Bozeman to hold public engagement meeting on updated urban forest plan

The City of Bozeman currently maintains more than 27,000 trees. Next week, it will begin to decide how to support and grow its urban forest over the next decade.

The City is set to begin public engagement on its updated Urban Forest Management Plan with the first virtual community input meeting scheduled for April 28. Urban forests include trees on city property, in parks and along streets.

“The Urban Forest Management Plan looks at the current state of our urban forest,” said Mitch Overton, director of Bozeman Parks and Recreation. “It assesses things like overall health, canopy coverage, maintenance systems and opportunities for improvement over the next 10 years.” 

Overton said that urban forest includes all trees within city limits, though the plan focuses primarily on those maintained by the City. 

“Our current plan is nearly 10 years old, and we’ve accomplished many of its goals,” said Alex Nordquest, forestry division manager for the City of Bozeman. “Now is a great time to form a new plan to take us through 2036.”

Nordquest said the updated plan will focus on evaluating current programs while identifying ways to expand and improve the City’s tree management efforts as population growth continues.

Next week’s community meeting will be the first opportunity for residents to learn about the project and provide input.

“The main goal is to begin reaching as many people in the community as possible,” Overton said. “It’s really about hearing what people care about and what they want to see in the plan moving forward.”

According to him, community feedback will play a key role in shaping the final plan.

“You don’t want to create a plan like this in a vacuum,” he said. “There has to be a local context. The community helps guide what priorities we focus on over the next 10 years.”        

Nordquest said the plan will address a wide range of topics, including tree health, maintenance practices and long-term sustainability. 

“One of the biggest issues we’re looking at is increasing species diversity,” he said. According to him, the City has historically relied on certain tree species, which can create vulnerabilities to pests and disease. 

“We know green ash is over-planted and there’s a looming threat of emerald ash borer, a destructive pest that decimates ash trees in North America.” 

He added that the City is also working to improve how trees are preserved as development continues across Bozeman. “There’s a lot of public concern about how we’re preserving existing trees as the City grows. We want to improve our approach as much as possible,” Nordquest said.

City officials emphasized that Bozeman’s urban forest plays an important role in the daily lives of residents, including MSU students. 

“It gives us shade, reduces heat, improves air quality and helps manage stormwater,” Overton said. “As Bozeman grows, it’s incredibly important that we maintain and expand our urban forest alongside that growth.”

Residents who are unable to attend the April 28 meeting will have additional opportunities to participate, including future public meetings and an online survey.

“This is just the beginning of the process,” Nordquest said. “We’re counting on community members to help shape what this plan becomes.”

To attend the online meeting, register at engage.bozeman.net/urbanforest.

To find out more about the City of Bozeman’s Urban Forest Management Plan, visit https://www.bozeman.net/Home/Components/News/News/8965/17.