Goal 8 Urban Forest

Goal HQL-8: Maintain, enhance, and increase the city’s urban forest as an environmental, economic, and aesthetic resource to improve Hayward residents’ quality of life. 

Extensive tree canopies reduce the urban heat island effect and make streets and sidewalks more pleasant places to walk. Trees absorb carbon dioxide and pollution and produce oxygen, which contributes to improved air quality and human health. Trees also shelter wildlife and promote biodiversity, and can provide healthy sources of food, such as fruit and nuts. Policies in this section sustain and enhance the city’s urban forest.

The City shall manage and enhance the urban forest by planting new trees, ensuring that new developments have sufficient right-of-way width for tree plantings, managing and caring for all publicly owned trees, and working to retain healthy trees.

Regulation and Development Review (RDR)City Master Plans, Strategies, and Programs (MPSP)City Services and Operations (CSO)

The City shall maintain and implement an Forest Management Plan.

City Master Plans, Strategies, and Programs (MPSP)

The City shall require the retention of trees of significance (such as heritage trees) by promoting stewardship and ensuring that project design provides for the retention of these trees wherever possible. Where tree removal cannot be avoided, the City shall require tree replacement or suitable mitigation.

Regulation and Development Review (RDR)City Master Plans, Strategies, and Programs (MPSP)

The City shall promote planting shade trees with substantial canopies, and require, where feasible, site design that uses appropriate tree species to shade parking lots, streets, and other facilities to reduce heat island effects.

Regulation and Development Review (RDR)Public Information (PI)

The City shall continue to provide free street trees to help beautify and keep Hayward green.

City Master Plans, Strategies, and Programs (MPSP)