Committee on the Environment, March 5, 2025

COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA COMMITTEE ON THE ENVIRONMENT City Hall, Room 400 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Wednesday, March 5, 2025 10:00 a.m. PRESENT: CHAIRPERSON JAMIE GAUTHIER COUNCILWOMAN NINA AHMAD COUNCILMAN MICHAEL DRISCOLL COUNCILMAN JIM HARRITY COUNCILMAN NICOLAS O'ROURKE MS. JONES, CHIEF CLERK P R O C E E D I N G S CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: I now note that the hour has come and this hearing is called to order. This is the public hearing of the City Council Committee on the Environment. The purpose of this public hearing is to hear testimony on Resolution No. 250126. Ms. Jones, would you please call the roll?

Councilmember Ahmad?

Present.

Councilmember Driscoll?

Present.

Councilmember O'Rourke?

Present.

Councilmember Harrity.

I am here.

Chair Gauthier? CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Present. Thank you, Ms. Jones. I note, for the record, that a quorum of this committee is present and this hearing is called to order. Welcome, everybody, to this meeting of the Committee on the Environment. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to be here. The Philly Tree Plan was envisioned in 2019 and released in 2023 as our city's best path forward to increasing the tree canopy and extending its benefits to all of our neighborhoods. From 2008 to 2018, Philadelphia lost 1,320 acres. That's six percent of its tree canopy, primarily due to a lack of maintenance of residential and street trees, the removal of yard trees, and the effects of climate change. Philadelphia's urban forest covers percent of city lands, but it 9 is not equitably distributed. For 10 instance, only five percent of the land 11 in many neighborhoods of the 1st, 2nd 12 and 6th Council Districts are covered by 13 tree canopy, while other areas like the 14 8th district have greater than 50 15 percent tree canopy cover. This tracks 16 with broader research, which 17 consistently shows that low income and 18 communities of color have fewer trees 19 and are hotter than higher income 20 neighborhoods. This is as much of an equity, safety and health issue as it is a sustainability one because the benefits of trees are vast. Trees capture storm water and replenish groundwater. They help clean the air and polluted areas, improve mental health, and cool air and surfaces of the built environment, especially during heat waves that are growing more intense and frequent with climate change. One study by the UCLA Luskin Center found that shade can reduce heat stress on the human body from percent 12 to 35 percent throughout the day, and 13 has been correlated with a reduction in 14 gun violence. And we know that here in 15 Philadelphia, neighbors without a robust 16 tree canopy can get up to 10 degrees 17 hotter and heat kills. 18 Thanks to many of you in this 19 room, we are making important progress 20 in implementing the tree plan. In total 21 2,421 trees were planted across 22 Philadelphia by both the city and 23 partner organizations during FY 2023. 24 City Council is participating in tree planting efforts as well. Majority Leader Gilmore-Richardson's Tree Canopy Bill and Fully Tree Fund amended the zoning code to enhance tree plantings, create buffers between industrial zones and residential areas, update parking lot rules and eliminate exemptions for tree replacement and parks in open spaces. It also establishes a Philly Tree Fund collecting payments for trees removed and not replaced on site with a goal of incentivizing 30 percent canopy cover aligning with the city's canopy growth targets. While I celebrate how far we have come, we cannot rest on our laurels. So today we are here to explore what is needed to do more to achieve the tree plan's ambitious goals. This conversation is more important than ever because President Trump has made it abundantly clear that he does not care about the health and safety of our communities or the city's ability to withstand global warming. Trump fired EPA staffers working on environmental justice in Philadelphia, and he canceled a $75-million grant to the Arbor Day Foundation, and other funding meant to support forestry programs across the nation. While the federal government is abandoning its duty, Philadelphia is going to have to step up. And if we have to do this work alone, we will, because with so much at stake inaction is not an option. Do any of my colleagues have any opening remarks? Ms. Jones, will you now read the title of the resolution?

Resolution 22 250126. Authorizing the Committee on the Environment to conduct a hearing to evaluate progress on the implementation of the Philly Tree Plan, determine how to expedite progress, and what, if any, additional policies might promote the city's sustainable greening goals. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: The clerk will please call the first panel of witnesses to testify on the resolution.

Susan Slawson, Susan Buck, Erica Smith Fichman. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Good morning, Commissioner, and good morning to the Parks and Rec team. Please state your name, for the record, and proceed with your testimony.

Good morning, Susan Slawson, Commissioner of Parks and Recreation. Good morning, Chairperson Gauthier and members. I have a little cold, so forgive me this morning -- and members of the committee on the environment. My name is Susan Slawson and I serve as the Commissioner of Parks and Recreation. With me today are Deputy Commissioners Buck and Deputy Commissioner Leanne Campbell and our City Forester, Erica Smith Fichman. Thank you for the opportunity to provide an update on the Philly Tree Plan. Philadelphia Parks and Recreation is honored to be a partner in the creation and implementation of the Philly Tree Plan, a 10-year strategic plan for the equitable growth and care of our urban forests. We are grateful for our partner organizations as well as thousands of residents and community members who came together to create and advance the recommendations of the plan. As the stewards of Philadelphia's 10,000 plus acre park system and the 130,000 street trees growing in the right-of-way, PPR is the key city agency focused on the growth and care of our public urban forest. We are proud to report that we have planted 3,724 trees along city streets and park natural lands, and as part of the Yard Tree Giveaway program in fiscal year '24. Tree planting and care requires specialized skills, and PPR is actively growing our capacity to maintain our street and park trees, handling increasing numbers of storm emergencies and integrate with existing workforce programs like PowerCorpsPHL, to provide a ladder of employment to cities -- to city jobs and a steady stream of qualified workers. With recent increases to PPR Street tree maintenance budget, we have also increased the number of street trees being pruned across the city. Since 2023, there have been over 2,300 trees pruned and 2,700 additional trees are planned to be pruned through July 2025. One of PPR's goals is implementing the Philly Tree Plan is to transition from a reactive to proactive inspection cycle for the City Street trees. Proactive maintenance of trees is crucial for trust building and with residents who are more willing to plant trees on and around their property when they know that those trees will be properly maintained. The first step in moving to a proactive inspection cycle is to assess the existing street tree inventory, and PPR staff are currently in conversations with USDA Forest Service researchers about this effort. Over half of Philadelphia's park system is composed of natural areas like forest, meadows and wetlands. Natural lands like this make up 40 percent of the city's tree canopy and provide crucial services like air and water filtration, oxygen production, wildlife habitat, and more. As part of implementing the Philly Tree Plan, PPR staff are working with the USDA Forest Service to create a comprehensive assessment of the health of these natural trees -- natural areas, which is crucial to determining the management strategies needed to keep them healthy and protected. This work is funded by the city operating budget and with the support of the William Penn Foundation. In the two years since the Philly Tree Plan was released, PPR has brought on new staff in the urban forestry unit dedicated to improving coordination and communication about trees within the city and between the city and its residents. The new City Forester position is a central point of contact for all the tree related programs and activities in the city. Because of this new position, PPR is now working much more closely on tree planting and care along with our colleagues in Philadelphia City Planning Commission, License and Inspections, Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems, OTIS, Department of Commerce, Streets Department, Capital Programs Office, and PECO. PPR's Community Forestry Program, Tree Philly, continues to work closely with residents and priority areas of the city as defined by the Philly Tree Plan.

These areas have the lowest tree canopy, highest heat vulnerability, and lowest air quality in the city among other environmental justice criteria. Tree Philly staff act as liaisons to residents in these areas for all tree related resources, bringing the benefits of trees to residents who need them the most and the ways that support them the best. The Tree Philly program is focused on building trust, providing support, and -- the Tree Philly program is focused on building trust, providing support, educational and material resources to residents and empowering them to welcome trees into their neighborhoods. Tree Philly staff work with community partners in priority areas who guide their neighborhoods. Tree Philly staff, their planning and their care projects from beginning to end. Since launching this neighborhood focus model, 50 percent of trees distributed through Tree Philly's yard tree giveaway events are distributed in the priority areas of the city. Green spaces and oasis in areas where the city is densely built, and the tree canopy supports areas that have been identified as heat islands. One of PPR's most recent community forestry projects is the Commercial Corridor Tree Planning and Care program, a partnership with the Department of Commerce and the Taking Care of Business, TCB program. Through this program, PPR and Commerce are planting trees on commercial corridors in the Philadelphia Tree Plan priority areas and training ambassadors from the commercial corridors, the TCB program, to care for these trees. This program is responsible for 468 new trees and 40 trained TCB ambassadors in the past two years. Caring for trees in the first few years after planting is necessary for the long-term health and newly planted trees. We're expecting this initiative this year with a new manager -- expanding this initiative this year with the new manager being hired by the Department of Commerce. PPR is also partnering with -- in the creation of the Philly Tree Coalition. A new entity which will bring urban forestry stakeholders together around the implementation of the Philly Tree Plan. This coalition will be administratively housed in the Pennsylvania Horticulture Society and have full-time staff who are -- who are tasked with coordination, communication, and fundraising for the implementation of the Philly Tree Plan. Continuing with the spirit of collaboration which the Philly Tree Plan was created, the staff will report to a steering committee of subject matters and residents from priority areas who will guide the work of the coalition. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today. If you have any questions, we will be happy to answer. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Thank you so much for your work and thank you for being here to talk about it today. So we're two years into the tree plan. Are you -- are we where we wanted to be two years in? And what has been most helpful to achieving the goals and the plan and what have the biggest obstacles been?

I think the first thing that's most helpful is that we were able to identify and hire an urban forester who guides this project. You have to have the necessary staff in place and with her guidance, I think we're moving -- this is a 10-year plan. The heat density, the challenges that we're having in our community, they have been long term. And so that's why the plan expands and extends out for 10 years, because we know and we knew that replacing, maintaining, and ensuring that communities that don't have the trees would take some time. Because you're not only planting, you're maintaining, you're growing, you're identifying, you're working with the community. So I think we're in a good place based on the fact that this is a 10-year plan. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Okay. Does anybody want to add to that?

Sure. So the plan is broken into short term, mid term, and long-term goals within the 9 years. And the first -- the short term 10 goals are accomplished between, you know, releasing the plan a three years in. And we have accomplished -- we are making progress toward a lot of those short term goals and some of them have been completed at this point. And we're excited at the three- year goal -- at the three-year mark to release a report card that outlines in detail everything that's been -- that's been accomplished. And we're actively making progress towards those short term goals and some of the longer term goals that we didn't expect to tackle so soon, but with momentum, have been able to make progress towards. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: What's the timeline for that three-year report?

We are intending to -- so the -- the plan was released in February of 2023, so we're looking at the Spring of 2026 for the three-year report card. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Great. Also, does she need to state her name, for the record?

Oh, sorry. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Also, please say your name, for the record.

Sorry. Erica Smith Fichman, City Forester of Philadelphia Parks and Recreation. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Wonderful. Can you talk about what the biggest obstacles or challenges have been?

You want me to take it? Okay. The biggest obstacles to -- I can speak from the perspective of the Parks Department. This is an effort that includes many different organizations and I'm excited for you to hear from a lot of them coming up. But from the perspective of the Parks Department, we are tasked with the maintenance of all 130,000 street trees and 10,000 acres of park land. We have had a lot of retirements in our urban forestry crews, and so we need to increase our capacity in order to maintain those trees. Not only with increased funding for the contractors who help us maintain that, but also with increased skilled workers, who we are actively working to recruit. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Okay. Do you all already have the budget for that and it's just about filling vacancies?

We do have vacancies that we're looking to fill right now, yes. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Okay.

And then in the plan we have within those 8 years, the recommendation to expand for 9 another crew. We have three to expand 10 to a four as well. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Okay.

The answer is yes, we do have the funding in our budget. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Okay. Can you talk more about the Philly Tree Coalition and how that will explicitly help the city to achieve the goals of the tree plan?

