1) Austin's urban forest provides millions in annual benefits and enhances quality of life by reducing temperatures. However, the city is prone to urban heat islands due to high temperatures and paved surfaces reflecting heat. 2) Austin has programs to expand its urban forest canopy, including distributing trees to residents and offering trees for private property. It also aims to increase green roofs downtown and improve streetscapes. 3) The city is working to protect significant oak trees from oak wilt disease, which has killed over 10,000 oaks, through education and treatment programs. The historic Treaty Oak is a symbol of resilience after being damaged.

1. LAS 682
Urban Forest &
Management
AUSTIN, TEXAS URBAN FOREST
Prepared By:
SITI NURATHIRAH BINTI BAHRUM
ADRIKA ARIFF BIN ABD HAMID
AIMAN AGUS SYUKRI BIN SUMIRAN
MOHAMMAD HASIF BIN APANDI
MUHAMAD ZARIFF BIN MOHD NOOR
SAZUAN AFIFI BIN NAWI
Checked By:
En. Abd. Haris bin Shamsuddin

2. AUSTIN, TEXAS URBAN FOREST
Austin’s urban forest provides millions of dollars annually in social,
economic, and environmental benefits to the community and enhances
the quality of life for Austin residents. As the city continues to grow and
develop the urban forest remains an integral part of the Austin landscape,
quietly performing as one of the most invaluable community members and
infrastructure components.
Austin’s urban forest is a healthy and sustainable mix of trees, vegetation,
and other components that comprise a contiguous and thriving ecosystem
valued, protected, and cared for by the City and all of its citizens as an
essential environmental, economic, and community asset.

3. AUSTIN, TEXAS URBAN FOREST
Issues & Problem
• Temperatures higher than 100
degrees fahrenheit in
• The city basks in sunlight 75
percent of the time
• City buildings and paved
streets reflecting back this
sunshine and heat
• Temperatures in austin can be
two to nine degrees hotter
than in the surrounding
countryside
URBAN HEAT ISLAND

4. program management
Neighbourhoods
This program began in Austin’s Parks and Recreation Department and is now administered through
a contract with the non-profit Tree Folks, distributes between 3,000 and 4,000 trees to Austin
Energy customers for planting near the city streets in the right of way. While technically these trees
are on city land, Austenite are responsible for maintaining the trees and vegetation growing there,
which means that neighbourhood support is a key element of the program.

5. program management
Sapling Days
This event will hold during fall. On these select days, approximately 3,000 tree saplings are given away to
Austin-area residents for planting on their private property, as much of the available space for expanding the
city’s urban forest is available on homeowners’ land.

6. program management
Expands the Tree Canopy
On private land is through its Austin community
trees program, a partnership among
neighbourhoods, Austin’s planning and development
review department, parks and recreation
department and Austin energy. Through this
program, the city offers 10 species of large shade
and small understory trees for planting on private
property in neighbourhoods with low tree canopies.
This program specifically aims to engage
neighbourhoods in greening the city.

7. program management
Green Roof Stakeholder Group
Sometimes, though, especially in downtown spaces, trees may not be a feasible solution to urban heat
island reduction, so in 2009, the Austin City Council passed a resolution to create a green roof stakeholder
group to “explore the feasibility of offering energy and storm-water credits and other incentives, based on
performance, to encourage the creation of green roofs in the city.”

8. program management
Great Streets Programs
This program was designed to improve the quality of
downtown streets and sidewalks. Great Streets works with
private developers to create streetscapes that go above
and beyond the city’s minimum requirements. To
encourage private developers to improve their streetscape
plans, the city offers financial assistance to help offset the
costs of streetscape work beyond the city’s minimum
standards.

9. SIGNIFICANT VEGETATION
The City of Austin is losing one of its most
important assets, the beautiful live oaks and red
oaks that form a shady, green canopy over the
city. These oak trees are being threatened by a
contagious disease called oak wilt.
Over the past twenty years, Austin has lost more
than 10,000 oaks to the deadly and infectious
oak wilt disease. For both individuals and the
City as a whole, this loss is felt by increased
utility bills, reduced property values, and a sense
of devastation.

10. The Treaty Oak is once a majestic tree in Austin, Texas. In 1997, the Treaty Oak produced its first crop of
acorns since the vandalism. City workers gathered and germinated the acorns, distributing the seedlings
throughout Texas and other states. Today the tree is a thriving, but lopsided reminder of its once-grand
form. Many Texans see the Treaty Oak today as a symbol of strength and endurance
The Treaty Oak

11. The City of Austin's Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) began the Oak Wilt Suppression Project in
1988. The purpose of the project was to educate the public, locate the disease, provide technical and cost-
share assistance, and monitor treatments for any continued spread.
Suppression Project

12. Conclusion
The urban forest in Austin, is mostly comprised
of over-mature oaks and semi- mature “weedy”
trees. Although most of the tree care practice is
reactive versus proactive, there is potential for
urban forest growth and development. Mature
trees are reaching later stages of decline with
little effort of improving tree vigour or vitality.
Utility pruning is on-going; throughout the city
numerous trees have utilities present in their
vicinity.

13. The End