The Bloomington City Council voted 6-0 to approve and adopt the Urban Forest Master Plan, which directs city staff to begin putting its recommendations in place. The plan is the city's main guide for how it manages trees on public land, along streets and in neighborhoods.
City of Bloomington@CityofBloomingtonMNCouncil voted 6-0 to approve and adopt the Bloomington Urban Forest Master Plan, directing staff to implement its recommendations.06/29
The good news in the plan's data: the city's tree canopy grew 5% over the 10-year study period. That happened while emerald ash borer was killing ash trees all over town.
Adoption is the decision point, and the work now moves to implementation. The council's vote sends the recommendations to staff. The vote did not settle what the city will spend on its trees. That question will come back through future budgets.
The city hired consultant Davey Resource Group to assess forestry operations, review tree-related ordinances and policies, and gather input from staff, stakeholders and residents. The work had 4 parts. A GIS-based canopy assessment mapped where Bloomington's trees are and how that changed between 2013 and 2023. An inventory of public right-of-way trees covered about 35,000 trees. The plan document itself was the third part, and the last was setting up Treekeeper tree-management software. For the inventory, a camera-equipped "Smart Tree Inventory" vehicle drove city streets beginning in August 2025.
Data collection and community engagement ran through 2025. The city said the plan would analyze the canopy, assess tree health and species diversity, and set out strategies for climate change, invasive pests and storm damage. The council presentation was slated for June 2026. Residents can find the background and project materials on the city's Urban Forest Master Plan page.
Residents with questions can reach the Parks and Recreation Department at 952-563-8877 or [email protected], according to the city.
From the meeting: City Council Meeting, June 29, 2026.
