The Urban Parks and Forestry Board spent most of its July 23 meeting as a work session discussing the preliminary draft of Bozeman's 2026 Urban Forest Management Plan, a comprehensive document that has drawn praise for its detail but criticism for being difficult to translate into actionable steps.
Consultants from PlanetGeo and staff presented the draft, which aims to guide the city's urban forest strategy over the next decade. The board approved minutes from the June meeting unanimously.
Canopy Coverage Goals and Budget Questions
One of the most debated issues was the plan's recommended canopy coverage goal of 12 percent. Public commenters, including members of the Bozeman Tree Coalition, urged the board to adopt a higher target of 18 percent, arguing that similarly situated cities achieve that level. Staff explained that reaching even 12 percent would require planting approximately 871 trees per year—nearly triple the city's current average of 300 trees annually—and would take 20 years to achieve.
Consultants presented multiple scenarios showing what 15 percent or higher canopy coverage would require in terms of annual plantings and estimated costs. Board members and staff emphasized that any higher goal should come with a clear breakdown of required budget increases and staffing needs. Staff Liaison Mitch Overton noted that without cost estimates, it would be difficult for the City Commission to make an informed decision or to justify budget requests. "If we're going to do more, you could say it's 16%, and that triggers this... further investment in staff and spending on tree planting and installation," he said.
Reliance on Private Development
The plan assumes a 30-70 split, with the city planting 30 percent of new trees annually and private development, volunteers, and community efforts contributing 70 percent. Board members questioned whether this assumption was realistic and sustainable. Commissioner Alison Sweeney raised concerns about whether new developments adequately compensate for trees removed, noting that a public tree reimbursement form appeared to be missing from one recent development application.
Board member Paige Lisowski called for more specific recommendations in the plan about how to expand code and ordinance language to require more trees in new developments, citing examples from other cities and noting that some recent projects in Bozeman have resulted in net tree loss despite replanting commitments.
Document Organization and Executive Summary
Multiple board members noted that while the plan is thorough, its 100-plus pages are difficult to navigate and extract actionable items from. Board member Steve Lowry asked for a clear executive summary—perhaps two pages—that would tell a City Commissioner what is being proposed, what it will cost, what benefits it will provide, and to whom those benefits accrue. "If I was voting on this as a commissioner, I would not want to read all 100 pages," he said.
Consultants acknowledged the challenge, noting that because the plan presents options rather than prescriptive requirements, a simple summary is difficult. They suggested improvements to the executive summary and better visual presentation of key data, including graphics showing the relationship between canopy coverage percentages and the number of trees required annually.
Board member Brandt Berube emphasized that figures and graphs are essential to making the content digestible, particularly a proposed graphic showing that only 2 percent of the city's trees are rated in excellent condition while 44 percent are rated as good—a significant concern that warrants visual emphasis.
Mature Trees and Tree Protection
Commissioner Sweeney noted that she expected more focus on actions related to protecting and maintaining mature trees within the plan's goals and asked that this be reviewed. The board also discussed how to better communicate planned tree replacements to residents, particularly in cases where mature trees are removed. Staff committed to working with the city's communications department to provide signage and information about tree replacement plans at development sites.
Next Steps
Consultants will incorporate board feedback and staff comments over the coming weeks. The plan will move into a public comment period, with additional work sessions scheduled for September. The board heard from members of the public, including Marcia Kaveny of the Bozeman Tree Coalition, who asked that the coalition be more directly engaged in the planning process and emphasized the importance of tree retention in development review.
Staff Liaison Overton reported that the city is also undertaking a rate study for the Parks and Recreation Department, the first in several years, which will examine cost recovery for various programs and services.
All June meeting minutes were approved without objection.