GOSHEN — The city government will begin tracking the changes in the urban tree canopy through a contract with a private company.
The Board of Public Works and Safety on Monday agreed to spend $23,000 to hire Davey Resource Group of Indianapolis to provide the service and computer software to city staff.
City Forester Aaron Sawatsky-Kingsley provided the board with a memo on the project that states, “The assessment will track changes in land cover and land use in the city, with particular attention to changes in the overall tree canopy cover within city limits. This data is especially important as the city works toward its stated goal of 45% tree canopy by 2045.”
The tree canopy goal has been set by Mayor Jeremy Stutsman as a way to capture more greenhouse gases by adding more trees to the city’s landscape.
The memo states that the software from Davey will allow city staffers to prioritize the locations for planting new trees and estimate future tree canopy benefits and define measurable goals.
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