Substitute
Public Hearing: YES ☐ NO ☒ Department: Planning and Sustainability
SUBJECT:
Title
Commission District(s): All Districts
Application of the Director of Planning & Sustainability to approve a resolution to join the One Million Trees Initiative of Trees Atlanta, a collaboration across metro Atlanta.
Body
Information Contact: Andrew A. Baker, AICP, Director
Phone Number: 404-687-7154
PURPOSE:
Application of the Director of Planning & Sustainability to approve a resolution to become a partner in the One Million Trees Initiative of Trees Atlanta.
NEED/IMPACT:
Climate change remains a serious threat to human and environmental health and well-being. The One Million Tree Initiative is an ongoing global environmental movement to increase urban forest canopy and carbon sequestration. The One Million Trees Initiative of Trees Atlanta is a collaboration of metro Atlanta cities, regional environmental nonprofit organizations, and Trees Atlanta to plant and conserve one million trees across metro Atlanta by 2030. Healthy tree canopies afford the following benefits: air quality improvement, wildlife habitat, stormwater retention and control, aesthetics, natural windbreakers, inhibit soil erosion, increase property values, shading, heating & cooling cost savings, traffic calming, and mitigation of air pollution, climate change, and urban heat island. Our shared, natural environment is part of the global biosphere, which does not acknowledge political and administrative boundaries. Thus, collective activities impart direct ramifications to our shared, natural environment. DeKalb County would be the first county government partner and have a unique opportunity to demonstrate continued, active commitment to social and environmental stewardship. DeKalb County is already conducting a significant amount of tree planting in our communities through the ReLeaf DeKalb II tree planting program with Trees Atlanta.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Department of Planning & Sustainability will administer the program and use existing funds in the Tree Bank, which collects tree recompense funds from developers and code violators. There are sufficient funds in this account to pay for continued tree planting through ReLeaf DeKalb II and other projects in unincorporated DeKalb County.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommended Action
To approve the resolution and authorize the chief executive officer to execute all necessary documents.