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Louisville Tree Plan
  • Home
  • Role of Trees in Louisville
  • UFMP Process
  • About Louisville Trees
  • Updates
  • Draft Plan
The UFMP Process

The Process

The road leading up to the Urban Forest Master Plan (UFMP) started in 2015 with an urban tree canopy assessment. The results of this study showed that canopy cover had been declining for several years. After an eight year major planting effort, Louisville performed another UTC assessment and discovered that overall canopy went up by 1%, but certain areas of the city were still experiencing canopy loss.  Trees Louisville, in partnership with Louisville Metro, decided to pursue a master plan for the urban forest to create a strategic plan for the entire community related to trees.  

This master plan project started in January 2024, with the Discovery Phase running through August 2024.  The plan is expected to be completed in early 2025.  

The overall project timeline can be seen below, along with a description of the Advisory Group and Equity Council.   Meeting notes and summaries can be found here. 
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UFMP Advisory Group

The following are members of the UFMP Advisory Group.  This group will meet three times during the project to talk through issues, brainstorm on challenges, help guide the direction of this plan development process.  Thank you to all that expressed interest in serving in this group. We had over 200 interested, and had only 100 spots to fill. 

Within this group, there is also an Equity Council, designed to center the voices of historically excluded and currently marginalized communities.  These members are notated with an EC after their names below.  A full description of the Equity Council can be found further down on this page.  
McCauley Adams, Brown Forman
Vashawn Anderson, Neighborhood Representative - Pleasure Ridge Park (EC)
Kevin Bailey, KY Transportation Cabinet (KYTC)
Juva Barber, Building Industry of Greater Louisville
Von Barnes, Neighborhood Representative - Algonquin (EC)
LaDonna Barnett, Neighborhood Representative - Chickasaw (EC)

Jordan Basham, Louisville Water Company
Donald Biddle, University of Louisville - Geographic and Environmental Sciences
Deborah Bilitski, Waterfront Park
Emily Boone, Greater Louisville Sierra Club
Jerry Brown, Metro Tree Advisory Committee (TAC)
Jeffrey Brown, Louisville Metro Government - Department of Public Works
Ronel Brown, Neighborhood Representative (EC)
Ben Cecil, Metro Tree Advisory Committee (TAC)
Bradley Coomes, Louisville Metro Government -  Air Pollution Control District (APCD)
Carolyn Cromer, Sisters of Nazareth
Jody Dahmer, Beargrass Thunder
Daniel DeCaro, University of Louisville
Lisa Dettlinger, Louisville Grows
Katie Doran, Louisville Metro Government - Fleets and Facilities
Mesude Duyar, Louisville Metro Government -  Parks & Recreation
Barry Edgar, Louisville Metro Government - Urban Forestry
Jaquelyn Ekland, ISA Certified Arborist
Kristen English, Metro Tree Advisory Committee (TAC)
Rebecca Fleischaker, Louisville Downtown Partnership
Ozzy Gibson, Louisville Metro Government - Parks & Recreation
Kent Gootee, Mindel Scott (LA)
Morgan Grubbs, TreesLouisville
Helen Hacker, Metro Tree Advisory Committee (TAC), GLI
Frank "Peanut" Hall - Neighborhood Representative - California (EC)
Felicia Harper - Kentuckiana Regional Planning & Development Agency (KIPDA)
Tonesha Hearn, Louisville Metro Government - Office for Safe & Healthy Neighborhoods

Patrick Henry - Metro Tree Advisory Committee (TAC)
Bill Hollander, TreesLouisville
Keelonda Hunter, Neighborhood Representative - Parkland (EC)
Barbara Hurt, Dendrifund
Mike Jackson, Urban League / Kentucky Greens Co.
Julie James, Filson Club
Charlotte Jones, Goodwill Industries
Jessica Kane, Jefferson Memorial Forest & Natural Areas
Jennifer Kern, Louisville Metro Government -  Department of Public Works
Mike King, Louisville Metro Government - Department of Public Works
Kathy Knotts, Gheens Foundation
Allison Lloyd, PepsiCo
​Maria Koetter, CoolSeal by GuardTop
Chris Kolb, Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS)
Charlie Marsh, TreesLouisville / Stephen C Gault Co.
Kurt Mason
Anthony Mathis, Norton Healthcare
Lori Mattingly, Angel's Envy
Bear Miles, TreesLouisville
Keith Morgan, Neighborhood Representative - Shawnee (EC)
Jeff O'Brien, Louisville Metro Government - Economic Development

