IFB/DCP/DPR/2609-1270095/Urban Forest Master Plan (UFMP)

City of Atlanta
Departments of City Planning and Parks & Recreation
Scope of Work for: URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN
EXHIBIT A
INTENT
The City of Atlanta ("the City"), on behalf of the Department of City Planning, the Department of Parks
& Recreation (DPR), in collaboration with the Tree Conservation Commission, is soliciting proposals
from qualified firms to develop a comprehensive Urban Forest Master Plan (UFMP, "the Plan") for
the City. This UFMP will guide strategic management, protection, and enhancement of the City's
urban forest for the next 15 years, with 3- to 5-year achievable benchmarks. The plan will serve as a
roadmap for sustainable urban forest management to optimize the contributions of the city's natural
environment to the health, well-being, and resilience of the community.
The awarded vendor ("Consultant") is responsible for coordination and implementation of public
and stakeholder engagement, data collection and review, and delivery of a plan document.
PROJECT BACKGROUND
The City of Atlanta, affectionately known as "The City in a Forest" by its residents, has an abundance
of trees that contribute to a distinct forested landscape. A key aspect of Atlanta's resilience to a
changing climate is implementing a premier action plan for its urban forest. The City views trees as
a critical living utility network, on much the same level as water, sewer, and electricity. The City's
commitment to preserving its green spaces and sustaining its urban forest is a defining
characteristic of Atlanta.
The City's urban tree canopy coverage, at approximately 45.7%, is widely celebrated. However, the
tree canopy faces challenges from urban development, and declined roughly 2.4% from 2008-2023,
a loss of approximately one-half-acre per day. Approximately 7% of tree canopy is found in City-
owned parks, acreage that makes up approximately 5.1% of land in the city. Development pressure
on unprotected land is unprecedented, leaving the city vulnerable to canopy loss.
Atlanta's urban forest is exceptional in quality as well as quantity, with significant biodiversity, a high
percentage of native trees, and patches of old growth forests and trees. This quality, rare in an urban
setting, is well-worth preserving. However, both tree canopy and high-quality natural areas are
under threat from invasive plant pressure, tree regeneration failure, erosion, stream degradation,
deferred maintenance, and climate change, as well as development pressure. In the past ten years,
approximately 1.5% of the City's canopy was lost and, additionally, an estimated 2% of the canopy
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was converted from biodiverse forests to a pine monoculture or invasive trees that grew after land
clearing, but before project completion, and therefore may be cleared again when projects resume.
Policies, practices, and rapid development have created an environment that impacts the City's
public trees and is outpacing sustainable best management practices. Additionally, the distribution
of Atlanta's urban forest is uneven and does not meet the City's mission to provide access to nature
for all residents. A well-informed public and community support of a comprehensive Urban Forest
Master Plan is essential for maintaining and increasing the quality of Atlanta's canopy and reversing
this pattern of canopy loss.
PROJECT GOALS
The Urban Forest Master Plan (UFMP) will outline a plan and recommend polices to meet the
following goals:
* Reverse canopy decline. The Atlanta City Council committed to reverse canopy decline by
establishing a goal of achieving 50% overall canopy coverage in the city. Atlanta City Design:
Nature, the City of Atlanta's conceptual framework for designing with nature, concluded that
achieving 50% canopy is challenging, but achievable. Activate ATL, the parks master plan
set a goal of adding 275 acres of parkland each year for 10 years and preserving at least 50%
of acquisitions as natural area.
* Ensure equitable canopy preservation and maintenance. Disadvantaged areas make up
nearly half the city (49.6%), according to social, environmental, and health indicators. In
contrast to other cities, the disadvantaged areas of the city, in aggregate, have more canopy
coverage than non-disadvantaged areas (52% vs. 41%) and contain 69% of the city's parks
acreage. While data at the individual lot/residence level, stratified by income level, is not
available, we have extensive information on the canopy coverage in various geographies,
including data at the neighborhood-level, watershed-level, and by City Council District. It is
critical to protect and increase tree canopy in areas where the population is most vulnerable
to the adverse effects of heat and health disparities, and which experience a
disproportionate impact when canopy is lost.
