Urban Forestry Plan launched to enhance the County's tree canopy

On March 27, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava released Miami-Dade County’s Urban Forestry Plan, a blueprint to reach the County’s goal of 30 percent urban tree canopy cover. The plan was drafted at the direction of Mayor Levine Cava and the request of the Board of County Commissioners and aims to inform residents, businesses and stakeholders of the state of our urban forests and the challenges they face. 

The County’s reforestation goals are carried out by a multi-departmental effort that includes Miami-Dade County’s Regulatory and Economic Resources (RER) Divisions of Environmental Resources Management (DERM) and Office of Environmental Risk and Resilience (OERR) together with the Department of Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces. The Plan outlines steps to advance such goals for a healthy and well-distributed resilient urban forest system. 

Trees and our urban forest system are critical for cooling neighborhoods, cleaning stormwater and air pollution, preventing flooding, and reducing our carbon footprint. Under Mayor Levine Cava’s administration, Miami-Dade County has doubled the number of trees it plants annually and built partnerships with the Miami-Dade County School Board and faith-based organizations to prioritize tree planting in areas with current low canopy.