San Antonio City Council voted to fund an agreement between the city and nonprofit Urban Canopy for the Community Tree Maintenance Program during its Jan. 30 meeting.

What you need to know

According to city documents, the ordinance authorizes city officials to execute a funding agreement in the amount of $250,000, using available funds from the fiscal year 2024-25 general fund adopted budget. The contract will expire either on Sept. 30 or upon completion of the program, and will be managed by Urban Canopy.

Through this program, qualifying residents will receive free tree maintenance.

Community Tree Maintenance Program services include:

• Application submission process, including evaluation of city hosted on-line webpage submission, managing and processing phone-based applications
• Consultation and evaluation, including site visits to assess tree health and determine appropriate action
• Tree maintenance and preservation, such as pruning and trimming
• Tree removal services for dead, diseased or otherwise hazardous trees where preservation is no longer viable
• Emergency services that prioritize homeowners with immediate urgent needs
• Reporting and documentation, including documentation of services provided and monthly invoices to the city

The ordinance also authorizes the San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department to manage the service contract with Urban Canopy.

The backstory

According to city documents, Urban Canopy is a nonprofit organization that provides tree preservation services to underserved communities throughout Greater San Antonio.

In early January, the Parks and Recreation Department entered a $50,000 jump start funding agreement with Urban Canopy to provide immediate assistance for any critical tree-care issue that may arise.

For more information on Urban Canopy, visit www.urbancanopytx.org.