* Increase efficiency of urban forest management. A guiding master plan will provide more
efficient management of the urban forest. A management plan should address standards for
maintaining and planting trees in parks, the right-of-way, and natural areas.
Street tree and park tree management. Because of historic funding limitations,
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the City has had a reactive, rather than systematic, approach to maintenance of
trees on public land, leading to less equitable maintenance across the city.
Natural area management. Management of the City's publicly accessible
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natural areas is decentralized, and the City lacks standardized approaches to
natural area management. Natural area land managers include the Department
of Parks and Recreation (DPR), the Department of Watershed Management
(DWM), and Atlanta Public Schools (APS).
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Tree planting. Tree planting on public land (required by the tree protection
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ordinance as recompense when healthy trees are removed) has limited oversight,
leading to costly and unsustainable plantings that yield few benefits for the urban
forest. Planting should be prioritized based on existing canopy coverage, heat risk,
flood risk, equity objectives, and the City's 50% tree canopy goal.
* Increase Community's Understanding of the Urban Forest and Increase the
Community's Connection to Nature: Community engagement is a priority for the City. We
would like to incorporate community input as well as provide information to the public
throughout the process of creating the Urban Forest Master Plan. The City will provide
numerous opportunities for input via public meetings and engagement with neighborhood
"ambassadors," as well as educational activities related to the urban forest and its
connection to watershed health and human health. These activities include an in-depth
survey to assess perceptions, knowledge gaps, and information about how to improve the
public's understanding and access to nature and trees. Other actions to increase public
awareness include placing new signage in natural areas, stream-naming, and restoration of
a watershed mural. The City will also assess the level of access to nature by mapping existing
hiking trails and wayfinding signage. Improving public access to nature is critical for
increasing health benefits, enhancing quality of life, and fostering stewardship of natural
areas.
REQUIREMENTS
The Consultant will work with the Core Project Team, Extended Project Team, supporting
committees, external stakeholders, and the general public to complete the UFMP.
1. Core Project Team (CPT): DPR Arboricultural Manager - Natural Areas & Land Management;
DPR Arboricultural Manager - Operations; DPR Environmental Education and Community
Outreach Coordinator; DCP Tree Conservation Commission Project Manager; and the DCP
Arboricultural Manager. The Core Project Team is the coordinator of the supporting groups
and stakeholders and will have final decision-making authority regarding the drafting and
completion of the Urban Forest Master Plan. Any disputes or conflicts related to integrating
stakeholder input, incorporating decisions of the Core Project Team, and completing the
UFMP will be resolved by the Commissioner of Parks and the Commissioner of City Planning.
2. Extended Project Team: Internal DPR/DCP staff and leadership.
3. Supporting Committees: Research and Analytics Committee and Community Engagement
Committee, comprising internal DPR/DCP staff and external members.
4. Advisory Group (including but not limited to): DPR, DCP, Department of Watershed
Management (DWM), Atlanta Department of Transportation (ATL DOT), Mayor's Office of
Sustainability and Resilience (MOSR), Trees Atlanta, Park Pride, Georgia Forestry
Commission, Georgia Tree Council, Georgia Power, Eco-Addendum, and the West Atlanta
Watershed Alliance.
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5. Focus Groups: Stakeholders engaged in focus groups may include tree care companies,
landscape architects, developers, environmental non-profits, and educational institutions.
6. General Public: Residents, Neighborhood Planning Units, neighborhood organizations, park
conservancies, and friends of the park groups.
The Consultant will establish scheduled progress meetings with the Core Project Team, the
Research and Analytics Committee, and the Community Engagement Committee. The Consultant
will prepare written progress reports, and we encourage use of an invitation-based online project
management tool for sharing reports and other information with these groups. The Consultant will
also provide meeting minutes, regularly updated schedules, and data as it is collected. Progress
meetings will be held via Zoom or Microsoft Teams. All agendas, minutes, and facilitation of the
progress meetings shall be the responsibility of the Consultant.
EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
1. Consultant must have demonstrated experience developing UFMPs for cities similar or
greater in population and acreage to Atlanta.
Consultant must have ten (10) years of experience in urban forestry-related work.
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Consultant must have conducted three (3) urban forest master plans or urban forest
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management plans since January 2016.
The prime consultant firm should demonstrate satisfactory performance on at least
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three (3) prior contracts of similar scope and complexity. (Complexity may include
contracts for Urban Forest Master Plans, Urban Forest Management Plans, or other
similar guidance documents for a city of over 300,000 population or an area of 75
square miles). Respondents must provide references or performance
documentation verifying successful contract execution.
2. Consultant must have experience organizing and conducting engagement with community
members in the development of the UFMP. Experience should include public meetings,
stakeholder interviews, focus groups, surveys, and engagement with historically
underrepresented or underserved communities.
3. Consultant must have demonstrated experience that includes developing
recommendations for tree maintenance, natural area management, tree planting, and policy
development.
The prime Consultant and project team must demonstrate the technical expertise and
professional qualifications necessary to perform the full scope of services. The team shall
collectively demonstrate substantial experience and knowledge of urban forestry and
arboriculture, urban forest assessment and data analysis, GIS and spatial analysis, natural area
management, municipal policy, community and stakeholder engagement, public survey
development and analysis, strategic planning, resource analysis, graphic design, and public-
facing technical communication.
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The proposed team should include as applicable, professional arborists, GIS professionals, urban
forestry professionals, natural resource specialists, community engagement professionals, data
analysts, policy/planning professionals, and technical writers/graphic communication
professionals.
SCOPE OF SERVICES
The following scope will serve as the intended framework of tasks to complete the entire project.
1. Present status of urban forest. Based on available data, assess the current health and
condition of the existing tree canopy, its structure, diversity, health and distribution; assess
vulnerabilities to loss due development, pests and diseases, invasive species, and a
changing climate, and suggest measures to counteract threats. Develop actionable
recommendations for supporting long-term sustainability of the urban forest.
2. Management of urban forest. Review management standards and practices in existing
street and park trees, and public natural areas, and make any relevant recommendations for
improvement or streamlining of management.
3. Technology. Evaluate how the City uses available technology to manage the urban forest,
and what data-driven approaches are available to enhance the city's trees and forests.
4. Internal capacity. Assess the City's current operational capacity to support the urban forest.
Identify means to maximize the resources and capacities of the City's Arborist and Forestry
Sections. Compare the City's urban forestry budget and staff capacity to other cities of
similar population (e.g. 300k+), land area (e.g. 75 sq mi+), and/or geography (e.g. forest
ecosystem).
5. City Codes and standards. Analyze relevant City codes and standards of practice related to
the urban forest and make recommendations for additions, updates, and improvements.
6. Tree risk assessment. Evaluate the City's risk assessment protocol and develop formal Tree
Risk Methodology, Standards of Practice, and Risk Management Protocols.
7. Policy factors. Evaluate the existing policies and practices that affect trees on private
property and provide recommendations for incentives to protect trees on private land.
8. Coordination among owners. Evaluate existing relationships with owners of public land to
better preserve existing tree canopy and plant trees (including ATL DOT, GDOT, Georgia
Power, APS, AHA, and other City of Atlanta departments). Suggest methods to improve
coordination and cooperation.
9. Public engagement. Engage the public via public meetings, stakeholder groups, a public
survey, and interviews to understand the community's priorities for the UFMP. This feedback
should be used to develop goals and recommendations of the UFMP.
10. Local expertise. Create and execute a robust involvement process to gather input from a
diverse range of local expertise and resources to assist the City in creating a structure to
build an ongoing, proactive, accountable relationship with public and private stakeholders.
