Urban Forest Master Plan
UFMP Vision: Our Urban Forest is the heart of Palo Alto's urban and natural landscape. It is an essential economic, community, environmental and ecological asset that provides a tangible connection to the natural world for our citizens in their everyday lives, enhancing their health, intellect and wellbeing.
Trees, vegetation, soil, water and wildlife have great individual value and interdependent attributes, and must be cared for as a whole. Careful planning ensures the forest thrives and is contiguous, complex, and resilient in the face of continued urbanization and climate change.
However, the UFMP stipulates that no species may exceed 10% of the population. This can create a tension, because tree diversity is not the same as biodiversity — trees selected for other qualities frequently provide very little benefit to local native species.
To address this, the UFMP provides:
- The tree diversity requirement (no species to exceed 10% of the population) may be relaxed to ensure a preference for native species.
- The City should make the most of opportunities to plant species that are rich in wildlife benefits.