Cedar Rapids, Iowa
ReLeaf Cedar Rapids is an urban reforestation plan for the citizens of Cedar Rapids.
On August 10, 2020 a straight-line storm known as a derecho swept across central and eastern Iowa and western Illinois causing incredible damage to buildings and trees. The City of Cedar Rapids is estimated to have lost over 65% of the urban tree canopy to this storm.
In collaboration with planner Jeff Speck, Confluence was engaged by Trees Forever, Inc. to create a comprehensive plan to guide the replanting and replacement of the City's lost urban tree canopy. The planning process is on-going and utilizes significant public input to prioritize the community's replanting efforts based on several criteria - with equity being a primary driver. Confluence is engaging the community in the planning process while using GIS data and tree inventory analysis to document the extent of the loss by tree size and species. This plan provides guidance and replanting recommendations to ensure the future replacement tree canopy is healthy and diverse.