11. Planting priorities. Based on available data and information, list priority planting locations
for public, private, and non-profit organizations to create momentum toward increasing
canopy. Areas should match the City's goals related to environmental equity, tree canopy,
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tree loss mitigation, health demographics, heat vulnerability and energy burden, and
neighborhood pride.
12. Wood reuse. Assess the current disposal practices for wood removed from the urban forest
and explore an urban wood reuse program.
13. Funding. Strategize actionable funding mechanisms for a stronger urban forest program.
14. Goals. Evaluate and establish goals for equitable canopy and access to greenspace and
nature.
15. Metrics. Define metrics to measure success and keep the Urban Forest Master Plan updated
and useful for the long term.
IDENTIFY LOGISTICS AND RESOURCE NEEDS TO IMPLEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS
The Consultant is to perform an analysis quantifying the logistics and resources needed to
implement any potential programs or recommendations included in the Plan. This analysis should
include an estimate of personnel/staffing resources, equipment, timing/duration required and
funding necessary for development, initial implementation, and if applicable, sustained operation
and management of the programs and recommendations. The estimate should include low-,
medium-, and high-cost scenarios for staffing and resources and may be based on
"low/moderate/good/optimal" outcomes.
COMMUNITY AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
The City of Atlanta is committed to meaningful and representative community involvement in its
planning efforts, and the community expects to be thoughtfully and comprehensively involved. It is
vital to obtain stakeholder input in developing plan goals and objectives, priorities for the urban
forest programs, and to the extent possible, building community consensus on recommendations
contained in the plan. To ensure meaningful community participation, the Core Project Team will
prepare a preliminary Public Engagement Plan (PEP), which will be finalized in collaboration with the
Consultant and the Community Engagement Committee.
The PEP must include methods for involving constituencies often absent in planning efforts, such as
ethnic and racial minorities, lower income residents, renters, and young people. The successful
proposal will incorporate a variety of involvement techniques throughout the process to solicit input,
test alternatives, and communicate findings. The Consultant may coordinate with local engagement
partners for this project.
Community engagement will be conducted before and during the development of the UFMP,
soliciting feedback on content of the plan. Community feedback, along with the Urban Forest
Assessments, will guide development of the Plan. Engagement avenues include a public survey,
public meetings, NPU presentations, a neighborhood ambassador program, focus groups advisory
group meetings, and stakeholder interviews. The City will produce factsheets summarizing
assessment findings, promotional flyers and yard signs, and an online hub to connect people to
presentations and resources.
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The Consultant will develop and analyze a public survey to collect information about knowledge,
perception, and needs of urban forest issues in Atlanta. The survey will remain open for a minimum
of (180) days. The survey will be accessible via the project webpage and a QR code. The survey will
be available in English, Spanish, and additional languages as identified. Upon close, the Consultant
shall compile and deliver an actionable summary report of survey results, including demographic
analysis, to the Core Project Team.
The Consultant will lead six (6) public meetings to gather community input at various stages of the
planning process. All six meetings will be held in-person at times and locations accessible to working
residents and families. The Consultant shall coordinate venue selection with the Core Project Team.
Each meeting will include an interactive activity to facilitate active participant discussion. The
Consultant will be responsible for recording meeting presentations and creating reports
summarizing participant comments.
The City will present information about the UFMP and related projects to each of Atlanta's 25
Neighborhood Planning Units (NPUs) twice throughout the planning process.
The City will select, train, and manage 35-45 neighborhood ambassadors (1-2 from each
Neighborhood Planning Unit, with at least 25 within disadvantaged communities). The Consultant
will work with the City to interface with the ambassadors and will distribute the stipends (a one-time
payment) on behalf of the City. Ambassadors will be compensated at a rate of $25 per hour; total
stipend distributions shall not exceed $25,000. The cost of the stipends for the ambassadors, which
will be up to $25,000, depending on the number of participants, will be paid by the City, and
disbursed to participating ambassadors by the Consultant. Each neighborhood ambassador will
interview at least three community members about their knowledge and perception of urban forest
issues in their neighborhood, photograph interviewees and examples of urban forest features and
concerns, host a tour of their neighborhood highlighting urban forest features with City staff, and
help promote the public survey by distributing flyers, posting yard signs, and tabling at community
events.