Yeah, so the coalition is one of the most exciting things that we've been able to make really big progress on. Because the Philly tree plan is a joint effort between not only city agencies, but local non-profits, national federal agencies and state agencies, as well as the most crucial people who are the folks who live in the neighborhoods of Philadelphia, we wanted to have a third party entity that really advances it so that everyone is working together. And that communication is done collaboratively. Fundraising is done across the board to -- with the plan as the -- as the thing that identifies where the money goes, but with everyone enacting it and getting the funding to do that, the program partners. And so the Philly Tree Coalition is going to speak as one voice for all of those stakeholders. And it will be -- the staff of that coalition will be housed at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, but report to a steering committee of subject matter experts and residents from the seven priority areas that are outlined in the plan, so that those folks have a meaningful voice in the decision-making of plan activities. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Great. Thank you. And then one last question and then I'll open it up to my colleagues. Commissioner, I love to hear you talk about moving towards the proactive inspections in order to build trust because I find that when we face resistance from neighbors around getting trees planted on their blocks, it's mostly because of their experiences with trees in the past that haven't been maintained. And so now, they don't want to, you know, they don't want to participate anymore because they've had that negative experience. So I think that the proactive inspections are really important. When will that be up and running?

That's already up and running, isn't it?

Well, let's -- if we could -- you and I spend some time on one of the corridors in South Philadelphia. Part of us being able to ensure the health of the trees is to hire people from the community to go for two years and maintain to ensure that the trees are healthy. I think one of the biggest pieces for community members to want to have trees planted in their neighborhoods is to ensure that they're educated, and a big part of this plan is education. And so you get an opportunity to find out whether this tree fits, whether you have to worry about your cement being broken because that's one of the big challenges. People are concerned that, you know, 10 years later they're going to have issues with the pavement outside of their homes. And this plan provides education for community members, it provides interaction with the teams that are going out and working in the community. And so that's really huge when it -- we're talking about being proactive. They're not just out there getting a tree, planting it, and we leave and we don't show back up. We show up for two years. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Okay. So let me just make sure I understand. When your -- in the testimony, it says we're going to be moving towards citywide, sort of, proactive inspection of street trees. You're saying that's already up and running?

No, I'm sharing that we're already doing some things and we are still moving towards that proactive piece. I just wanted to share that. Although we haven't started that part of the plan, we're still doing things that years ago, five years ago that we did not do. So this is on top of what Philly Tree -- the tree plan is providing. Erica can speak to the proactive piece, but I just want you to know that we've already begun steps and you actually were out there and you were a part of that. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Yeah. Yeah, that was great. Thank you. Erica?

So with our street trees, the trees that are planted in the right-of-way, we have inspectors and contract managers who do planting, pruning, and removal of those trees. We do that by request from residents. And the transition to proactive requires us to know more about the species, age, and health of our system. And we do know those things, but we need to know based on that, what is the ideal cycle of proactive inspection, so that we can have people going out into all of the zip codes of the city on a cycle, and we can communicate that to people and say, your trees will be looked at in, you know, this quarter or this month of the year, et cetera. So that's where we're talking with the forest service about doing that study, and then their recommendations will inform how we transition into, away from reacting to people's requests to being a proactive system. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: What's our estimate on the timing for moving towards that type of system?

The goal for the transition to proactive, I believe is one of the longer term goals, so I just need to remind myself. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Okay. You can look for that and I'll pass things off to Councilmember Harrity.

It does take -- it does take a little while to make that huge jump from reactive to proactive. So first, we have to kind of know what we need, and then we have to build up to that. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Thank you. Councilmember Harrity?

Thank you, Madam Chair. Good morning everybody. I want to start off by thanking you first for your service. Big fan of Parks and Rec. You guys do a lot with a little. And this year is a lot, you know, 130,000 trees to maintain throughout the city is a lot of work in itself, let alone all the other stuff that you guys manage to do. So I thank you for that. The chairwoman had actually alluded to it in her opening remarks. You know, I like acronyms. One of which is KISS, it's keep it simple, stupid, you know. For me, I got to remind myself of that all the time. And the good thing about the Internet is that you can find information on anything on there. And I'm one of those people, I like to read and learn about a lot of different things. And I'm a little bit of a closet gardener. People -- some of my colleagues know that. And I'm big on urban gardening and the things of that nature. But I was just wondering if you had seen any of the studies that have to do with crime and trees? It's been proven in studies that tree-line streets actually have less crime. I don't know why, but it seems to be the case. Has that -- have you guys seen any of that -- you're, you know, you're out there, you're planting trees all the time. Have you seen where crime drops in areas where you, let's say, beautify it more, put more trees, flowers, stuff like that?

I can certainly say anecdotally that trees in Philadelphia, as in many large cities, signify a lot of other things in neighborhoods. We have the maps to show that they are correlated with race and with poverty, right? So that is part of it. And we have amazing colleagues at the Forest Service that are based here in the city as well as at UPenn, the health -- Penn Medicine that have done those studies on the impact of trees on crime in -- here in Philadelphia. I think the key part of that is that those trees need to be well maintained to have that effect because poorly maintained trees have the opposite effect.

Yeah. I've actually -- I like to observe. I'm very observant and I've actually -- I live in Kensington, so I've noticed direct correlations between streets that are well-maintained, you know, with the help of the neighbors where there's trees and flowers, kind of deters drug dealers sitting up on things because they know the neighbors have a little bit of a sense of pride and they end up reporting. So definitely would like to see more of that. And like you said, we have made big steps in tree knowledge because we know now that some trees, the root systems are more evasive than others with your pipes and concrete. But we have trees now that you guys are supplying or the Horticultural Society I know is supplying, where the roots do not grow like that. So just glad to see about the education part. And what can you tell us more about how you are educating people. And that's -- there's -- because that's a big deal, people don't want to put them on their pavement because they think in years they're 9 going to have this massive tree, but the 10 fact of the matter is, we have trees that we're giving out now that don't get that big. It's still does the same thing that we're trying to do, which is clean the air and, you know, dust and pollutants, it's all eatened up by the trees. So what can you tell me about the education part of it that you're doing?

We have our Community Forestry Program, Tree Philly. The power of that program is that we are working directly with communities to plant and care for trees in the ways those communities want us to. So in some communities, you know, they don't have yards, they don't -- they are uncomfortable with street trees in residential areas, that's where the idea of planting the trees on commercial corridors came from, because people in those neighborhoods were most comfortable with that. And so that's where we started and it can expand from there. In Kensington, we have amazing partners. You're going to hear from one of them, Jacelyn Blank from Philly Tree People. And her program -- her organization is in partnership with PHS and their tree tenders program, so we all work together. The education from tree tenders, the support from those organizations and the Tree Philly folks who are coming in and finding out what resources does this community want, and how do we implement those projects from start to finish with the residents participating and having a say. So sometimes that's park tree plantings, that's the commercial corridor program that's giving away yard trees, that's supporting street tree planting. One of the most exciting things from the last six months is that we saw that some of the zip codes with the lowest tree canopy were requesting the highest numbers of street trees, which is really exciting for us to see. So I think that's a testament to the work that we're all collectively doing in these neighborhoods.

Great. And just one more thing. Are you guys doing anything with the, like, raised beds or anything like that for -- in neighborhoods for residential?

I think that our Farm Philly program and the director of -- our director of agriculture of urban ag would probably be best to speak to that. We, in the urban forestry division are talking about -- our focus is on trees planted in the ground.

Okay. Thank you. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Councilmember Ahmad?

Thank you, Madam Chair. Good morning. Thank you for your testimony. I am so excited to hear about going from reactive to proactive. I think particularly in disinvested zip codes where people, you know, they don't -- after you've worked three jobs, you don't have time to come and beautify your street, right? So this is where a government steps up to be a partner in making sure that you have the same benefits somebody with more resources have in their communities. So I'm really happy to hear that. I had a question similar to what my colleague, Jimmy Harrity, was saying about knowledge base. What I've encountered among constituents is knowing that this tree is not going to disrupt their plumbing, knowing that there's going to be follow-up and follow through from maintenance. Those are all very important things to get buy-in from people to participate. And clearly you're getting that because you said you have a request from places where didn't have trees who are asking for them. I also wanted to see to make sure that they're also getting the message about the health impact of these canopies, you're creating tree canopies. And I wanted to know if you are concurrently measuring that as you are doing this, so we have sort of a evidence-based platform to say -- and that will also help us in budgeting processes to prove that and we anecdotically understand that and know that and there's been research, Dr. South from Penn has done that on the greening and correlation with violence. I just wanted to see if we are continuing with that sort of correlation as we go forward, to see the benefits so that we can share that with people who might not be engaged in this process. To really show it does make a difference on health, on engagement, on crime, on just the health -- mental health of people. I'm just wondering if you have something going along as you're being proactive in this?

I think those are really good points. We are extremely grateful for our partners at the Forest Service that are based here in the city of Philadelphia. We have one of the only urban forest -- urban field stations of the U.S. forest service here in our city. And those researchers, along with our university researchers, you're going to hear from Dr. Pearsall later. Our partnerships with them and our partnerships within the city with the Health Department are going to be crucial for that case making. At the Parks Department, what we can do is be enthusiastic supporters and contributors and to share our data so that those research -- those research efforts can happen. And we do that very happily and proactively with those partners.

So I just wanted to know if you already have that in place to be collecting that information? Another point is, of course, as we mentioned, our President might not be -- I don't know what he's going to do with the forestry service. I don't know if they're going to cut this, right? So we have to stand in that gap, and I'm just wanting to know who we can pull in anticipating that this is not an area of interest for the 34 times convicted felon who's leading our country. So I'm just putting it out there, how are we being proactive in that measure so that we don't lose all the work you're doing, and who might those partners be, including the current forestry service?

Absolutely. We have a forest asset management system that we use that -- which we use to collect all of our data on all of our trees in the park system and in the street tree system. And so that is the data that we willingly share with and collaborate with researchers from our universities, researchers from the forest service, but also our Health Department so that we can do case making. And they can use the information -- the data they have to combine with the data we have.

My final note is to protect that data because we are having a very vast, sort of, removal of information from public spaces. The CDC is not giving us updates on what is happening on say, for example, infectious diseases. So we need -- I just hope all of us are protecting these things because this is serious in terms, not just in this space, across the board, right? And so I just wanted to make sure that we put a pin on that and we're looking to really preserve our information, our data, and really impact the health and well-being of our constituents. Thank you. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Deputy Whip Bass?

Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning.

So I just really wanted to say thank you. I wanted to thank you for your work on this issue and particularly Commissioner Slawson, who I've known and have worked with for years, and is the commissioner now and was the commissioner, you know, a few moons ago and came back under this administration and for taking this challenge on. Trees are incredibly important -- I mean, you know, like I --I'm not telling you something that you don't already know, but I'm just stating, for the record, as the former Chair of Parks and Recreation. You know, listen, people love their trees, they want trees in the neighborhood, and the fact that y'all have a handle on exactly what's happening, how it's happening and making sure that the care that's necessary to make trees an asset and not a dangerous liability is very, very important. So I just really wanted to commend you all for the work that you're doing and thank you. And keep up the good work and count on us for your -- for support. We'd be happy to support all of the work you're doing on this issue, so thank you.

Thank you, councilmember Bass.

You're welcome. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Minority Whip O'Rourke?

Thank you, Madam Chair. And thank you all for your work and your service to the city. Certainly a lot going on in the world, and we appreciate all that you do to maintain and protect our trees in our nature. Quick question. What are the current incentives, if any? The city has to offer property owners, businesses and developers to plant and maintain trees. And what are the ways that we can actually create or improve those incentives?

Erica?

