Austin tree canopy growing, in line with climate goals

Geospatial data acquired by the city of Austin shows progress in tree protection and planting, according to the Community Tree Preservation Division. According to a new story map released by the city, 41 percent of Austin was covered by tree canopy in 2022, which is shy of the 50 percent goal set for 2050 but higher than the historical average of 35 percent and the documented 36 percent in 2018. “The greatest planting opportunities reside on private land mainly because private land makes up the largest share of land ownership in Austin, but also because that’s where the majority of plantable space is located,” notes the story map, which does a deep dive on the issue of trees in Austin. “When we look at public land owned by the City of Austin, street rights-of-ways comprise nearly half of all public land and (offer) the largest amount of plantable space compared to other public land uses like parks and libraries,” the report reads. “This is partly due to the sheer amount of land occupied by the right-of-way (39,000 acres) and partly due to public parkland being already largely planted out.” The report also notes that tree canopy is not evenly distributed across the city, with wealthier, whiter neighborhoods receiving its benefit disproportionately.