The Consultant will lead at least four (4) in-person focus group workshops to engage stakeholders
across various sectors in targeted discussions related to the Urban Forest. Focus group topics will
be determined based on priorities identified through stakeholder interviews and the first Advisory
Group and public meetings.
The Consultant will lead at least three (3) Urban Forest Advisory Group meetings at key stages in the
planning process. At least one (1) of these meetings shall be held as an in-person workshop. Both in-
person and virtual advisory group meetings shall include opportunities for interactive discussion.
The Consultant will be responsible for recording meeting presentations and creating reports
summarizing participant comments.
The Consultant will conduct at least fifteen (15) one-on-one interviews with City staff, non-profit
partners, and other organizations involved in the management of Atlanta's urban forest. The City will
provide the Consultant with a list of potential interviewees.
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The Community Engagement Committee (CEC), comprised of internal and external members with
specialized roles and/or experience related to public engagement, will assist the Consultant and
CPT in reviewing community engagement materials (survey questions, meeting presentations,
activities), sharing engagement opportunities, and ensuring engagement strategies are sound and
equitable. At least four (4) meetings will be held with the CEC, CPT, and Consultant throughout the
planning process. The CPT shall coordinate the scheduling of all CEC meetings.
Engagement-Related Deliverables:
1. Public Engagement Plan (PEP). Refinement and execution of a PEP, including compilation
of a Stakeholder Database and media plan.
2. Meeting materials. Prepare materials for public meetings, advisory group meetings, and
focus group workshops, including slides and print materials.
3. Meeting coordination. Coordinate, attend, and lead at least six (6) public meetings, three
(3) advisory group meetings, and four (4) focus group workshops.
4. Meeting minutes. Compile a project archive and maintain meeting minutes.
5. Meeting recordings. Produce video recordings of public meetings and advisory group
meetings to be uploaded to the UFMP webpage.
6. Progress reports. Prepare progress reports for meetings with Core Project Team.
7. Survey and summary report. Develop a public survey and compile and report actionable
summary of results.
8. Public engagement report. Create a report summarizing all UFMP engagement, including
the quantity and reach of engagement activities and key findings and recurring themes of
public input.
9. List of quotes. Compile quotes/photos from interviews, public meetings, the public survey,
and neighborhood ambassador tours, which will be incorporated into the UFMP.
10. Photos. Collect and organize photos from public meetings, including obtaining consent to
utilize photos in UFMP.
11. Infographics. Create infographics to help explain various areas of interest and to respond
to questions posed during public engagement, which can also be utilized in fact sheets and
the UFMP document. If desired, the Consultant may coordinate and subcontract with local
partners to develop and refine infographics tailored to the community.
DATA COLLECTION AND REVIEW
In addition to robust and meaningful public engagement, the City of Atlanta highly values accurate
and thorough information to serve as the foundation for deliberation, policy, and decision-making.
To that end, the UFMP should include a review and summary of the findings of available studies and
assessments the City has completed (and those pending completion) such as those listed below.
The City of Atlanta will provide:
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1. Smart Tree Inventory. The City is conducting its first-ever Smart Tree Inventory of all street
trees and trees in selected parks in Spring and Summer of 2026. Results and
recommendations should be incorporated into the UFMP, provided data collected in the
Inventory is available by July 1, 2027. The Consultant will have responsibility for evaluating
only the data and summary findings available by this date. Once the Smart Tree Inventory
data are provided, the Plan should include a summary of findings about current forestry
conditions, current and proposed management activities, and any additional data needs.
2. Tree Canopy Analyses. The City updated the Urban Tree Canopy Analysis in 2024. The Plan
should include a summary of significant findings of the 2024 analysis and show trends from
previous analyses.