So we -- the Parks Department is responsible for the street trees in front of someone's property or, you know, alongside in the right-of-way, and those trees are planted and maintained for free. So that's one incentive. We also operate -- we also do a yard tree giveaway program to provide free trees that way. The update to the -- to the zoning code that Councilmember Gauthier mentioned includes a new requirement for developers to plant yard trees for every 1,600 square feet of open space in a plan. And the number of trees that are required to be planted on developments for landscape buffers and other things has been increased as well. One of the big things that we want to do through the Philly Tree Plan is increase the support that people have to maintain their large trees, and to remove hazardous trees on private property. As the Parks Department, we don't manage private property trees, but we have amazing partners who do that type of thing. And we are all working together to fund raise for hazardous tree removal program -- programs to support people to care for those trees. Because one of the things we learned with our tree canopy assessment is that one of the biggest drivers of trees -- of the increase in tree canopy is big -- is trees getting bigger. Because when you plant little trees, it takes a while for them to get larger, but those big trees can get bigger much -- and provide those benefits much more quickly. So protecting existing tree canopy, making sure we give away free trees and providing support programs for people to maintain those trees are things that we are actively working to improve with our partners. Where we don't have jurisdiction and others can, we support that work.

It's great to hear about the programs that help support that maintenance of that -- of those. Are you thinking through about how to make sure that folks are aware that those programs are available and how to get access to them?

A lot of the work that we're doing is focused in the priority areas that the tree plan identifies. And those are identified through looking at where the tree -- the tree canopy is lowest, asthma rates are highest, heat is highest, et cetera. So those areas that we're focusing new programs in are inherently the ones that can benefit the most from the increased tree canopy. Does that answer your question?

Sure. I'll move on. Are there any protections in place for our current tree canopy? What I mean by that is, are there any sticks to ensure that developers or other folks are held responsible for any big changes that they make to the green landscapes? I know that we have to -- we expect it, but there -- is there any like paddles to kind of hold them accountable to that?

So the Planning Commission is the entity that is much more related -- is much more involved in that work. We have been involved in the tree aspects of the zoning code and advising and pushing through some of the changes that have happened. So like the change that happened in 2022, with Councilmember Gilmore-Richardson, we increased the -- so there's now a fee. If you remove trees and don't replace them, you pay for those trees that you removed. That didn't exist before. There are -- we removed exemptions from the tree requirements in the zoning code. So that single family homes didn't have to comply with them before, now they do. So there are things that we have changed in the zoning code, but again, the Planning Commission is the entity that is doing a lot of that review and manages changing the code. We are working very closely with L&I and Planning Commission to push forward more changes to the zoning code for developers. And we have quite a few policy related recommendations in the plan about how to do that more specifically, and we're moving forward with those.

Thank you very much. Thank you, Madam Chair. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Thank you. I have one last question for the panel before we move on. I know that thankfully this work was supported by a $12-million grant from the prior federal administration. To your knowledge, do we have access to that funding?

The Forest Service grant? The IR grant?

We do not. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Okay. So even more reason for the city to step up and to step in the gap. Thank you so much to all of you for being here today and thank you so much for your work.

Thank You.

Thank you. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Will the clerk please call the next panel of witnesses to testify?

Paul Devine Batone and Hamil Pearsall.

Hello. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Good morning. Please state your name, for the record, and proceed with your testimony.

My name is Hamil Pearsall.

My name is Paul Devine Batone. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Oh, and I should say, we are somewhat constricted with time today, so we're going to be asking witnesses to take no 23 more than five minutes. We'll give you a signal at the end of five minutes to kind of wrap things up. Proceed.

All right. I'm a professor at Temple University in geography environment and urban studies. I'm an environmental social scientist and my research examines how cities can become greener and more equitable. I also look at how greening initiatives might have negative impacts for some residents and how to reduce those impacts. S. forest Service Philadelphia Field Station for a decade on urban forestry research, and I recently completed a study in partnership with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society on barriers to urban tree planting initiatives in the Philadelphia metro area that is particularly relevant to this hearing. One thing that I've learned through my work in Philadelphia is that many urban residents love the city's parks and trees. Despite this general affinity, residents also raise questions about the long-term care and responsibility that comes with planting new trees. These questions are important because residents often become the stewards of Philadelphia's urban forest. While many residents can get a yard or street tree for free and have an enthusiastic team help them plant it in the ground, residents are often the ones caring for the tree over the next several decades. Subsequently, residents want to understand what kinds of costs they're assuming for watering and pruning their tree. They're concerned about their liability and the event of a tree falling on a neighbor's property. They wonder if a tree they recently helped to plant will simply be removed during the next redevelopment project and are frustrated over the lack of protective tree policies in the city. In my opinion, this is where the Philly Tree Plan really shines. The plan is rooted in community perspectives and need evidenced by the 9,000 people who were engaged through surveys, community voices, steering committees and neighborhood ambassadors. Because residents are the primary stewards of the urban forests, it is important to have a plan that builds trust in community. The plan is clear that the goal is to invest in people and communities. The plan recognizes that growing the urban forest requires tree planting and long-term care and there is need to reduce the burden of trees on residents. The plan's goals revolve around ensuring that residents receive the benefits of trees, and above all, the plan prioritizes planting trees in neighborhoods where increased canopy cover can provide the most benefits. Namely, neighborhoods with high heat vulnerability, high health risk, and high poverty. I would argue that the plan's focus on growing canopy cover equitably is key. Currently, there is considerable variation in canopy cover across the city with some neighborhoods having over 50 percent canopy cover and others having as little as three percent. Tree canopy coverage correlates with historical patterns of urban development and redlining in Philadelphia. A map in the Philly tree plan very clearly shows that historically redline neighborhoods continue to have lower levels of canopy covered today. S. cities. There is need for effective interventions to redress this long term and ongoing harm to neighborhoods. There's a very strong relationship between green vegetation and temperature. While densely built neighborhoods with lots of impervious surfaces have the hottest temperatures, green urban parks have the lowest temperatures. People living in neighborhoods with low canopy cover and limited green spaces suffer from hotter temperatures during the summer, which is a growing concern as temperatures rise. Extreme heat events claim more lives than any other weather-related hazard. Heat is considered to be a silent killer because people don't realize how dangerous it can be. A study I did in 2017, shows that Philadelphia's temperature hotspots have more families living in poverty, a lower median household income, and a higher percentage in non-white residents compared to both the city average and non-hotspot averages.

These differences were statistically significant and this is a clear environmental justice issue. I think the Philly Tree plan holds promise for addressing key barriers to growing canopy cover in low canopy neighborhoods. This is an issue that has persisted despite the fact that Philadelphia has had strong neighborhood led tree planting initiatives since the 1990s. The plan dedicates key supports to some of the areas that present the main obstacles to increasing canopy cover. This includes providing more staffing to coordinate tree planting across city sectors and agencies, including a city forester, a utility tree coordinator, staff for natural lands and a sidewalk coordinator. It also provides resources that directly address resident concerns about trees, including supports for maintaining mature trees on private land, supporting tree planting and establishment care, pursuing proactive maintenance inspections on public trees and creating tree care and support programs for residents. The plant also provides support, including stipends for volunteers doing tree care work and paying community groups doing tree care. I strongly support the continued implementation of the Philly Tree Plan because it will deliver the benefits of trees to Philadelphia neighborhoods, particularly those who have been denied these benefits for decades while also reducing burdens for residents. Thanks to the committee for inviting me to give my testimony today. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Thank you. Thanks for your work and for your testimony. Please state your name for the record and proceed with your testimony.

My name is Paul Devine Batone, and I'm a pediatrician who specializes in adolescent and young adult health, as well as climate and environmental impacts on health injustice. So as a healthcare provider -- I know a lot of folks are going to speak about, you know, some of the more ground level aspects of trees in our city, but I really want to spend my time grounding the conversation in the health disparities that our city faces. So folks may know about social determinants of health, things like your education level, the house you live in, your access to healthcare or foods. But I think we've unrecognized how big the impact these factors have is on our individual and community health, and how they are in large part the results of racist policies and practices, like the redlining that was just discussed, you know, that have gone back decades in the city and across the country. Here in Philadelphia social determinants of health lead to disproportionate burdens of asthma on our Black kids, as well as metabolic diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease on Black adults. And social determinants of health give us the zip code effect, which is the significant difference in life expectancy that's seen between folks in the same city from different zip codes. So for example, in Society Hill, which is zip code 19106, life expectancy is about 88 years, while in Strawberry Mansion, 19132, it's about 68 years. So just four miles apart, same city, someone is expected to live 20 years less. Tree cover represents an environmental determinant of health. So because urban trees offer numerous physical and health benefits, some of them have already been mentioned, but we know that they have direct effects on our surroundings filtering out pollutants in the air we breathe, as well as the storm water runoff that runs into our drinking supply. They also reduce street temperatures as was mentioned, so there can be, you know, more than degree 16 differences between neighborhoods with 17 more asphalt, more concrete, more built 18 environment and less green space. 19 So if you look at a day that's 85 20 degrees on Germantown Ave. out in Chestnut Hill, that same day can feel like 105 degrees on Germantown Ave. by Hunting Park. As climate change and the climate crisis continue to worsen, you know, these temperatures are only going to get worse, as will the very serious health effects that they represent. So in addition to the direct effects that trees have, the direct benefits that trees can provide, research has shown us that trees have many indirect benefits on health, some of which have, again, also been mentioned. But they lower blood pressure -- they're associated with lower blood pressure, frequency of preterm birth and are very pertinent to our conversations in this city, lower levels of gun violence. Trees also help people feel happier, they help focus, especially on our young people, and they lead to dramatic improvements in feelings of safety and security. Impact on any one of these concerns can save lives, but also can save significant health spending. And this is especially important at this moment when the narratives from the federal level are all about cutting and limiting access to health funding. In spite of their beauty and benefits, as my panelists just noted, trees are not spread evenly across the city. Neighborhoods that have the least tree cover are not coincidentally the same neighborhoods that were redlined 80 years ago, and the same neighborhoods that today have the highest rates of childhood asthma, Type II diabetes, gun violence and associated traumas. So the scope of all these -- with the scope of these health issues as well as the racial and ethnic disparities that they represent, the challenges are daunting. Big solutions are needed, many of which will require complex infrastructure, major investment when thinking about expanding healthcare services, for example.

But trees represent a relatively simple, powerful, cost-effective and honestly beautiful part of this path that we can take toward a healthier, more just Philadelphia. And in light of the dimming prospects of -- the dimming prospects of big federal action or any federal action to represent health or the environment, local community-based actions like what we're discussing today are pivotal. And so as a doctor, parent, a nature level -- and a nature lover and a Philadelphian, I just want to offer my full support for the tree plan and, you know, the work that folks have mentioned. Thank you. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Thank you so much to both of you for coming to support the plan, and for sharing the data behind why the plan is so important to the city. Is there anything that you would like to see the city do differently or better with regards to the plan?

I guess I -- I would just like to say that I think this increased resources and staffing is so important for the implementation, and I think it's important to be able to provide that over the long term. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Thank you.

And, you know, it was mentioned earlier that one of the most dramatic cuts was to any environmental justice -- on the federal level was to any environmental justice initiative. And so, you know, just, speaking to the justice perspective here, we again know that the tree canopy is leased in those areas that do have the highest burden of chronic disease. And so, not just in terms of, you know, the healthcare savings, which of course could be huge and very important for all levels of government. You know, it's also -- I just think important that we focus even more on the environmental justice aspects here, and I know that was mentioned by the folks from Parks and Rec. But, you know, I think that that is really what's going to help this plan succeed is if folks can look at their neighborhood and can recognize, you know, the disparities that they see in action, in their families, in their communities every day and see that there are benefits being provided. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Thank you. Minority Whip O'Rourke.

Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you both for your testimony. Based on your understanding of the tree plan, what do you think the city should prioritize as an important next step, especially, from a public health lens?

