutants by 20-60% Energy Usage •Shaded air conditioning units run up to 10% more efficiently & reduce energy use •Properly placed trees reduce average household energy costs by up to $250/year Trees as a Tool The Science Air Pollution •Trees prevent 430,000 incidents of asthma exacerbations each year (U.S.) Quality of Life •10% increase in tree canopy reduced crime by 12-15% •Higher middle school standardized test scores in reading and math for schools with trees Mental Health •Living in areas with 30% or more tree canopy cover reduced the odds of developing psychological distress by 31% Planning Process: Engagement City Department Forums & Interviews •10 City Departments Operations Review Interviews •5 City Departments Community Meetings •June 18 & 19, 2019 Sustainability Committee •June 25, 2019, May 26, 2020 & January 26, 2021 Community feedback catalyst for creation of an Urban Forest Master Plan 2018 Green Infrastructure Center Project Trees to Offset Stormwater #1 Community Priority to improve Miami Beach’s Urban Forest – develop an urban forest plan. Planning Process: Engagement What Did We Hear? •Increase shade/ornamental trees to improve resilience, sustainability, and the benefits the urban forest provides. •Soften the “concrete” look of Miami Beach •Plant less palms and more trees that are colorful and produce shade •Use trees to address climate change (not just sea level rise) •Collaborate and identify opportunities to preserve trees and add shade tree canopy on City and Florida Department of Transportation projects. Planning Process: Engagement What Did We Hear? •Focus efforts on preservation and maintenance of shade/ornamental trees •Concern about responsibility of residents to maintain public trees in their swales •Provide tools and strategies to assist in increasing shade tree canopy cover throughout the city. •Increase outreach and education STATE OF THE URBAN FOREST Land Cover & Tree Canopy 61% Impervious Surfaces Roads, Building, Sidewalks 17% Tree/Palm Canopy Cover 78% of canopy cover on private residential property Land Cover & Tree Canopy 61% Impervious Surfaces Roads, Building, Sidewalks 17% Tree/Palm Canopy Cover 78% of canopy cover on private residential property CHALLENGE: URBAN HEAT ISLAND Roads, buildings, and sidewalks trap and retain heat causing temperatures to be hotter than nearby areas that are less built up. •Health Impacts (heat-related illnesses) •Increased energy consumption •Elevated air pollution and greenhouse gases Trees reduce the urban heat island effect by shading impervious surfaces & reducing the amount of heat absorbed. Land Cover & Tree Canopy Public Tree & Palm Population CHALLENGE: SPECIES DIVERSITY Palms have shifted from an accent plant to a major component of Miami Beach’s urban forest 48,600 Palms and Trees growing along Miami Beach streets and parks •Palms: 57% of population •90 different species •Shade/Flowering Trees: 43% of population •212 different species Public Tree & Palm Population Benefits Comparison Palms substantially underperform in all environmental benefits when compared to trees Benefits* Shade Tree Live Oak (Quercus virginiana) Palm Cabbage/Sabal Palm (Sabal palmetto) Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Sequestered (Absorbed) 510 pounds/year 2.71 pounds/year Rainfall Intercepted 725 gallons/year 81 gallons/year Ozone removed from the air 20 ounces/year < 2 ounces/year Energy Savings (A/C)60 kWh 26 kWh Carbon dioxide stored lifetime to date 3,214 pounds over lifetime 26 pounds over lifetime Annual Value of Benefits $31.00 $6.48 *Based on an analysis of a 16” diameter Quercus virginiana and Sabal palmetto utilizing the USDA Forest Service’s i-Tree MyTree benefits tool –www.itreetools.org. Cabbage/Sabal Palm Live Oak Public Tree & Palm Population CHALLENGE: Species Selection •Selection must consider the unique challenges facing Miami Beach’s urban forest, including: •Rising groundwater (saltwater inundation) •Flooding •Urban condition; limited growing space •Increasing temperatures •Insect and disease pests Less than 50% of the species growing on public property are suitable for the site and changing climatic conditions CHALLENGE: Limited Space for Trees in the Public Right-of-Way The City’s Public Right-of-Way Includes: •Roads •Parking •Sidewalks •Bike Lanes •Utilities (above and below ground) •Signs and Signals •Trees How can all these important elements be incorporated into the ROW while still allowing adequate space above and below ground for trees to grow and thrive? Public