Orange County is beginning development of an Urban Forest Master Plan to provide a strategic, data-driven framework guiding the long-term management and expansion of tree canopy. The Plan will establish a clear vision, identify measurable goals and prioritize actions to improve canopy coverage, strengthen resilience and ensure equitable access to tree benefits across all communities.

Follow its progress and get involved on the County's Engage Orange - OC Loves Trees hub page.

When the right tree is planted in the right place, thousands of dollars of benefits per tree can be added to a community. Trees make our spaces more livable and improve our quality of life in many ways, including the following:

• Controlling stormwater runoff and pollution
• Improving our air and water quality
• Sequestering carbon
• Providing habitat for wildlife
• Reducing urban heat island effects
• Increasing walkability and adding natural beauty

Studies have shown that trees decrease power bills, increase property values and even slow down traffic when compared to neighborhoods and roads without trees.

In January 2017, the Florida Forest Service selected Orange County to participate in a study to find ways to better integrate urban trees into stormwater management programs. Better stormwater management results in healthier water quality in lakes, rivers, springs, and aquifers. The study will look at how Orange County could be using trees more efficiently as green infrastructure to supplement our stormwater management systems.

For a copy of the 2017 Trees to Offset Stormwater, Case Study 01: Orange County, Florida or the slide presentation from the June 2017 Community Meeting about Trees and Stormwater, please, contact the Environmental Protection Division.

The Urban Forest Ecological Analysis (Tree Inventory and i-Tree Eco Analysis) Report was prepared by Legacy Arborist Services (a division of Natural Resource Planning Service). The report quantifies the composition, health, and environmental and economic benefits of the urban forest within the urban service area of unincorporated Orange County.

30 years of tree canopy cover change in Orange County from 1986 to 2016 is a report developed by the University of South Florida (USF). This report attempts to provide historical perspective on Orange County’s tree canopy over the past 30 years.

For a copy of either of these reports, please, contact the Environmental Protection Division.