What is an Urban Forest?

An urban forest is all trees in the City, like those that grow along streets, in parks, and on private and commercial properties. Urban trees that grow within communities help Guadalupe residents adapt to more extreme weather such as heat, storms, and flooding by providing shade, cleaning air, and reducing stormwater impacts, and supporting local wildlife.

Why does Guadalupe Need an Urban Forest Management Plan (UFMP)?

• Healthier and Safer Trees: A UFMP helps us maintain the health and diversity of our trees, ensuring trees are thoughtfully planted and maintained to serve the next generations and minimize risks to life and property.
• Environmental Benefits: Trees provide shade, absorb pollutants, reduce stormwater runoff, and combat climate change by sequestering carbon. A UFMP will help the City leverage trees strategically to address challenges faced by the community of today and the future.
• Community Well-being: Guadalupe’s parks and green spaces promote physical and mental health, offering places for recreation and relaxation. The City’s UFMP will help guide the City toward growing and maintaining Guadalupe’s urban forest so that everyone in the community has equal access to trees and the benefits they provide.
• Economic Value: Well-maintained trees can increase property values and attract businesses, boosting our local economy. The UFMP will create strategies for enhancing and preserving these valuable community assets. A  well-maintained urban forest also provides more opportunities for workforce development in the green jobs sector.

Contact

Have any other questions or input? Please email: Dayanira Cruz at dcruz@ci.guadalupe.ca.us 

 Project Schedule

The development of the UFMP will take place over the next several months, with a public draft expected to be released for community input by January 2026. The community survey will be open from August through October 2025, and other community engagement events will take place on that same timeline. The final draft of the UFMP is expected to be completed by February 2026.