Major Expansion of Urban Forestry Operations and Contracting

A recent meeting document Medford - City Council Regular Meeting Agenda - 2026-05-26 indicates a future potential acquisition The City of Medford's Urban Forest Management Plan (UFMP) calls for a significant expansion of the city's urban forestry program, moving from a reactive to a proactive model. The plan recommends increasing annual tree planting from 200 to 400 trees by 2030, with a total forestry budget increase from approximately $790,000 to $1.2 million. This expansion includes the addition of 1 forester and 2 laborers, increased annual municipal planting contracts (estimated at $900 per tree, totaling ~$360,000/year for 400 trees), expanded young-tree care and watering contracts ($65,000–$175,000/year), and a proactive pruning and maintenance program ($100,000–$250,000/year). The plan also calls for technology upgrades, including maintaining tree inventory data in Cartegraph (software licensing $10,000–$30,000/year, hardware $5,000–$15,000), periodic canopy/LiDAR consultant updates ($25,000–$75,000 per update), and updating the UFMP every 5 years ($30,000–$100,000 per update). There is an explicit recommendation to coordinate tree planting with capital improvement projects (CIP), embedding tree-related costs ($100,000–$300,000/year) into road, park, and utility projects. The plan further recommends establishing a Tree Fund, development mitigation fees, and supporting community planting partnerships ($15,000–$50,000/year). All of these actions will require outside vendors for planting, maintenance, technology, consulting, and potentially for legislative and policy development support.