The City Auditor’s Office is conducting an audit assessing city processes associated with tree planting, removal, and data reporting. The city’s trees are assets and provide benefits to residents including reducing air and water pollution, decreasing energy costs, moderating high temperatures, and improving public health.

City trees (trees on city property and street trees within the city’s right of way) plus trees on private property make up the urban forest and provide a canopy of leaves over Kansas City, Missouri. In 2018, the tree canopy was estimated to cover 31% of the land area within the city limits.

The City Council’s declaration of a climate and ecological emergency in November 2021, and approval of the Urban Forest Master Plan in May 2020 and the Climate Protection Plan in 2008 provide policy direction for the city to actively address climate change. To help address climate impacts, the Urban Forest Master Plan has a goal of increasing the city’s tree canopy to 35%. While the Parks and Recreation Department is responsible for managing city trees, the activities of other city departments can affect city trees as well. Successful department coordination and communication impacts the city’s ability to achieve its climate and tree canopy goals.

The objective of this audit is to determine whether departments remove and replace city trees in a way that supports the city’s goal to increase the tree canopy.

View the audit Scope Statement online on our Recent Reports page.

The scope statement is scheduled to be presented at the Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, August 23, 2022. A presentation is also planned for the Council Business Session at 2 p.m. on Thursday,  August 25, 2022.