Urban Forest Master Plan Project underway in Rochester

It'll take about six months to analyze city ordinances and check out their tree inventory then they'll create a road map from the data.

If it can be verified from new on daybreak.

The rochester parks and rec department wants your feedback on trees in the med city.

It's all part of building an "urban forest master plan".

Kimt news 3's madelyne watkins joins us live now to explain how you can voice your opinion.

Brooke and tyler.

If you're not familiar with it... an urban forest is a collection of all the trees that exist on both public and private property within the city and with that comes canopy cover.

Tree canopy coverage refers to the layers of leaves, branches and stems that cover the ground when looking from above... which is what you're seeing.

Currently, that coverage is 28 percent in rochester.

The society of american forester suggests that cities should have 40 to 60 percent canopy cover.

The city forester, jeff haberman, tells me this survey the public can take will determine what the suitable percentage is for the med city.

They're going to assess where canopy coverage exists and more importantly, where it lacks because their goal is to create more of a green infrastructur e.

Trees not only provide us with benefits, such as oxygen... but they can also save the city some "we know that every tree holds rain water every rain event.

Well because it's not being immediately released to the ground, we don't need as much storm infrastructur e to deal with the rainfall.

The trees are helping offset that, so that's a tangible benefit.

They also help remove pollutants, they improve human health, they provide wildlife habitat, they help with energy savings, both in the summer and in the winter."

The surveys will be available online until october 3rd if you would like to share your feedback.

There will also be 3 virtual community meetings throughout the project.

Live in rochester.

Madelyne watkins kimt news 3.

Thank you, madelyne.

He says it'll take about 6 months to analyze city ordinances and policies and check out their tree inventory.

Then they'll create