Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Planning & Development Services

TO:	David L Corliss, City Manager
FROM:	Mary Miller, Planner
CC:	Cynthia Wagner, Assistant City Manager Diane Stoddard, Assistant City Manager Scott McCullough, Planning and Development Services Director
Date:	09/08/11
RE:	Kansas Forest Service Tree Assessment  for Douglas County

The Kansas Forest Service is utilizing a federal grant to assess the forest resource along the I-70 Corridor.  Douglas County lies within this corridor and the Forest Service invited us to participate in the project. Kim Bomberger, Northeast District Community Forester, provided a summary of the project in the attached letter. The Forest Service recently partnered with the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) to complete an assessment of the forest resources in the Kansas City Metro Area.  This assessment provides an estimate of the forest resources present in the area and quantifies the benefits they provide. (See attached brochure.)

Education and outreach is a principal component of our comprehensive plan’s environment chapter. The chapter notes the following as a strategy: “Develop educational programs to foster community awareness of and support for the protection and enhancement of natural areas, efficient use of natural resources and appropriate waste management.”  (page 16-2) More specifically, Policy 2.2(a.4) recommends that we “Develop public outreach and educational programs to increase public awareness concerning the importance of woodlands.”  (page 16-12)   

The Kansas Forest Service assessment will provide data that quantifies the composition

of the forest resource, and ecosystem values associated with trees and woodlands in Douglas County which will be useful not only in meeting the education and outreach policies and strategies of the environment chapter, but will also provide a framework for future policies, incentives, and regulations.  The assessment is geared toward gathering general information on the amount and types of trees and woodlands currently in Douglas County and quantifying the functions they provide. This will work toward fulfilling Policy 2.2(a.4) of the environment chapter. 

Staff is excited about this opportunity and are looking forward to providing support services for the project. There will be no cost associated with this project, but as Ms. Bomberger pointed out in her letter, staff will perform support services, such as the creation of parcel maps.

The assessment will be conducted in the growing season of 2012 and the results will be made available to the City and County Commissioners and the public after evaluation and synthesis of data by Ms. Bomberger and US Forest Service research scientists.    

ACTION REQUESTED

No Commission action is necessary. This information is being provided as an update to the Commission.