So there is some data, you know, there's a lot of research that's done on trees and health, fortunately. And I guess I'll just say really quickly that, you know, I think these hearings are the reason why the federal funding is being cut. Because when we don't have research that tells us that this stuff is helpful, that these things are so important, research that is very, very often federally funded, then there's no 16 conversation about it. And folks who have corporate power, folks who have, you know, bigger say in some of these things, get to do whatever they want. So that's why I think it's, you know, it's so important that we have research on any level. But to your question about priorities. You know, some of the research shows us that trees in public spaces actually have greater benefit for some of these health metrics, as opposed to trees that are in private spaces. So to the question that you asked the prior panel, you know, certainly we should support trees on all properties, but really focusing our funding in public spaces can be a very important piece. And I'm also a member of the Philadelphia Environmental Justice Advisory Commission. And, you know, out in community listening to folks, specifically in Point Breeze and Grace Ferry, a lot of the push back was about things that have been mentioned about trees and the way that they can disrupt people's properties and leave people feeling very unsupported by the city. So, you know, I know that there's discussion of a sidewalk coordinator. I think that would be a great option because that's something that, again, is something that people see right in front of them. They see the tree that's on their block and they see the disruption that it can cause. And so I feel like those types of very targeted solutions could really be helpful, again, thinking about trees as this public good.

Are there any national models at all that we can -- at this point that we should be following or just taking notes from?

So I think from an environmental justice perspective, what Philadelphia is doing is very cutting edge and could become the model. And so I think it's important to be able to follow through on that, because there's a lot of research and understanding around how -- around how environmental injustices are created. We understand that redlining has led to persistent can be covered inequities. But I think there -- there's fewer models out there for how to address that. Like how do we promote a more equitable and just canopy cover in the city? And what I -- what I see Philadelphia doing is beginning to achieve that. So I would -- I would love to see where it goes. I hope it is able to receive the support it needs to be successful.

That's a pat on the back. Thank you for that.

I'll just add that, I think in Baltimore and Portland are two cities that have really undergone very serious research on this as well. And specifically thinking about the gun violence question that one of your fellow councilmembers asked. And so, you know, I think that there's -- definitely, again, there's -- there's ample work being done out there, which is great to see. But I know in Baltimore specifically they have really been looking at where trees are planted, which trees seem to provide, what types of trees seem to provide the most benefit for gun violence reduction and finding some interesting things.

Thank you very much. Thank you, Madam Chair. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: We are the model. I love that. So that means we got to keep it up. So thank you so much for your work and your testimony and for being here today.

Thank you.

Thank you. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Will the clerk please call the next panel of witnesses to testify.

Jacelyn Blank and Dominique London. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Good morning.

Good morning.

Good morning. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Please say your name, for the record, and proceed with your testimony.

I am Dominique London, director of UC Green. Okay. Good morning, everyone, and thank you so much for hearing my testimony. I am a native to Philadelphia, a gardener, planner by education, and director of the largest tree tender program in Philadelphia, UC Green. I've been director of UC Green for three years, and under my leadership, we've planted and maintained over 250 trees while historically UC Green as a community org has planted and maintained over 5,000 of the trees that you see in West Philly and Southwest Philly, more specifically, 19139, 19104, and 19142. Before this role, I was asked to be a neighborhood ambassador under the Philly Tree Plan for the Kingsessing area where I used to live, which informed the Philly Tree Plan. My job was to speak to neighbors about their thoughts on trees if they wanted them, why or why not? What they thought of our neighborhood being a heat island or one with shade. I recorded these findings and reported them to the leadership of our tree plan. And what we found was that if given the right resources and education, people absolutely want to work, live and play where there's dense tree canopy. So how do I feel personally about the tree plan? There's a Chinese proverb that says, the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the next best time is today. The tree plan was overdue. It is a very thoughtful plan. Philadelphia is the largest urban park system in the United States of America with an unequal distribution of tree canopy and a 20-degree difference from one part of the city to the next because of this. The greatest thing about this tree plan is that it aims to correct this unequal distribution. Philly is a city of firsts. It's where our Constitution was ratified. Look at our eviction diversion program. The rest of the country looks at Philadelphia for what -- to what we're doing, so I want us to keep in mind that there's a macro, sort of, vision to be looking at right now. Trees are the only urban infrastructure that actually increases in value and service over time. Not your subway systems, not your buildings, it is trees. They're your -- your air purifier, your flood mitigator, your wind barrier, your news reducer, your traffic calmer, just to name a few of the services and benefits that trees provide. What I've seen since the rollout of the tree plan is a ramping up of coalition building amongst many of our constituents here, or community organizations, people who have never really worked together are now working together, finding intersections of their work. There's been an increase in tree requests in neighborhoods like Cobbs Creek, Kingsessing, Mill Creek, Powelton Village. A wider understanding of the barriers to planting trees and tree denials, which I can get into, I'm sure you'll ask me that. Community pride and care and a desire to design the built environment amongst residents, commercial businesses, inquiring more about trees, an increase in green jobs and tree planting. And an increase in education opportunity as it pertains to trees, like tree tours and walks. More engagement with the outdoors. Some of the challenges that I've been able to see during this time, build environment issues that become cost prohibitive to most residents, like cracked sidewalks, dead trees that you have to remove and tree stumps that need to be ground down. All these are the responsibility of the homeowner before they can even get a tree. We spoke about Councilwoman Gilmore-Richardson's introduction to some of the development standards. We would love -- I would love to see sort of how that's enforced. Another barrier is the renter versus homeowner situation. If you want to get a street tree planted in Philadelphia, you have to sign the application. In order to sign the application, you have to be the homeowner. So what UC Green is doing is quite unique.

We're actually engaging more with property owners and landlords on behalf of their tenants to say, hey, you have about tenants who are 9 requesting trees, you are the one that 10 needs to sign this. And so that's something that we're working on. Trust was mentioned here earlier. We need our leadership, we need our Mayor, we need you guys speaking publicly about this tree plan and what is happening in our neighborhoods. Another thing I want to highlight is putting the fire to large education institutions and having them to continue support the labor and operations of their tree tenders by maybe PILT. Those who are unfamiliar PILTs is payment in lieu of taxes. I'll just stop there. Access to hydrant keys. Some of our tree tenders do have access to water, but a lot of the hydrants are being changed out. And so we need access to water so that we can water our trees for our neighbors. And I would say using councilmanic prerogative to moon -- to move land bank lots into a land trust that can be used for further greening like orchards and food production would be very, very helpful. While the tree plan from inception to implementation is a large undertaking, and I'm proud to be a part of it, it is a small step towards a holistic approach to what environmental justice in Philly should look like. I would be remiss if I did not lift up the vision and the labor of Ash Richards and her leadership on the Philly Urban Ag Plan, a 10-year framework for investing in agriculture and food justice. Both of these plans are the seed to growing a healthier, greener, safer, and more self-reliant Philadelphia. " Thank you. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Thank you so much, Dominique. We so appreciate the work of UC Green in the third district. Thank you so much. And I also want to lift up that you taught me a new term that I never let go of during our work with the reparations task force. You talked about greenlining, right? We've been talking a lot about redlining --

Greenlining. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: And what it has meant for communities to be starved of -- intentionally starved of resources. And you were proposing that in response to that we should do greenlining, right? And to me, I interpreted that as making sure that those same neglected communities have trees and are green, but also that we're investing resources in so many other areas. So thank you for the passion that you bring to this work.

Thank you. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Please state your name, for the record, and proceed with your testimony.

I'm Jacelyn Blank. Good morning, Philadelphia City Council. Thank you, Councilmember Gauthier for the opportunity to testify today. I'm truly honored to be considered an expert witness to be able to share my lived experiences and professional knowledge and hopes to benefit my fellow citizens of Philadelphia through continued advocacy for the necessary funding to further the implementation of the Philly Tree Plan. My name is Jacelyn Paige Blank, and after 47 rotations of the sun, my page has certainly not been left blank. In the earliest years of my introduction to urban living, I navigated my way around this city by bicycle, bus, car, and train, while dodging the myriad pothole streets of Kensington down to fit Grays Ferry up and through the northeast and back across Broad Street to Strawberry Mansion. At the end of my day, I would strip down in my East Kensington backyard naively thinking that I would avoid bringing bedbugs into my home. As an early intervention specialist, I had permission to walk through the doors of the homes and schools of many of Philadelphia's neediest children. It was behind the walls of those buildings and my travels on those treeless streets that I learned the naked truth about redlining. I was smacked in the face with the vile repercussions of systemic racism that led to the economic and environmental injustices of my non-white fellow humans. After seven grueling years of working full-time, and taking classes at Temple University, I finally received my master's in education with teaching certifications in elementary and special education. I learned more from all those difficult work experiences than I ever did behind the desk at Temple University, but I gripped tightly to that well fought degree regardless. Philadelphia has punched me in the face, kicked me in the gut, dragged me through the gutter, hosed me down by the powerful spray of a fire hydrant, and hung me over the telephone line to dry by the forceful gritty air of a gas powered leaf blower. Metaphorically speaking, of course. I may not have been born here, but because of and despite my years in Kensington, I certainly have been raised here. My genetic data is forever altered. These past two decades have groomed me to be a vocal and staunch community activist. I have led countless groups of suburban college students and cleanups of my neighborhood as a board member of the East Kensington Neighbors Association. I have stood arm in arm with my neighbors tirelessly advocating for the revitalization of our beloved Haggard Street playground. I have put up a fight in order to save what little green space we have left after the lead laid and dust settled behind the relentless years long development. The development that dredged deep moats through and around the community I was beginning to call home. Bridges were built over those moats that appeared to only be privy to the seemingly endless traffic of electric vehicles that parade passed our bodegas feeling entitled to park in a crosswalk while clamoring for a seat at Port Fishington's hottest new five-star restaurant. I am not only an educator and community activist, I'm a steward of the Rainbow Garden, which has to be the Philadelphia's tiniest preserve neighborhood gardens trust lot. I am co-founder of the Friends of HA Brown Elementary, one of Philadelphia's emeralds in the rough of public schools located across the street from the Rainbow Garden. Back in 2018, when I became steward, my first action was to have the lot cleared to improve sight lines. And then it sat for years because of the homeless encampments, flagrant drug abuse and increased prostitution. HA Brown is where I completed my student teaching in 2012, and where my son attended as a student for five years. I'm a pollinator partnership -- certified pollinator steward.

I'm also a survivor of Hepatitis A and I am one tough mother of an even more resilient, wide-eyed and emotionally conflicted 11-year-old who has witnessed more about being human than I ever imagined when I was his age. I am known by some as their preschool child's teacher and known by others as someone who will stand up for what is right and who is certainly not afraid to speak truth to power. However, I am more well-known for the 18 years of volunteer work. I just dedicated to the planting and care of thousands of street trees through Philly tree people, the not-for- profit volunteer operated tree tender organization I co-founded back in 2007. I am a proud graduate from the class of that year from the Pennsylvania Horticulture Society Tree Tender Program. This certification led me down a splintered path to becoming an international society of a bar culture certified arborist. Philly Tree People operates in 19125 and 19134 neighborhoods of Kensington yet reaches a wide audience. In partnership with PHS and Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, Philly Tree People has facilitated the planting of over 2,000 street trees since our inception. We have also provided educational events on the vital maintenance and pruning of our youngest trees to share the knowledge to others on what is needed for them to survive and thrive. We have built lasting relationships with many of our local public schools and friends of groups for local parks, and worked with civic associations to spread the word about the importance of trees within our urban environment. We have gathered hundreds of volunteers to assist us in the planting of these trees because this act is an immediate gratification for our quick Sunday morning. We have spent countless hours working side by side with Philadelphia youth, teaching them the skills we have gained and hopes that they will perpetuate the good work in their communities and demonstrate that the trees are something of value and they are necessary for everyone to survive and thrive. We have led, although unfortunately a lot fewer groups of volunteers to prune, provide tree care, tree pit maintenance and collect data on the health and well-being of the trees we have planted as well. I can't. I have to say that all of this work has been an unpaid labor of absolute love for trees. However, I cringe when people clap and cheer in response to our statistics because I know that many of those trees needed to be replanted many times because people have just destroyed them. Let's not forget about also the old oak tree within the -- with a 3-foot diameter that a neighborhood had just cut down this past summer, no permit, no 12 fines, no means of retribution as the 20 young trees down the street at another public school kept -- keep getting backed into ripped of their limbs and left on water during a long -- a month long drought. I have been knocked down many times, but for whatever reason I picked myself back up each day after licking my wounds and steadfastly got back to work planting and tending to the necessary care of thousands of young trees. But despite the unfortunate news in 2018 at the first ever tree summit, I learned that after a 10-year study tracking the planting of trees across the city that we actually lost canopy cover. Many were sick and dying, others were nuisance, invasive, made way or cut down to make way for development. And our youngest weren't big enough to show an impact. However, I persist. Surely things would get better. For the next several years myself and other like-minded Philadelphians spent hours on Zoom calls at the community voices steering committee meetings, helping to shape plan to bring back the canopy we so desperately needed planning to engage every neighborhood, ambassadors are paid and talked to in the hardest hit neighborhoods. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Can you take sort of -- sorry, can you take like the next 10 seconds and complete your testimony?

