Urban Forestry Management

(PDF, 20MB)

View the most updated Master Plan HERE (PDF, 20MB)

1. Continue to manage the urban forest as an asset using industry standards and best practices and adequate resources for sustainable management.

2. Preserve and expand the urban forest to address tree equity, resiliency, urban heat, air quality, human health, and other challenges facing Fort Worth.

3. Strengthen urban forest programs through coordination, integration, professionalism, and funding to meet the needs of a growing city and urban forest.

4. Invigorate equitable engagement for a community-wide commitment to care for and grow Fort Worth’s urban forest.

1. Conduct a comprehensive inventory of public trees in rights-of-way, parks, and other public property. 
   Understanding the composition of Fort Worth’s urban forest is key to proactive management. The City needs a more current inventory, as the most recent data available is from 2011.

2. Develop and implement changes to tree regulations, standards, and best practices to support Fort Worth’s tree canopy and sustainability goals. 
   Fort Worth’s Urban Forestry Ordinance has not been updated since 2009. City staff and community stakeholders have expressed the need to revise the ordinance to better meet the needs of a fast-growing city and protect mature trees in the Cross Timbers Forest.

3. Expand and strengthen cooperation among departments to ensure adequate staffing, training, and integration of urban forest considerations into City plans, programs, and policies.
   Improved coordination will help to address staffing deficits in the short-term and provide long-term support and buy-in for urban forest goals.

4. Strengthen existing relationships and support new partnerships with neighborhoods and community organizations throughout the City. 
   Broadbased community support and involvement are essential to achieving equitable distribution of tree canopy to improve the quality of life in Fort Worth.

5. Coordinate, create, and implement a public communication, education, and engagement plan focused on Fort Worth’s urban forest.
   An effective public communications program will keep the community informed and encourage Fort Worth residents and businesses to participate in reaching canopy cover goals.

6. Develop and implement a strategy to maintain sustainable funding and resources to achieve desired levels of service for urban forest programs and management.
   Increased funding is essential to advance each of the other recommendations and to support the City’s efforts to grow its urban forest by 76,200 trees annually.

7. Support and expand plans for maintenance, risk management, and resiliency of public trees.
   For many people, public trees may be the only source of shade and greenspace within walking distance.

8. Create plans for tree planting, preservation, and maintenance to grow a resilient and equitable urban forest with 30% canopy cover. 
   Fort Worth’s current tree canopy coverage is approximately 19%. This plan provides a strategy to achieve 30% tree canopy by 2050.

9. Develop protocols for monitoring the urban forest to identify and address pests and other threats throughout the City. 
   Early detection of forest challenges, such as pests and diseases, will allow Fort Worth to take action to minimize damage to the urban forest.

10. Strengthen, expand, and increase awareness of programs and strategies that utilize or repurpose urban wood waste generated from public tree operations.
    Wood utilization programs keep wood debris out of landfills while meeting the needs of local residents, businesses, and other organizations.

 If you have dying or hazardous trees to remove or if you have one (but no more than one) healthy tree to remove, you need a tree removal permit.

An Urban Forestry Permit is required for, but not limited to:

•  New construction that requires a building or grading permit.

•  Building expansions or additions that are >3,000 sf or 30% of existing 

    structure.

•  Clearing, Grading, and/or Paving including construction or

    reconstruction of a parking lot, or other flatwork or land disturbance.

• Filling, if fill is to be placed within 50 feet of existing trees.

•  Sites to be used for urban agriculture.

•  Public projects requiring removal of trees 6” or larger in diameter.

•  Change of use from one- or two-family residential to any other use.

•  Removal of trees that measure 6” diameter or greater at 4.5 ft. above

    the ground.

 Exemptions:

•  Construction or reconstruction of a single one- or two-family residence located

    on a lot that is less than one acre in size, if common ownership of lots within

    the platted block is less than one acre. 

•  Development within a Designated Design District.

How to apply for a permit

• Download the Urban Forestry Application(PDF, 713KB).

• Application forms, calculations and site plans may be submitted electronically through the City’s online permitting system.     Click here for submittal instructions.

• An Excel Spreadsheet is available to facilitate permit calculations. Click here(XLSX, 299KB) to download the Urban Forestry Calculation Spreadsheet.

Planting, pruning, or removing trees in the City Right-of-Way requires authorization from the Park & Recreation Department Forestry Section. This includes tree planting or removal in parkways of residential subdivisions. Permit applications and additional information on hazard abatement, tree planting programs, and management of trees on public property may be found at Park & Recreation Forestry website