Tree canopy increases property values, help reduce utility bills, protect water quality, help recharge groundwater and prevent erosion. Trees clean our air, reduce sound pollution and make a significant contribution to the scenic quality of Broward County. Trees are major capital assets that provide local benefits and need local protection. Broward County is trying to increase the current canopy countywide from just under 20 percent to 40 percent. Opportunities are sought for urban tree planting that may exist in street corridors, urban plazas and inner-city parks where tree canopy is reduced because of excess pavement. 

Broward County completed the latest survey of the urban tree canopy coverage in 2018, using Geographical Information Systems (GIS). The study area of urban Broward County includes 31 cities and unincorporated areas. Prospective uses for this information include assessment of tree canopy trends since the previous county-wide study was done using 2012 aerial photography. The survey will also be used to develop targets for future tree canopy by the various municipalities who are trying to develop achievable goals; and to evaluate achievable canopy coverage for various zoning and land use categories. The tree canopy survey provides the technical basis for the County’s Urban Forest Management Plan. It can also serve as the basis for future carbon sequestration efforts as part of enhanced sustainability efforts.

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