Chris O'Bryan, Metro Tree Advisory Committee (TAC)
​Andrew 
Owen - Louisville Metro Government - Council Rep. District 9
Brooke Pardue,  Parks Alliance of Louisville (PAL)
Prasanthi Persad, Wilderness Louisville
Patrick Piuma, University of Louisville
Michelle Ralkey, Hess Landscaoe
Sumedha Rao, Louisville Metro Government -  Office of Sustainability
Tee Ray, Bob Ray Co.
​Steve Ricketts, Kentucky Solar Energy Society

Lynn Rippy, YouthBuild Louisville
Lorri Roberts, Brightside, Inc.
Donald Robinson, Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS)
Jan Rogers, Neighborhood Representative (EC)

Robert Rogers, Neighborhood Representative - Shawnee (EC)
Betsy Ruhe, Louisville Metro Government -  Council Rep. District 21
Sarah Beth Sammons, Booker Design Collaboration
Jared Smith, Louisville Metro Government - Urban Forestry
Ted Smith, University of Louisville - Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute
Matt Spalding, Olmsted Parks Conservancy
Leia Staples, Bellarmine University
Cindi Sullivan, TreesLouisville
John Swintosky, Metro Tree Advisory Committee (TAC)
Donovan Taylor, Neighborhood Representative - Chickasaw (EC)
Erin Wagoner, Metro Sewer District (MSD)
Chris Weidamann, KY Division of Forestry
Matthew Wieczorek, Metro Tree Advisory Committee (TAC), LG&E
Mary Ellen Wiederwohl, Accelerator for America
Julia Williams, Louisville Metro Government - Office of Planning & Design Services
Dash Williams, Louisville Metro Government - Office of Sustainability
Sean Willis, University of Louisville - Urban Design Studio
Ward Wilson
Liz Winlock,  Metro Tree Advisory Committee (TAC), Olmstead Parks Conservancy
Ray Yeager, University of Louisville / Green Heart
Mark Zoeller, Louisville Metro Government - Fleets and Facilities

About the UFMP Equity Council

Recognizing the profound impact of a robust urban tree canopy on human health and environmental well-being, Louisville Metro Government (LMG) and local nonprofits are launching an Urban Forest Master Plan (UFMP) to analyze and rectify inequities in our urban forest. As part of this initiative, an Equity Council has been established to empower community leaders in underserved areas of Louisville.

Creating an equitable urban forest is an opportunity for Louisville to begin to redress historic disparities, foster equity, and create a healthy urban forest for residents long into the future.  Throughout this project, the views, needs, dreams, and desires of the various residents and stakeholders will be documented and honored. 

We acknowledge that voices and concerns have historically been excluded from formal decision-making processes. Specifically, communities of color, linguistically isolated communities, socio-economically disadvantaged populations, and other marginalized groups are often left outside formal public input and planning processes more broadly. Centering these perspectives in the process and recommendations of Louisville’s Urban Forest Master Plan is a key aspect of engagement for this project.  

Members of the Equity Council will be asked to provide their perspectives, expertise, goals, and priorities through a series of structured and facilitated workshops together with the larger Advisory Group, as well as in additional smaller meetings just for the smaller Equity Council.  This council will also ultimately set the goals for the plan.

Having a smaller group available to delve further into the concerns, ambitions, and priorities of these communities is aimed at prioritizing these perspectives in the development of the outcome and recommendations of this project.  Funds have been set aside to provide stipends for Equity Council members that might face financial constraints.
Meeting notes and summaries can be found here.
Contact Us At:
TreesLouisville
Cindi Sullivan
[email protected]
​502-208-8746

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  • Home
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