3. Forest Age Assessment. The City is utilizing aerial data (dating back as far as 1938 in some
areas) to assess forest age of existing forests larger than or equal to one acre. The UFMP
should include a review and high-level summary of this assessment and recommend ways
to preserve privately-owned and public older forests and forest patches.
4. Natural Area Assessments. The City is mapping and assessing public natural areas one
acre and larger. Ecosystems and sensitive or environmentally notable areas will be identified
and mapped, along with information on deer browse, native and non-native groundcover
density, native and non-native shrub density, tree regeneration, number of trees and basal
area per acre, native and non-native vine density, and mineral soil. The UFMP should include
a review of these assessments and provide recommendations to address any identified
problems and improve the quality of the natural areas.
5. Support for Nature Access. The City is mapping existing trails and existing wayfinding
signage within public natural areas to assess barriers to the public's access to nature.
Through this process, we will increase accessibility by identifying and addressing signage
and other information needs, formalizing trails, assigning trail difficulty, and producing
public-facing maps. The UFMP should include a review of this assessment and any
recommendation for increasing public access to nature.
6. Research and Analytics Committee (RAC). The City will form a Research and Analytics
Committee including internal and external researchers who have conducted or are
conducting assessments integral to the Urban Forest Master Plan. The RAC will guide the
Consultant and the Core Project Team in better understanding existing Urban Forest
conditions, summarizing findings for public and stakeholder engagement, and ensuring the
UFMP is grounded in high-quality data and analysis. The RAC, CPT, and the Consultant will
meet at least four (4) times, either remotely or in-person, over the life of the UFMP planning
project. The CPT shall coordinate the scheduling of all RAC meetings.
IDENTIFY AND EVALUATE OPPORTUNITIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS
With the understanding and context gained from the document review and the community
engagement process, the Consultant will identify and evaluate potential opportunities and
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recommendations for the UFMP. After reviewing current operations, the Consultant should provide
recommendations on transitioning from a reactive urban forestry program to a proactive program.
THE PLAN DOCUMENT
The City is seeking an UFMP that is logically organized, well-written, and highly illustrative with both
photographs, infographics, and explanatory information. The document needs to synthesize
contextual information, data, public/stakeholder input, and urban forestry planning and
management expertise into a set of actionable goals, objectives, and recommendations, and
strategies that support the City's established goals and priorities.
The Plan's goals, objectives, recommendations, and strategies should offer behavioral- and
science-based solutions. As a strategy document, the Plan must include benchmarks and policies
relating to monitoring, timeframes, responsible parties, resource needs, funding possibilities, and
measures of success. To the extent feasible, the recommendations for meeting the City's major
goals and objectives should drive the structure and content of the UFMP document. The Core Project
Team will work collaboratively with the Consultant to develop the goals and objectives as well as to
structure the activities required for completing the final document.
Once the final draft document is developed, the Consultant will provide information in a format
suitable for the Consultant and City staff to present to the City Council for review and
approval/adoption. The Core Project Team will provide feedback at three stages on a mutually
agreed upon schedule, to be determined upon initiation of the contract: 1) After existing data
collection and review by the Consultant; 2) Upon completion of the community survey and
Ambassador interviews; and 3) Upon drafting of the report. This schedule will provide at least seven
(7) business days for City review and seven (7) business days for the Consultant to incorporate
recommended changes at each stage. The final document revisions will be limited to three
rounds.
Following approval of the final UFMP, the Consultant will provide a PDF file, an editable file (e.g. Word
format) and twenty-five (25) printed and bound copies of the document to the City. The Consultant
will also provide all electronic files, modeling, maps, and layouts.
RESOURCES
The following resources will be provided by the City of Atlanta for review, evaluation, and
incorporation of findings into the Urban Forest Master Plan.
* Atlanta City Code
* Atlanta City Council resolution (23-R-3338), adopted goal of achieving and maintaining
50% tree canopy coverage
* 2008 Urban Tree Canopy Report - baseline tree canopy analysis.
* 2014 Urban Tree Canopy Report - updated canopy analysis and canopy change analysis.
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