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Sacramento Urban Forest Fact Sheet

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City Statistics

Population+ 466,488
Land area by acres* 62,180
Park acreage* 5,069

+Based on the 2010 U.S. Census
*Courtesy of The Trust for Public Land

 

Sacramento Urban Forest Facts*

  • The city’s Urban Forestry section manages 115,000 street, park and city-facility trees.
  • It’s estimated that by doubling Sacramento’s urban canopy, the trees will:
    • Remove 250,000 tons of carbon dioxide 50 tons of nitrogen oxide annually annually.
    • Remove 10 million pounds of air pollutants annually.
    • Reduce air pollution by as much as 50 percent.*
  • Nonprofit Sacramento Tree Foundation planted 23,000 new trees in 2010, which are expected to provide:
    • More than $6.5 million in net energy savings.
    • More than $17.6 million in air quality benefits.
    • More than $2.6 million in hydrology benefits.
    • More than $11.9 million in property value and other benefits.+
  • Sacramento’s urban tree canopy is 17 percent.#

* As reported in “GreenPrint: A Regional Urban Forest Initiative,” prepared in 2005 by Sacramento Tree Foundation
+ As reported in “Sacramento Tree Foundation 2010 Annual Report”
# As reported to American Forests in its survey of the 50 most populous U.S. cities.

 

Top 10 Criteria

Urban Forest Management Plan Yes, completed in 1993
Urban Canopy Goal Yes, supported by, but not mandated by, the city government
Quality of Urban Forest Compared to Others in Region Better than normal, which means minor biotic damage and few invasive species, minimal anthropogenic disturbance, high water quality and good drainage
Tree Inventory Yes, covering public land
Tree Species Diversity Plan Yes
Tree Ordinances Yes, for both public and private lands covering hazard and historic trees
Comprehensive Greening Plans Yes, including a Sustainability Plan and Climate Change Plan, plus its Greenprint Initiative
Types of Greening Initiatives Protection of open spaces; natural resource restoration; active involvement of environmental stewardship groups
Park Acres per 1,000 People 10.87
Percentage of Land as Park 8.15
Quality of Civic Engagement Good, with citywide stewardship and neighborhood interactions
Tree City USA* Yes
Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement Signatory Yes

*Designation awarded by The Arbor Day Foundation to cities that have a tree board or department, a tree care ordinance, a community forestry program with an annual budget of at least $2 per capita and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation.

Critical Issues