Brookline Builds A Plan To Protect Trees Amid Climate Change

BROOKLINE, MA — If you ever walked around Brookline and lamented the loss of trees near one of the many gas leaks around town or wondered what the town could do to save the trees as the climate changes, now's your chance to weigh in.

The town is developing an Urban Forest Climate Resiliency Master Plan and is presenting its latest drafted plan and asking for residents to weigh in once again.

The goal of the Master Plan is to "proactively and equitably" prepare for and protect against the impacts of climate change on Brookline's public and private trees, and in turn prepare for and mitigate impacts to the community and environment overall.

This has been long in coming. Brookline’s first Sustainability and Climate Action Summit in 2018 recommended a master plan that eyed nature-based solution to climate change be a priority. Then the state awarded the town a grant last February to hire a consultant team to develop the Urban Forest Climate Resiliency Master Plan. That March the Parks and Open Space Division started working with Kyle Zick Landscape Architecture. They've already held three other public forums and taken input, but this will be the first virtual showing of the draft of the final plan.

They hope to be finished creating the plan by June.

The plan eyes recommends several strategies to strengthen the urban forest.

The town will present the plan from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. May 17. You can register in advance by clicking here.

"The upcoming public meeting will be an opportunity to review key takeaways from the Master Plan prior to its finalization, including the analysis of tree canopy coverage across Brookline and climate change risk and intervention analysis," according to the Brookline Department of Public Works Parks and Open Space Division.

To find more info about the project: www.brooklinema.gov/urbanforest.

Previously: Amid Drought, How Brookline Can Help Trees Survive

• Brookline Residents, Town Want To Know Why Trees Keep Falling...