The City of Newman is developing an Urban Forest Management Plan. The final version is expected to be completed by Spring 2025.

The plan is a roadmap that focuses on preserving trees and maintaining an urban forest within the city. The urban forest consists of trees along the streets, private property, and parks. Trees within the city are categorized into two different sections: city trees and private trees. City trees are found near the streets, parks, and facilities within the city, while private trees are located in Residential, Commercial, and Industrial zones.

The Newman City Council agreed to authorize the city manager to submit a full application and send the required documents to receive the grant in November 2021. Development for the plan began in April 2023.

The plan is funded by a grant from the Urban and Community Forestry Grant program through the California Department of Forestry and Fire (CAL FIRE). According to a 2021-22 CAL FIRE Urban and Community Forestry Grant Program Projects Awards document, the City of Newman was awarded $203,694.

The city partnered with Davey Resource Group, Inc., an environmental consulting firm that offers various services to businesses and organizations such as urban forestry, designing plans for ecosystem restorations and analysis on stormwater management, to work on the plan.

Earlier in the year, Davey Resource Group, Inc. and the city held an online session that focused on the plan, information about tree canopies within the city and additional information about the plan. Out of the total 1,424 acres in Newman, the tree canopy covers around 97.9 acres. Public property makes up 545 acres with a 6.8% of tree canopy cover while 879 acres are within private property and have around 6.9% of tree canopy. According to the city’s tree canopy story map website, priority planting locations were decided through a priority planting analysis focusing on three categories: Heat Islands, Stormwater runoff potential and Population descriptors or Social Vulnerability.

Heat Islands indicate which areas in the city are warmer than others, opening the idea of a tree being used for shade. Stormwater runoff focuses on areas where a tree could absorb stormwater. Population Descriptors or Social Vulnerability are used to indicate which areas are impacted by various climate changes.

During the presentation, it was mentioned that 93.1% of trees in Newman are in fair or better condition while nearly 7% of trees within the city are in poor or worse condition.

“This plan helps determine and plan out what we can do and how we do it, moving forward with the trees,” said Newman’s Public Works Director Thomas Spankowski.

To get an idea of a tree’s condition, Spankowski mentioned that city staff will get training with tree keeper software that provides information on where a tree is located, its condition, the specific type and how types of trees in the city. 

“As we finalize our report, we’ll have a better idea of exactly where the areas of improvements are needed,” Spankowski said.

To get feedback on the plan, the city conducted a survey for residents to fill out and get feedback on the plan. The survey consisted of questions that included whether a resident considered planting a tree on their property, what benefits a resident enjoys with a tree and a write-in response on what they want the urban forest plan to address.

Spowanski later mentioned that the survey concluded on Tuesday following an outreach that was held at the city’s booth during this year’s Newman Fall Festival and Truman Park. The outreach offered the residents an opportunity to ask questions and fill their surveys digitally with a QR code or on paper provided to them.

Initially, the survey was going to be available until December 25. However, due to not having an increase in residents filling out the survey after the outreach at the Fall Festival, the decision was made to pull the survey off the website. This gives the city and Davey more time to compile answers from residents and finish the final version of the plan.

Residents can get more information about the areas within the city’s tree canopy story map website. On the website, residents can scroll down to multiple sections including the benefits of having trees and an interactive map that showcases which areas are considered private and public property.