In late February of 2021, I was stunned not at the fact that the Philly Tree plan had been published, but rather that a blog had been posted about the destruction of hundreds of trees at Cobbs Creek. I can go on and on about that, and what others seem to think is fine to do, I drove away in dismay after being on that property, and I can't believe that my city simultaneously working with us to create the Philly Tree Plan also made deals to eradicate the majority of what was being planted. My 2,000 trees over years is 17 negated when those trees are removed. 18 So I simply wish to get my -- simply get 19 to my wish list for Philly Tree Plan. I 20 want to keep planting more trees, but I also feel like desperately giving up. I want actual laws to protect our heritage trees, I want laws to protect them all, I want those who are destroying our trees to be fined and educated on how to properly prune and take care of and plant, I want the community members who are working hard to be paid and cared for and understood, I want the -- I want community members who are going to be caring for these trees to be trained by professional ISA certified arborists. I want my city to stop making deals with the devils and to actively listen to and adopt the collected knowledge of the folks who have been doing this work for free. I want funding. I want there to be a priority because protecting successively planting and continually maintaining our urban forest has scientifically proven to be one of the most-simplest solutions to our most pressing issues. Thank you. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Thank you so much for your work and your passion and for being here today. I have a -- a couple of questions, but first, I'm told that we have some visitors and I want to recognize them. So we have Samuel Gompers School and Potter Thomas joining us today. Hi. Thank you so much. Thank you so much for coming to see your government in action. I hope I don't embarrass her too much, but I think I see the majority leader's daughter as well. Thank you so much for joining us. It's nice to see you. So that's a reminder of why we're doing this right, and why it's important. So Dominique, you mentioned during your testimony, that you might want to get more into sort of why there are denials and why people refuse trees in your work. Do you want to talk a little bit more about that?

Yes. So, I meant to -- in my nervousness, I meant to hand -- I have maps for you all, but I can give them to you afterwards but a map of UC Greens catchment area. Where we started it's very purple, which means it's a low priority. And then outside of that University City area, everything is red and orange and yellow, and that's because we need to continue moving out to plant more trees. So some of the challenges that I -- and I'll go more into the weeds about it. I'll mention one is -- is just built environment issues. If you have a cracked sidewalk, you have to have that sidewalk repaired before you get the tree. And depending on your income, that just might not be something that you can get done. And so with the help of our William Penn Grant we're able to have what we call an equity fund, which are going to help with the cost of that for residents that actually really need it. The second thing is tree stump removal and dead tree removal. We have a wonderful partner named Tree Ken who is also someone who helps with our pruning. He's been involved with UC Green since before I came on obviously but Tree Ken really provides affordable tree removal, and again if it's something that is still cost prohibitive, then UC Green fills in that gap as well. Some of the other issues are just addressing myths. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Okay.

And calming concerns and so one is, I don't want the tree to mess up my pipes. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Yeah.

I always show residents -- I do something called design charrettes where I'm meeting with the entire block and we go through the city approved species list. And I say before you could just plant a London plane anywhere. London planes I call them blockbusters. They belong in cemeteries and parks. They don't belong -- they don't belong on your -- on your sidewalk. And so I show them the city- approved species list which is organized by height. We walk the block and we go over, do you have overhanging wires? How wide is your sidewalk? How far is it from the -- from the -- from the corner, or a stop sign or a bus stop? And I show them how things are different from how they used to be and so that sort of calms them. And then during the design charrette process, the neighbors are actually able to design what they want their block to look like. Ari, who's on our board and with Hinch Collective then will produce a rendering of what the block looks like with those trees that they've selected and at maturity. And so when they look at it they're like, oh, this is what a Eastern Redbud looks like in bloom and spring. And so it gives them the visual and then they can make a decision as to what they want to plant or not. But, yeah, the build environment issues, the myths, people being concerned about having their pipes destroyed. And I tell people, tree roots don't destroy pipes. They take advantage of pipes that are already destroyed. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Thank you. Thank you for that. Ms. Blank, you gave a very thorough testimony with a very thorough wish list, but I wanted to ask you, if you could name one thing that you would like to see the city do better as it relates to -- relates to the tree plan, what would that be?

I would like for the city to take this very seriously. All members, not just our environment committee. You're here for a reason. And fund the people who are doing the work. Don't recreate the wheel. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Thank you so much. Minority Whip o'Rourke.

No 7 questions. Just simply one to one thank you, Ms. Blank, for your advocacy as chairwoman said, your passion on this matter, but also to you, London, for the work that you do. The education that you provide in real sense. I've known your work for some time and just thankful for what you bring to the city. You are a bright spot in our society. Thank you very much for your education and your advocacy. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Councilmember Harrity.

Yes. I also want to thank you for your work. You're in Southwest, Southwest Philly and West Philly and Kensington, I live, but I'm from Southwest Philly. I was born and raised there and I always -- they've heard me tell the story before. Before I moved to Southwest I lived at 17th and Mifflin, which is very landlocked. There's no -- it's not even really a park. There is one, but it's a bocce ball court for the old Italian people when I was a kid and you weren't really allowed in there. They didn't like kids playing on the playground because they were playing bocce and we, I guess, distracted them. But I always say when I first moved to Southwest Philadelphia, I thought I'd moved to the suburbs because I had never seen grass and trees and I get out there and everybody had lawns and, you know, and I'm not just talking like in the neighborhood, I first moved there I was in Bartram Village, and there was a lot of green. I remember going back in Bartram Gardens when it snowed and sledding on the hill there down to the river. But it always struck me of how nice it was and as a kid how proud I would've -- of my neighborhood because of how it looked and how pretty it was when everybody's flowers bloomed, and in the summertime everybody's lawn was cut. And as a kid I just remember that feeling, you know, of thinking, wow, this is a lot different, this is nice. You know what I mean? And I'm a firm believer in those kind of simple things that actually give pride to a neighborhood. You know, like I said, I live in Kensington now, and I live on a street in a neighborhood that is decimated by the opioid epidemic. But if you come to my street in the summertime, you'll see flowers everywhere because, you know, I go back and forth to New Jersey to the shore in the summertime and I drive passed the farms and I pick up the flats of flowers and I started making little baskets for a couple of the neighbors, the seniors. And then next thing you know, this one asks, that one asks, this one asks. And now almost every house on my block has flower pots out in front that bloom with roses in the summertime. And, you know, just seeing the kids' reaction to all that is something to see. So I just want to commend you on your work and I get it, funding is what we need. Some more funding. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: That's wonderful, Councilmember.

Thank you. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: And thanks to the -- go ahead. Do you want to respond?

Yeah. There were just a few things that I think Councilmember Harrity and maybe yourself had asked some of the other folks testifying that I wanted to build on -- CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Go ahead.

-- and speak to and it was about like the proactive measures that we have. So one thing to note about UC Green is that UC Green is steered by one employee and a lot of volunteers. So the 5,000 trees that have been -- that are planted and stewarded are because of the people who dedicate their labor voluntarily. Some of the proactive things that UC Green does, trees that we plant two to three years ago, we go back and we do structural pruning to make sure they actually survive. Every single year we do something called tree checkers. Tree checkers is going back to the previous year of all of the trees that we planted and checking them for, if they're surviving, if they've been watered properly, if there's been a drought. We're checking for all of these things. If there are pests, and then we provide a report card to the resident. And then by year two or three that we're coming back to that same tree and that we're doing structural pruning for them. UC Green also acts as a liaison between institutions and residents. The 60 -- the 200 block of 63rd Street is considered a highway. It is a pilot program for one of the first design charrettes that I was able to do. And mostly every single resident on that block has agreed to a tree because of the process that I told you about having the rendering and trees are traffic calming. And so when trees grow on a wide street, it makes the block look narrower and inadvertently causes people to drive slower. And that particular stretch of street is very loud. People speed all of the time and there's a lot of pollution. And so I'm looking forward to the next two to three, maybe five years seeing how much that canopy grows as well. I'm trying to think. Was there any -- CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Thanks.

Yeah. Go ahead. That's it. That's it. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Thanks so much to both of you. Will the clerk please call the next panel to testify?

Justin Trezza and Nate Hummel. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Good morning. You both have five minutes each for your testimony. Please state your name for the record and proceed.

Good morning, council members. My name is Justin Trezza. I'm the Senior Director of Healthy Neighborhoods at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. At PHS we believe that planting and caring for trees across our city offers an affordable, effective, attainable opportunity to significantly improve quality of life, safety, economic and health outcomes across the city. Importantly, expanding tree planting and care efforts will have disproportionately positive impacts in neighborhoods facing the most challenging economic and health outcomes today, because these are the neighborhoods where urban trees and our benefits are most absent today. We are committed to realizing this potential through the ongoing work of our tree tenders program and our new role as the home of the Philly Tree Coalition. We need city council's support and financial investment to realize the potential of trees to strengthen our city. Increasing tree canopy reduces violent crime, cuts asthma rates and can help reduce the urban heat island effect in low canopy neighborhoods. S. forest Service researchers estimate that achieving 30 percent tree canopy would prevent 400 premature deaths per year in Philadelphia. Despite this, Philadelphia has not historically invested in trees. In 2018, the city commissioned a study that found tree canopy, the area shaded by mature trees at percent, 15 having declined 6 percent from 2008 to 16 2018. In some neighborhoods, tree 17 canopy was as low as two percent against 18 a benchmark goal of 30 percent canopy 19 coverage to access health and safety 20 benefits like reduced crime and reduced asthma rates. In response to these findings, the city led the creation of the Philly Tree Plan in close collaboration with partner stakeholders including PHS. The goal of the plan was simple, to charter -- to chart a clear path to expand and grow a healthy urban forest for Philadelphia. At the end of the planning, partners agreed best way to implement the plan was in a public private joint venture collaboration in order to go big rather than fragmented for funding as invest in spreading the word and fundraising and keeping the partners in lockstep coordination around the care and growth of the tree canopy. Through joint venture whole becomes greater than the sum of parts. The Philly Tree Plan was developed by the city and partners and provides a road map to achieve healthy canopy cover goals and disadvantaged neighborhoods through continued partnership among government, non-profits, community organizations, and most importantly residents. Our city's liveability depends on healthy and well-care for trees that protect us from heat, improve mental and physical health and combat climate change. To realize this vision, the city PHS and other partners joined forces to establish the Philly Tree Coalition housed that PHS. The coalition is inspired by models and other cities, including the powerhouse Casey Trees in Washington, DC. The coalition has a simple purpose; ensure delivery of the Philly tree plan by coordinating and integrating work planning, implementation, fundraising and awareness building. If we grow in reach and health, together, the coalition secured -- or no. If we are successful, Philly Tree Canopy will become an understood civic asset like the library system and will grow in reach and health. Together, the coalition secured a $12-million grant from the federal government, which unfortunately has been frozen, support from individual donors, and recently a near $2-million grant from the William Penn Foundation. We are currently hiring a director to lead the coalition and work with partners to build a strong governing structure for the coalition. This builds on existing work to care for and grow the canopy -- tree canopy by PHS and many other partners. For decades, PHS's tree tenders program has worked across the city hand in hand with volunteers and neighborhood leaders to plant and steward street trees.

