- 2021 Merit Award in Landscape Planning and Analysis from CTASLA
- Climate Action Plan
- Tree Rehabilitation
- Tree Planting
Project Details
Like many cities, Hartford’s urban forest is declining due to disease, bug infestations, strong storms, and natural decline from age. Any tree loss is significant to Hartford when its existing tree canopy is currently at 25%. Forestry funding in past years was targeted towards the removal of dangerous trees, and not to new tree plantings.
Hartford's Office of Sustainability recently received a grant to focus on green infrastructure as part of the city’s Climate Action Plan. The tree population is rapidly declining across the state, which will have long-term consequences in terms of air quality, home value, and stormwater management. Sustaining this important resource is an essential component of green infrastructure, and its benefits extend well beyond the city. Tree planting and urban forest maintenance help to reduce global warming which is crucial to the health and safety of the City of Hartford community.
Under the guidance of the Office of Sustainability, Hartford’s Division of Forestry, and the Tree Advisory Commission, To Design developed and wrote the Hartford Connecticut’s Tree Canopy Action Plan. This plan represents a collaborative effort to protect and expand Hartford’s urban forest through the implementation of tree management practices and an aggressive tree planting program with a goal to achieve 35% tree canopy in 50 years. The focus of the plan prioritizes community safety, addresses arboreal inequalities, promotes maintaining a healthy forest, encourages education and engagement of the community, and outlines opportunities to form partnerships to promote public and private tree plantings.
View the full report here.