Saint Paul targets tree planting toward neighborhoods with low canopy cover and historical disinvestment, using equity scoring tied to CARP and Tree Code Ch. 175 to address heat-island disparities.
City Forestry under Parks & Recreation maps canopy cover by census block and prioritizes plantings in equity-priority neighborhoods including Frogtown, Dayton's Bluff, and parts of the East Side, where canopy lags wealthier neighborhoods like Mac-Groveland. Free or subsidized boulevard trees are offered to residents, paired with watering bag distributions and follow-up care. Tree Code Ch. 175 governs replacement requirements, while CARP commits to 40 percent canopy by 2040. Emerald ash borer response disproportionately affected lower-canopy neighborhoods, accelerating equity-focused replanting.
Property owners are not penalized based on equity targeting, but failure to maintain or replace required boulevard trees under Ch. 175 can trigger replacement assessments charged to the property tax bill.
See how Saint Paul's urban forest equity rules stack up against other locations.
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