The City of Sarasota has been awarded the 2020 Managing Community Forests Grant, which will enable staff to inventory trees throughout the city, identify diseased and dangerous trees for removal and plant new ones in low-income areas. Sarasota was the first-place recipient of the $55,000, three-year grant from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The first year of the award will fund a partial street tree inventory that will gather information on about 2,000 trees in the city, including their condition, species, height, diameter, maintenance needs, ownership and other attributes. In the second year, an urban forest master plan will be developed to identify diseased and dangerous trees that must be removed. The plan will also include recommendations for priority planting areas and will assess canopy goals, measure progress and make ordinance recommendations. In the third year of the grant, 115 native trees will be purchased and installed. At least two community planting events will be planned within low-income areas of the city.

“The City of Sarasota recognizes the importance of trees as a community resource and has been committed to protecting and preserving them,” said Senior Arborist Mark Miller. “This grant will allow us to better manage our urban canopy and add even more trees, along with all of the health and economic benefits they provide.”