What Exactly is a Stormwater Tree?

Presenters: Julie Brandt and Paul Fendt, Parametrix; Michael Posey, City of Des Moines The latest NPDES Phase I and Phase II Municipal Stormwater Permits have new policy and mapping requirements for “tree canopy to support stormwater management and water quality.” Through this presentation, we will discuss what the Permit is actually asking for, and we’ll dive into the background that brought about these tree canopy elements. We’ll differentiate the purposes of the policy requirements against urban forest management plans. We’ll compare tree canopy mapping inventories done for other purposes, such as WA DNR’s forestry management, and how those contrast against an NPDES stormwater tree inventory. We’ll also present important considerations of the future implications of these new requirements, as well as actionable strategies to both comply with the Permit and support meaningful tree canopy management for your jurisdiction moving forward. Case studies using NPDES stormwater tree inventories recently completed by your fellow permittees will also be presented.