Title
Repeal of Authorization for Urban Forest Plan Implementation Working Group
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FileID
File ID: 2026-01698
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Location
Location: Citywide
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Recommendation
Recommendation: Adopt a Resolution rescinding Section 4 of Resolution No. 2025-0194 and thereby rescinding authorization for the creation of the Sacramento Urban Forest Plan Implementation Working Group.
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Contact
Contact: Ariana Hernandez, Sustainability Analyst, (916) 808-1419, ahernandez3@cityofsacramento.org; Rachel Patten, Sustainability Program Manager, (916) 808-5016, rpatten@cityofsacramento.org; Jennifer Donlon Wyant, Mobility and Sustainability Division Manager, jdonlonwyant@cityofsacramento.org; Department of Public Works
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Presenter
Presenter: None
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Attachments
Attachments:
1-Description/Analysis
2-Community Letter requesting working group
3-Resolution 2025-0194
4-Resolution
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Description/Analysis
IssueDetail
Issue Detail: On June 24, 2025, City Council unanimously voted to adopt the Sacramento Urban Forest Plan. The Sacramento Urban Forest Plan (Plan) is the City’s 20-year plan for trees and provides policy and program guidance to support increasing city-wide tree canopy cover to 25% by 2030 and 35% by 2045.
To support plan implementation, City Council directed staff to establish an Urban Forest Plan Implementation Working Group of City staff and key tree care-holders, to review and jointly develop ways to effectively implement the Sacramento Urban Forest Plan strategies, policies, and actions, subject to City approval. This direction to staff was included in the resolution adopting the Plan. The approved motion, combined with the formal adoption of the working group by resolution, unintentionally created a Brown Act body (a Tree Commission).
Staff believe a Brown Act-compliant Tree Commission deviates from the community request for a collective forum for joint City and community implementation. The establishment and management of a Tree Commission would require significant staff resource needs from multiple departments and offices, while also formalizing staff-community collaboration and communication. Staff believe the intent of both the community request and the Council action was to establish a collaborative working group similar to the Community Development Department’s Housing Policy Working Group and the Broadway Corridor Planning Task Force. This working group approach supports broad community involvement and collaboration, meeting community and Council expectations.
This Council item is to rescind Section 4 of Resolution No. 2025-0194, which authorized the creation of an urban forest plan implementation working group that would be subject to the Brown Act.
All other provisions of Resolution No. 2025-0194 shall remain in full force and effect, including the adoption of the Sacramento Urban Forest Plan. Following approval of this resolution, staff will establish the Urban Forest Plan Implementation Working Group consisting of City staff and key tree care-holders.
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PolicyConsiderations
Policy Considerations: The Urban Forest Plan Implementation Working Group is consistent with the 2040 General Plan policies to maintain a resilient, healthy, expansive and equitable urban forest for an environmentally sustainable future (ERC-3).
Additionally, the Working Group is consistent with the Climate Action & Adaptation Plan (Resolution No. 2024-0067) and the Urban Forest Plan (Resolution 2025-0194).
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EconomicImpacts
Economic Impacts: None.
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EnvironmentalConsiderations
Environmental Considerations: The request in this report is not a defined ‘project’ pursuant to environmental review consistent with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The request is an organizational or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment, as contemplated by Title 14, California Code of Regulations, Sections 15378(b)(5) and is, therefore, not subject to CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15060(c)(3).
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Sustainability
Sustainability: The Urban Forest Plan Implementation Working Group will advance climate resilience and sustainability by guiding collaborative implementation of the Sacramento Urban Forest Plan. The Sacramento Urban Forest Plan implements Measure CS-1 of the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan, which is expected to offset greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through carbon sequestration by 61,474 MT CO2e by 2045. This GHG reduction, expected to result from implementing the Sacramento Urban Forest Plan, equates to an approximately 2 percent reduction in citywide emissions.
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Commission/Committee Action
Commission/Committee Action: On June 24, 2025, City Council unanimously approved the motion to adopt the Sacramento Urban Forest Plan (Resolution 2025-0194) with an amendment to include establishment of the working group.
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RationaleforRecommendation
Rationale for Recommendation: The action requested is to rescind Section 4 of Resolution No. 2025-0194, which authorized the creation of an urban forest plan implementation working group. The formal adoption of the working group by resolution unintentionally subjects it to the Brown Act, which increases the staff and financial resources required and reduces agility of coordination. Staff intend to instead establish a collaborative working group that is not a formal Brown Act body that consists of City staff and key tree care-holders. If Section 4 of Resolution 2025-0194 is rescinded, staff will establish a working group that will meet the intent of the community request to establish a collaborative working group similar to the Community Development Department’s Housing Policy Working Group and the Broadway Corridor Planning Task Force. This working group approach supports broad community involvement and collaboration in order to meet community and Council expectations.
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FinancialConsiderations
Financial Considerations: Upholding Resolution No. 2025-0194 and formally establishing a new Brown Act-compliant commission would require ongoing financial resources to support. This includes:
• Staff time from the Department of Public Works to manage formal agenda development and staff a commission; and
• Staff time from the Department of Information Technology, Office of the City Attorney, and Office of the City Clerk to support a commission.
Staff time to establish and manage a new commission is estimated to cost approximately $53,000 annually. Staff time spent on establishing and managing a new commission would either redirect staff efforts from other project work or would result in increased operating costs.
Rescinding Section 4 of Resolution No. 2025-0194, to enable staff to facilitate an informal working group, would reduce the level of staff effort and funding required to establish and manage the formal requirements of a commission.
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LocalBusinessEnterprise
Local Business Enterprise (LBE): Not applicable.
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