All told, close to 6,000 Philadelphians have been trained as a tree tender by PHS. Today there are over 80 active volunteer driven tree tender groups. Together, these groups plant more than 2000 trees per year. To realize the untapped benefits of trees, we prioritize our tree plantings in low canopy high priority neighborhood in line with the tree plan's goals. At PHS we believe that we must shift perceptions of trees from nice to have amenities enjoyed predominantly by largely white wealthy neighborhoods, to a vital and fundamental element of every Philadelphia neighborhood. All Philadelphians, no matter what their zip code is, deserve to live in a clean, green, and safe environment. Trees are a huge piece of this equation in addition to the obvious environmental and climate benefits. As we move forward, we ask for city council support in four ways: One, establish the Philly Tree plan as policy. Charge the Philly Tree Coalition as a driver of implementing the plan. Invite the Philly -- and invite the Philly Tree Coalition to provide an annual update on impact, financial needs and resources for the next year and then -- and the next set of work that needs to be done. It's important to keep implementation centralized in this unified body which works closely with partners and community groups. Two, partner with the Philly Tree Coalition and its members to educate neighbors about the value of trees and champion trees as vital neighborhood assets. To honor the legitimate concerns of residents, invest heavily, not only in tree planting but more importantly in maintenance. And then I could summarize. Two, invest significantly in trees, you know, work with the coalition to raise funds as well as having the city invest in it. And then fourth, PHS and the city together have done with the land care program, use investments in trees to create new opportunities for small businesses and more jobs for neighborhood residents. This requires long-term sustained funding not historically the kind of funding trees have received, and a commitment to structuring procurement and payment to match the needs of small businesses. Trees have enormous untapped potential for Philadelphia, and we thank you. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Thank you so much. We value the work of PHS so much. Thank you for all you've done to plant trees in neighborhoods across our city and to train our neighbors on how to care for them. And also I'm very excited about the Philly Tree Coalition and it sounds like a great vehicle to move the plan forward. So thank you. Hi, Nate.

Hello. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Please state your name for the record and proceed with your testimony.

Nate Hummel from University City District and I promise to be brief. Good morning, council members. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today on the importance of tree maintenance in our city for resolution 12 250126. My name is Nate Hummel, director of Planning and Design for University City District, and I'm here to speak about how strategic investment in tree care can enhance our neighborhoods, improve our environment, and create meaningful economic opportunities. University City District was founded in 1997 by partnering with world renowned anchor institutions, small businesses and residents to improve economic vitality and quality of life in Philadelphia's University City. Our primary mission is community revitalization. We work within a place- based data-driven framework to invest in world-class public spaces, address crime and public safety, support small businesses along our commercial corridors, connect low-income Philadelphians to careers with employee partners and promote job growth and innovation. University City is often celebrated for its tree lined streets contributing to its desirability as a place to live. The presence of large mature trees is a key factor in making a community more livable, providing shade, improving air quality and fostering a sense of place. When asked when a neighborhood should be designated as historic, a historic preservationist once told me, when the trees get big. However, many trees never reach maturity because of inadequate maintenance, particularly in their critical first few years. Later, branch and root pruning are needed to prevent property destruction. Proper maintenance during the first two to three years after planting is essential to a tree's long-term health. Supplemental watering in the first year is particularly important yet often overlooked. Unfortunately, maintenance budgets are frequently insufficient leaving young trees vulnerable and reducing the overall effectiveness of tree planting efforts. If we genuinely want to expand and sustain Philadelphia's urban tree canopy, we must ensure that maintenance is prioritized and adequately funded. One way to address this issue is to reframe tree maintenance as an environmental necessity and an economic opportunity. Our organization has a landscape division called Green City Works, a landscape social enterprise that hires individuals who have experienced deep cyclical poverty and barriers to employment. Through our skills initiative, formerly the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative, radical rebranding there, we provide foundational skills training and hands- on landscaping experience enabling individuals to build stable careers while caring for our city's trees in green spaces. This model is scalable and has the potential to create widespread benefits. The areas of Philadelphia most in need of street trees are often the same neighborhoods where economic hardship is most concentrated. By expanding this approach, we can simultaneously grow and sustain our tree canopy while creating jobs for those needing it most. I urge the council to consider policies and funding strategies supporting tree maintenance and workforce development. Investing in tree care is investing in our environment, communities and residents. Thank you for your consideration. I welcome any questions. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Thank you so much for your work at University City District and thank you for highlighting Green City Works as a model. I agree with you that it is more than appropriate to not only plant trees in the most under served neighborhoods, but to use that as a workforce and employment opportunity and potentially a business opportunity for people in those communities as well. Thanks so much to the both of you.

You're welcome. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Thank you. Okay. We are going to move to public comment. I think we have or 4 15 people for public comment. I'm going 5 to give everyone two minutes to complete 6 their comment. You will hear a timer go 7 off at the two-minute mark, and then I'm 8 going to ask you to summarize. I'm 9 going to be slightly strict about this, 10 so please help me. 11 Clerk, can you please call the 12 first person for public comment? 13

Gian Morthy and 14 Anisa George and Kat McCanus can come up as well.

All right. Good morning. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Good morning. Please state your name, for the record, and proceed with your comment.

My name is Gian Morthy and I represent Philly Trees. We're an urban greening and park cleanup organization housed within the University of Pennsylvania Parlin School of Medicine. And our sincere thanks to city council for working with us to put this hearing together. So as a medical student and future pediatrician, my inclination is to focus on the health benefits of trees, particularly on children with asthma at risk of heat related injury, and also even through reduced incidents of child abuse and maltreatment. But we've heard today from people far more qualified than I am on those very subjects so I'll focus instead in our community work. We volunteer with various neighborhood tree tender groups planting and pruning trees in undertreated neighborhoods, building bonds of trust between medical students and Philadelphians that percolates up to how we actually do work in the clinic. Recently extensive door-to-door canvassing has helped us identify several areas for improvement pertinent to tree planting and maintenance. Some of this canvassing has taken place as formal research into resident attitudes vis-a-vis trees. We actually presented preliminary results at the Our Planet, Our Health: 2025 Climate Action Convention this weekend. Residents that we've spoken to highlighted many benefits of trees including to their mental health or shade for their kids and pets as well as fostering community and pride at a broader level. Areas for improvement, however, included communication and education on the maintenance of trees as well as sidewalk damage and direct support. So we've worked with engineering, architecture and business students from across the university who are part of the climate leaders at Penn Program to generate policy ideas and produce reports evaluating some of these policy points. One ongoing area of investigation is the impact of the exemption to tree planting requirements outlined in Section 14-705 of the city code near certain affordable housing developments denying the benefits of trees to this already vulnerable population. We welcome the opportunity to partner with community leaders and city council going forward to more closely examine this affordable housing exemption as well as other exemptions. And I know we've talked today some of those have already been done away with and we're very excited to hear that. There are also intriguing ideas to offset the difficulty of tree maintenance for residents following into that direct support bucket that I highlighted earlier. That might include a storm water tax relief for maintaining a tree and the hiring of a sidewalk coordinator as Dr. Pearsall and Batone suggested in which Parks and Rec has long requested to better assess tree health at a neighborhood level and ensure Americans with Disabilities Act compliance. And this could be a part of that shift from reactive to proactive that was stigmatized here today. So thank you so much for the opportunity to talk about that. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Thank you so much for your work and for working with us on this hearing and thank you for your recommendations. We would be happy to talk to you further, particularly about the affordable housing piece. I think that's an unintended -- I think that probably that policy happened to try to save money to develop more affordable housing units but it has an unintended outcome and impact that we need to address.

Certainly. Thank you. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Please state your name, for the record.

Is it my turn? Hi. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Please state your name, for the record, and proceed with your comment.

Hi. My name's Anisa. I'm an environmental educator. I love the plan. I'm here to say though that actions speak louder than words and what we're seeing happen at the ground in places like FDR Park does not in any way mirror the goals set by this plan. The plan says protect the existing urban forest. And I have seen over 77 acres clear cut at FDR in the last three years, 20 of those have gone down since the plan was released. If the plan for FDR is completed, we stand to lose a total of 150 acres. That's the equivalent of 37 city blocks. And I think we should all take a moment of silence just to imagine that scale of loss. I have never seen ecological devastation like this in my life. It's heartbreaking and I hear city officials telling the public sorry, that this plan for FDR is actually expanding the canopy for FDR. This is very upsetting on three points. One, time. We don't have it. The climate crisis is now. We do not have time to go back on 80 plus years of carbon sequestration that is rooted in the trees at FDR Park. Two, the Philly tree inventory does not mark or map any trees on the western side of FDR Park. How does the city know whether it is expanding or not expanding the canopy for FDR if it has not done that accounting in the inventory? If that survey has been done, why is it not being shared with the public? Three, the canopy at FDR has been expanding spontaneously through the process of natural succession over -- since 2020. And there are dozens and dozens of trees over feet tall that 10 are doing the work of the Philly tree plan for not a cent that have not been counted that should be counted. So we have a great plan, but we also have a terrible double standard. Because the city has shown us that it will cut what it wants, where it wants, and it is not setting a model for the developers and the individuals and the corporations to follow. And so -- one more -- one more word. Like, what hope is there for the Philly Tree Plan if the city itself is not following its own plan? That's what I have to say. Thank you for your time. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Thank you so much for your comment and your efficacy. Please state your name for the record and proceed with your comment.

Hi. My name's Kat McCanus, I live in Francisville and I'm a registered tree tender and I'm jointly running the Francisville Tree Tenders Group. Thanks for the opportunity to speak. I am an enthusiastic supporter of the Philly Tree Plan and I offer just some observations and vignettes as a resident and volunteer tree tender. When I began volunteering as a tree tender I thought it was just public service. When I realized that to ensure the survival of the trees near me I'd have to haul five gallon buckets of water to 10 different trees within a quarter mile of my house for two or more summers, I understand why more people don't do it. In a harsh city environment, it's clear that urban trees require our support to survive their early years. And I want to point out that I have seen more crews out doing maintenance lately as the plan is suggesting need to happen. I also imagine that trees were inoffensive and unobjectionable and maybe even apolitical, but while watering for newly transplanted trees on a church corner in my neighborhood, I heard a voice, Are these your trees? It was the pastor. He hadn't requested the trees. He didn't want them. Take them out, he yelled. He didn't say it. He definitely yelled it. He just had the old tree removed at great expense to his church. The leaves had clogged the gutters flooding the church's interior, an extreme expense for a small congregation and he griped that the wet leaves were a hazard and they raised his insurance rates. Though I didn't and don't agree with his stance, it was hard not to see his point. Why wasn't he open to new trees? Easy. He knew the city wouldn't maintain them. So we really have to reduce that burden on city residents. It's clear we do have a ways to go on this front. Last summer, as I was watering outside my local corner store, a young man of about came out and asked me 14 about my water -- watering. And then 15 wonderingly observed that the petals, 16 the leaf stalks were red. When I told 17 him it was a red maple. He made the connection. Is this where maple syrup comes from? You could see the amazement on his face growing as I explained the use of a style to extract sap. At that moment, I just wished I could invite him onto a -- onto a crew. We need people like him. We need power core. We need bigger initiatives than that. We need a newly created -- the newly created City College for Municipal employment, for instance, to bring tree related stuff into their pipeline of programs. So we can expand the city's pool of future arborists and even offer opportunities for small business creation. My biggest hope is that the foundation of this plan, which is building trust with Philadelphia's neighborhoods is that the city will do what it says it wants to do. Trust is a little like trees, right? Very slow growing, but priceless once you have it. William Penn envision Philadelphia as a green country town and he had the right idea. The tree plan is a modern extension of Penn's vision with an explicit emphasis on extending the benefits of greenery to all of Philadelphia's residents. But the plan is not a set it and forget it kind of a thing. To truly reap the benefits, council must fully fund its priorities and the money must not be solely forgetting trees in the ground, but for their ongoing maintenance. Planting trees and expecting them to flourish without regular care is like having kids and expecting them to raise themselves. Finally, a word about the future, as we approach the US' 250th anniversary, it seems only fitting that we should honor this historic milestone with no, not another metal monument slouched by tourists as they go to Independence Hall or flexed in front of Lake Rocky, but with a real monument that truly enriches all Philadelphians, a robust ever greener and well cared for tree canopy. Thank you. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Thank you so much for your testimony. You had a lot of good analogies in there. I like trust is like trees.