Tree Management & Maintenance Public Tree Management & Maintenance CHALLENGE: Private Property Owners Responsible for Street Tree Maintenance •Private property owners do not always secure required permits for tree pruning, planting or removal. •City and tree care industry standards not followed •Loss of street trees and the benefits they provide •Street tree work completed on a reactive basis by private property owners Lack of a routine tree maintenance program for ALL street trees (ROW/swale) makes them vulnerable to decay, insects, diseases and storm damage & impacts the amount of tree canopy in Miami Beach. Urban Forestry Master Plan Miami Beach Challenges Species diversity •Increasing shade trees and shifting palms back to an accent plant Tree species selection •Selecting species resilient to flooding & increasing salinity, limited growing space, and increasing temperatures Public Tree Management & Maintenance •Maximizing the benefits Miami Beach’s urban forest provides Limited space for trees in public spaces •Tools to guide design and development Tree Canopy Target 22% Canopy Cover Target by 2040 Current Tree Canopy Cover: 17% 22% Canopy Cover Target by 2040 •5% increase from today •Considers that half of open areas may be suitable for tree planting. To achieve 22% canopy cover by 2040 will require planting ~1,300 trees per year (or 25,900 total trees) on private and public property. Palm Target By 2050, palms should make up no more than 25% of the city-wide public tree population Target focuses on ensuring Palms will continue to be an iconic part of Miami Beach's landscape, while recognizing the realities that the City needs to be proactive in managing the naturally changing landscape. •Palms are already impacted by •Saltwater intrusion •Increasing temperatures •Insects and diseases •Palms provide significantly less environmental benefits than shade trees Why is this target important? •Necessary to meet the sustainability goals adopted by the City. •Overabundance of Palms makes Miami Beach’s landscape less resilient and susceptible to catastrophic loss. Lessons Learned: •Emerald Ash Borer has caused a loss of over 100 million trees in the US since 2002 Potential Impacts to Miami Beach: •Ganoderma •Lethal Yellowing •Lethal Bronzing current conditions Palm Target Tree & Palm Targets + DESIGN TOOLKIT Implementation Tree and Palm Palette in Miami Beach •Species Diversity •Palms –moving back to an accent plant •Tree Species Selection •Re-prioritize species to those that are more resilient to sea level rise, flooding & increasing salinity, limited growing space, and increasing temperatures Implementation Tree and Palm Palette in Miami Beach •Highlights the characteristics of various species •Tool for homeowners, private developers and the City to make better species selection based on site specific conditions. Implementation Case Studies on Unique Conditions in Miami Beach Pine Tree Drive •How can we adapt to natural aging of canopy and changes in the climate without losing our history? Meridian Avenue •How can we keep the environmental benefits of large, established canopies when approaching the rising of streets? La Gorce Island •How can we adapt neighborhoods in low- lying areas to meet the challenges of increased salinity in groundwater and still maintain an identity? Implementation Bridging Efforts Across Urban Forestry, Public Works, CIP & Planning Establishing Tactics for Street Tree Planting •Key to maintain and promote trees in Miami Beach’s urban condition is to use appropriate green infrastructure. •Increases short-term implementation costs but provides a better return on investment (ROI) over the long-term. •Establishes goals in order to budget appropriately for future projects •Supports plan implementation and design coordination across city departments for review and implementation •Minimizes conflicts during plan review and construction processes Implementation Bridging Efforts Across Urban Forestry, Public Works, CIP & Planning Standardizes components of implementation •Provides standard construction details to be incorporated into the City’s PW manual and standard details Establishes minimum metrics for soil volumes •Helps ensure new trees thrive and reach their ideal mature size. Provides strategies for a phased approach to street tree planting in light of sea level rise •How to plan for trees today so that they are not negatively impacted by planned adaptation improvement projects in the future? MIAMI BEACH URBAN FORESTRY MASTER PLAN Thank You!