Thank you. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Thank you for being here today and for your work in the community.

Thank you. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Where -- will the clerk please call the next person for a public comment?

Hal Rosner and we have Raphael Alvarez and Robert Karsnak. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Good afternoon.

Good afternoon. Hi, Your Honor. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Please state your name for the record and proceed with your comment.

My name is Robert Karsnak, I'm a member of the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club. I am a -- I sit on the conservation committee and the leadership council. I'm also a guide -- bird guide for the Bird Philly initiative, which I do a lot of walks at FDR. So we often also coordinate with other groups in the city, like there's the Feminist Bird Club, the Philly Queer Birders. And In Color Birding, we pretty much want to like share birds in nature with like the city. You know, community's important. There's been a lot of research that has been done about the positives trees provide. One such a study was conducted actually in this city by a diverse group of academics from like Columbia, University of Penn, Rutgers. And they focused on vacant and blighted land and they kind of randomly went through the city and greened up certain areas to see how like residents would respond. And mostly it was all positive. There was like a 58 percent reduction in people's fear going outside and more people spend time outdoors. It was like 78 percent. One concern I noticed in the study was residents would often be concerned about trees because they were worried about like gentrification. And it's -- my family is on a fixed income, so I like totally understand that. You know, it's ways when you have leaves if you get priced out. Sorry. So on a more personal level a friend of mine is a -- worked for a veterans' nonprofit called CompeerCORPS, and he came to me because he knew that like birds, and he's read an article about how therapeutic nature can be. So he asked me if I would take some of the vets out that he worked with and these vets were suffering from PTSD, drug addiction. So, you know, I took them out and I got like one really good positive vibe from them. But like, you know, it helps when you're struggling to have something that you could disconnect from, like no 6 internet, just go outside, listen to the birds, look at trees. And on a personal level, I've known several people who use nature as a way to maintain sobriety. It's not easy and considering like Philadelphia opioid addiction, it -- whatever can help people out is worth it. And, like, we were very happy to hear like the, you know, Mayor Parker's safer, cleaner, greener Philadelphia, you know, in order to do that, this tree canopy, as everyone here has talked about needs to be, you know, expanded and, you know, a greener city will help us, help the birds and help what other -- what other animals could be around. And it's not just parks where amazing like bird events can happen, like I did an event over at Hallahan High School, which is closed in September and the chimney up there at night during fall migration tracks like thousands of chimneys swifts. So I hosted a pair of nights and we had like 70, 80 people show up, and even the Inquirer sent a reporter, Frank Kumar, over to write a story about it. And, you know, we'd be thrilled to do whatever we can as a bird organization to help make this plan a reality, and I'd love to have any member of council join us in one of our bird walks and thank you. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Yes, I would love to come. Sign me up. And thank you so much for your work with vets and people dealing with substance use. That's really beautiful. Please state your name for the record and proceed with your comment.

Thank you. Good morning. My name is Hal Rosner, I'm going to start off with a quick vigil -- visual. I didn't bring a tree. Look at -- this is a three-inch diameter tree and look at this, it's a 36-inch diameter tree. So thanks for having me. I'm seeing a fruitful morning with many positive incomes and our city will be made greener as a result. I'm hopeful and optimistic. Philly Parks and Rec and the Horticultural Society's tree tenders program are the strong infrastructure and leadership we need. It's going to happen. I'm credentialed by the International Society of Arboriculture Board certified Master Arborist. I'm also on the fifth year of co-hosting The Plant A Trillion Trees Podcast, which is at 200 episodes and counting. We'd welcome you as a guest. I have dedicated my career and professional life to planting and caring for urban trees and I've seen firsthand what tree planting and greening efforts can do to transform historically under served neighborhoods, citizens with less. I'm proud of the Philly Tree Plan, talented committed urban foresters have created a document that now receives national attention from others in the field. It is a road map to a greener, cooler, atmospherically safer and spiritually grounded city. Objectively speaking, and I'm not an alarmist, the mission to grow and protect our urban forest is existential. The unfolding climate catastrophe is shortening lives and killing our citizens. Heat kills the elderly and poor air quality gifts our children with pediatric asthma. The tree plan's blueprint maps out the way forward. For it to achieve its objectives, we cannot cut corners, we cannot make deals, and we cannot be cowed by dollars. We cannot bend. Last spring, the Philly Tree Plan stumbled out of the blocks. So here's a meme for all of us. FDR Park must never happen again. FDR is representative for all our green spaces, Fairmount Park, Cobbs Creek, Pennypack Park, the Wissahickon and others and not our -- not for our precious street trees. Our urban park space is the lungs of our city and it's not for sale. The effort to preserve canopy and save hundreds of trees at FDR Park failed. The tree plans protections were ignored. Who suffered this? The trees, obviously. But because South Philly's only significant green space, South of Market Street, was largely clear cut. I'm again feeling some sadness, pain, and regret for its citizens. The city's ZBA plan paid no heed to the Philly tree plan. FDR must never happen again. A fundamentalist understanding that needs to be examined is the tree replacement formula arguably weak and vulnerable to loopholes. Accordingly, it's clear that in no way was canopy expanded at FDR where many of the lost trees were over 80 years old. That's 80 years of hard work, carbon sequestration, air cleansing, cooling, shading. The formula reads like this: The total caliper inches of all replacement trees shall be no less than the total inches of DBH of all trees removed from the lot. Each replacement tree shall not be less than 2.5 caliper inches at planting. Think of 36 inches, think of 36 of these, which would you rather have? It does not make sense in terms of public health impacts and the undeniable facts of climate science. Again, the most important principle in this plan is the protection of our existing canopy. Given the gravity of the climate crisis and the fact that this year, 2025, is the year that the IPCC has set for the world's population to reach peak commissions. The cutting must stop. FDR must never happen again. In fact, I respectfully -- CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Can I -- can I ask you to take just the next seconds or so -- 13

Yeah. 14 CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: -- to 15 summarize. 16

I'm sorry. 17 CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Please 18 take the next 20 seconds or so to 19 summarize your testimony. 20

To wrap it up. Yeah. Here's my last sentence. I -- in fact, I respectfully asked today that council reconsider and reevaluate current work at FDR and put the brakes on the tree removal work. It would be an extraordinary gesture to honor the Philly Tree Plan. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Thank you so much. Thank you for your work and your advocacy and your testimony.

Thank you for having the event today. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Absolutely. Will the clerk please call the next public commenter?

Linda Knapp, Robin Miller and Rich Gerella. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Good afternoon.

Hello. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Please state your name, for the record, and proceed with your comment.

She's going to go first. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Okay. That's totally fine.

Okie dokie. Here we go. Sorry about that. Good morning. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Good afternoon now.

Afternoon, right? True that. Members of city councils, neighbors and friends. My name is Robin Miller and I'm a volunteer with Mount Airy Tree Tenders and East and West Mount Airy Neighbors Project, the Northwest Philly Tree Equity Project. Also -- CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Can you just pull the mic a little closer so we can make sure we can hear you.

The North -- the Northwest Philly, I'm a volunteer with tree tenders and the East and West Mount Airy Neighbors Project, Northwest Philly Tree Equity Project, also known as Cooldown Northwest Philly. I'm pleased to offer this testimony from my experience as it relates to the ways we're supporting the goals of the Philly Tree Plan, particularly as it relates to planting new trees and how essential this plan is to Philadelphia's future. A lot of things have been said very eloquently by others who have testified before me, so I'm wondering about reducing mine and trying to cut to things that might be additive as far as strategies that we have found, made an impact. Together with several of my neighbors, I've been going door to door sharing information about how to get free -- a free street tree. Last fall we knocked on over 800 doors on heat island blocks in East Mount Airy in Germantown. We've been doing this canvassing spring and fall for the past three years. This has been a volunteer effort until this past year when East and West Mount Airy neighbors received a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Education. It's very cool. It's a one year grant and it provides for a tree equity fellow who expands our outreach to faith communities, block captains, establishes -- is establishing a tool lending library, hosting events and printing and distributing materials. Through this effort we've been trying to grow the urban tree canopy more equitably with a clear focus on environmental justice and echo the importance placed on this goal as expressed by the Philly Tree Plan. We've had a surprising amount of success with our efforts and I think because so much of our energy is spent generally -- trying to generally communicate with our neighbors about why it's so important to have a tree. And again, our work aligned with the Philly Tree Plan. When canvassing most people open the doors to us. We've met older residents who remember back when their streets were tree lined. One gentleman told us he doesn't understand why some folks don't like trees. Little children get very excited about getting a new tree to play in and as an early childhood educator and an early interventionist, I can testify to the multiple year round opportunities for science education with our youngest children. Some people really appreciate the idea that their homes will be cooler in the summer and that their property value will go up. Some people love burbs, others care about climate change. When people say yes to the tree, they apply online through the PHS tree tender program. And if approved, we plant their tree the next season. We've planted over 300 trees since COVID through this effort. We found that above and beyond getting a free tree for folks, they -- folks need and appreciate useful timely information about the benefits of trees. People on small streets need to be able to get yard trees if their sidewalks are too narrow for a street tree. And I think the biggest message I have is that tree planting is not once and done. It's the education and the pre-work and then the follow-up work, both in education and in the maintenance of trees. And the maintenance and care of the trees across the lifespan, if we want these trees to live and do what we hope is essential. We've learned that the number one reason people do not want a new tree is the financial burden it places on them. Homeowners whose doors we've knocked on have described -- have described older trees that they had to get pruned or removed, poorly maintained trees that have fallen on cars, the roof of their home, broken up the sidewalk or pipes and cost them a lot of money. And that again, is why we need the Philly tree plan and why it's focused on reducing the burden of trees on homeowners is the only way to ensure that we can continue to nurture and grow our urban tree canopy. This might be a little additive.

We have implemented strategies to support homeowners and to increase the likelihood of survival for the trees. We have planted, including the purchase of two 100-gallon tree bladders and a bike hitch, which -- with a solar pump, which allows us to go around and water recent planted -- recently planted trees especially during the heat of the summer. We also purchased 100 tree diapers so that every newly planted tree comes with tree diapers that can ensure the growth and the success of the tree. A final point, as volunteers we invest a lot of time and effort into new trees planted. It's very demoralizing when developers, businesses and apartment owners or the city itself just come and cut down mature shade trees. Just last week, the city approved a local business cutting down a heritage tree to make room for a parking lot. In closing, I'd like to say that we're encouraged about how many people are tree people. I'm encouraged by the new ideas that I've gotten today from other folks to take back. And I hope that the city will find further ways to support the Philly Tree Plan. Thank you.

Well, thank you. Thank you for your testimony. Please state your name and begin yours.

Yes. Thank you. All members of the committee on the environment, my name is Linda Knapp, I'm a PHS certified tree tender, a member of Mount Airy Tree Tenders, and I have served as group's pruning club coordinator since 2022. Mount Airy Tree Tenders has been planting and working to maintain street trees for many years. I tried to figure out the exact date. It's been so long now, and I don't think anyone really kept a record of it. Robin just talked about the Northwest Philadelphia Tree Equity Initiative, which is really taking root and being very successful. And as she said, it includes door to door canvassing, encouraging tree planting in neighborhoods where there are lower tree canopies. Since 2023, Mount Airy tree tenders has been successful in enlisting a larger number of volunteers who effectively are now planting an average of 120 trees a year. A dramatic increase in the number of annual tree plantings. So given this increase on tree canopy, the Mount Airy tree tenders pruning club is working to ramp up our efforts to make sure we can care for more of the trees. So we're really happy to see the increase, but it makes our work harder. So -- but we really are taking up the challenge. We are very fortunate to have two excellent certified arborists who volunteer a few times a year to lead dedicated volunteers in pruning older tree tender planted trees, street trees. And as a previous speaker said, trees really need care especially in the first two or three years. So over 30 years plus, PHS has established excellent practices and trainings for tree tender groups to care for trees throughout the city. As the committee on the environment, I strongly encourage you to support these practices in the implementation of Philly's tree equity plan so we are not just planting trees, but we are working to ensure they can be maintained well over time as so many people today have said.

In keeping with the Madam Chairs request to hold tightly to the two minutes, so if you could take about the next seconds 13 to wrap up your testimony -- 14

Okay. So 15 homeowners understanding in their 16 application that they need to sign off 17 that they're taking responsibility, 18 someone else is taking responsibility 19 and that could be a city program. 20 Trained volunteers doing annual tree checking as has been spoken about before, it's really critical. We -- you know, after one year you check all the trees that have been planted in the previous seasons. Pruning tree with the capacity to address the needs of our growing tree canopy over time and having a system in place for identifying tree problems because we can't reach all the existing trees if we can figure out which ones need help. And then finally, as climate change is increasing, the need to come up with better watering systems to care for the trees over time. Thank you for the opportunity to be here today.

Thank you both of your testimony. It does sound as if chairman --

A small question about the education part. I -- as I said before, I like that. Is there -- in your, you know, experience, is there -- does -- is there a chance that the insurance goes up on the property if they put the tree in or is that a -- not the case?

We don't know. That's a good question.

We're not -- we're not aware of that. I mean, it hasn't come up for us, but that doesn't -- I mean, we could check into that for you.

Yeah, I -- just with the other question is that would be too is maybe in the education process having some kind of if we find out what we have to do in order to not get it on your insurance maybe some kind of stick that we could give to people to say, Hey, you say this. You know what I mean? Non-evasive roots, yada, yada, yada. Maybe something like that. I'm not sure.

Particularly --

I'm just curious because --

Particularly landlords as mentioned previously, like when we try to go to the worst of the tree deserts, we find that a lot of the housing is not owned by the individuals living there. So some -- a carrot for them would be really nice. I would love to see us create a carrot for our youngest citizens by developing a program where we plant a tree at every early care and education program in the city. And then the children, parents and teachers get the education and then the -- would they get some type of acknowledgement from the mayor in the form of a plaque and maybe a visit from their local city council person that would just really instill these values at such a young age. That's my little fantasy. Thank you.

Thank you. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Thank you so much to both of you for your comment and for your work. Will the clerk please call the next public commenter?

Rich Gerella, Robert Karsnak, Alice Elaine Jensen. He already went. Okay. Sorry. Okay. Alice Elaine Jensen, Raven Arnold Green and Sean Saberino. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Good afternoon. Please state your name for the record and proceed with your comment. Whomever wants to go first.

My name is Sean. I'm lead organizer for the Brewerytown Tree Tenders chapter, and the Lemon Hill Neighbors Park Friends Organization. A lot has been said that I've already kind of wanted to say, but I did want to just add a couple of things just from my perspective as a person who has been organizing in his neighborhood for the last nine years. Is that, you know, we are kind of making the decisions here in the city to regulate ourselves out of canopy, the people in other departments and the citizens at large over all of the years of what we would call tree trauma, negative experiences with trees, have put trees as an afterthought. And that makes it -- and also as an inconvenience, something that's getting in the way. Because trees are not thought of as public infrastructure. They're kind of thought as fancy embellishments, d cor. So -- but they need to be kind of thought of and actually, like, put into some kind of language officially as public infrastructure. They're not different from the street, the telephone poles, the pipes underground. They are absolutely part of it because they serve a function. And the other thing is that the divestment over the decades of parks, and this is kind of part of a broader trend in the country at large, regardless of, you know, who's in charge, is to defund public spaces, defund our public departments, and try to find ways to maximize and externalize the costs of things, and that falls back on us as organizers because this city has become very reliant and comfortable and it has become the standard to exploit the willingness, the love, the care, and the labor, and even the funds of its residents to do not just tree work, but all sorts of work in the communities. And that's a failure of government and that's why people have these trust issues. So I recommend that we really look into doing something like expanding the TCB program to include basic tree work, unskilled labor, mulching, weeding, watering, anything like that so that we start, you know, developing a workforce for our trees. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Thank you so much for that thoughtful comment. Please state your name, for the record, and proceed with your comment.

So my name is Raven Green, and yeah. So I'm currently the tree program coordinator at Bartram Gardens, born and raised in this city, years old. And granted, throughout 13 this hearing there's been many 14 testimonies and many great points that 15 talk about like the tangible results of 16 trees, the tangible benefits of trees. 17 But I kind of want to talk a little bit 18 about the things that we can't track and 19 the unseen benefits that comes with 20 them. 21 So I currently work at Bartram 22 Gardens, but I was recently or formerly 23 a tree program -- tree program assistant 24 with the Philly Tree Program. And throughout my childhood, throughout my youth, I used to walk around the city with my dad and I remember the city being completely different than how it is now. Specifically, being, it was a lot more trees. We used to go to parks, we used to go down the block and as a point of education, he would ask me, all right, what do you see about these trees? What do you notice about them? And it was like a really big and part of my youth growing up. And so looking now at the city when I'm 25, after going through school, coming back, leaving the city and eventually coming back again, it's completely different. I see less trees on the block, some of the blocks where I used to live, trees are completely gone. And I think about it and I ask residents and neighbors like, what happened? Why was this a case? Throughout my work and just my personal things and many experiences that you-all heard today with my sidewalk, my infrastructures, it cost too much, trees are just a burden that as I'm getting older I don't want to take care of. And as I've like thought and listened to these experiences, it brought me again back to my youth when I was a kid and riding a scooter and I accidentally tripped and fell over a busted concrete that a tree, a London plane, ended up busting up. And in that point in time where I was scared while I was in pain because of the scab that I had of like bruise on my knee, I never once thought that tree as being a burden because I have a lot more fond memories of sitting under that tree, sitting under the canopy summer nights, waiting for the ice cream truck to come, raking the leaves with my dad and like neighbors on the block, because again, it was more so like a thing to bring the community back together. And like in my work now, that's the thing that I'm trying to strive to at least get it. And again formally working with tree fairly formally seeing just the work that they put in and the connections and the impact that they have on the community, yeah, that Philly Tree Plan is important in more ways than one. From being able to just, again, look at trees, study trees, I've been able to go to school, work at Yale, work, go to Brandeis, and like every step of the way trees have been a part of that project. Whether it was learning how trees work in our communities, educating people how to identify trees or even just cutting and maintaining them myself. So thinking about how that connection has kind of like stayed with me, in Bartram, I run a youth program now and one of the things that my students said to me like a month or two ago was that, oh, I'm looking to go into college, but to be honest I might just get into this tree work. And seeing again how that cycle continues of investing in the trees that will once again invest in communities that will once again invest in people within those communities. Trees not only transform the community; they have a heavily impact on the people within them as well. And again, with the efforts of the Philly Tree Plan, we already have that plan. We've already done the research. It's just now doing that work and having the support of the city with -- I mean with the people who's already been doing this work for decades. So, yeah, I'm just here to show my support and thank you-all for giving me the opportunity to talk. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Thank you.

Thank you so much, first and foremost, for coming back to the city, right, to be a part of the change that needs to happen, for mentoring other young people and getting them into the world of trees and for your work at Bartram's Garden, which is a part of my district that's near and dear to my heart. And thanks for testifying today. Good afternoon. Please state your name, for the record, and proceed with your comment.

I'm sorry. I looked at the list over there and I thought that I didn't make the cut, so I didn't think I was actually talking, so -- CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: No. 23 You're in. You're in. Go for it.

Thank you for having this meeting, COUNCILMEMBER Gauthier. I live by Clark Park. My name is, yeah, Elaine Jensen. I know it says Alice Elaine Jensen. That is my name. I was afraid I wouldn't get in with my real ID if I didn't have the name match. I volunteer at Clark Park. One of the things that I'm concerned about in the Tree Plan Philly, by the way, I think it's great. I had the opportunity of meeting the other co-founder whose name I can't remember at the moment and standing with her at the press release down in FDR Park parking lot in front of the clubhouse after Parks and Rec and Conservancy destroyed a whole bunch of them. Made my little t-shirt, Save them. And I didn't know about Tree Plain Philly before then, but it's great and one of the things that I'm concerned about is the maintenance that other people have mentioned. Living by Clark Park, I have volunteered with UC Green planting trees for many years, so was my daughter. She's turning 28. She was actually this big with Tree Ken, Sue McQueen, the previous folks. And with a past -- with the past hot summers, my husband bought a wagon and I don't know how many gallon water thingy, and I had to go to AutoZone and get some kind of hose so it would hook up to the dog watering station by the shed in Clark Park. And he went around every day and watered the trees. So if you think about all the volunteers that Ms. Dominique said she has at UC Green, and they have all those places across the city that they've -- it's just the -- it's staggering, the responsibility of maintaining the trees. And the huge example is what they did at FDR Park. So they cut down all these things, you know, Pennsylvania hornbeam. Who knew we even had a Pennsylvania hornbeam heritage trees. I didn't know what heritage trees were. I just know that I went during the pandemic and I walked in there and it was great. And I had just read in Grid Magazine that they were talking about. I just heard about the plan and I started crying. Anyway, they planted a little tiny -- bunch of tiny trees and saying, that's going to come -- make up for clear cutting. No. If it takes all this work for UC Green and half a block from my neighborhood, these little saplings that are -- where's the guy with the 36-inch waist and the -- and the bottle. I'm talking -- these are the saplings that are down there now are as big around as my thumb. They're not going to last. Anyway, I just -- we -- it's green, it's unconscionable what they allowed to have happen at FDR Park. Please don't let them do it anymore. And I didn't even know that it happened at Cobbs Creek, but I walked with WeWalk PHL. I went up to Haddington Woods and I was like, oh, that's where used to be trees. And it's just no more. We can't have anymore. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: Thank you so much, Ms. Jensen, for your comment and thanks for all of your advocacy and volunteer work. Will the clerk please call the next person for public comment?

Madam Chair, that's it. No more. CHAIRPERSON GAUTHIER: All right. Is there anyone else that wishes to testify on the resolution? Seeing no one else here to testify on the resolution, this concludes the business of the committee on the environment today. The public hearing on resolution 3 No. 250126 is recessed to the call of the chair. Thank you all very much for your attendance, your work and your participation. Have a great day. (Proceedings concluded.) C E R T I F I C A T I O N I hereby certify that the proceedings and evidence are contained fully and accurately in the notes taken by me of the above case, and this copy is a correct transcript of the same. ________________________ Samanda J. Rios