Protecting Nashville's Trees

Mayor’s Budget Seeks More Employees to Care for Trees

As the budget for Metro Nashville winds its way through the Metro Council and public hearing process, the Nashville Tree Conservation Corps is encouraged by several budget items that could help to protect our city’s valuable trees. Under Mayor John Cooper’s proposed budget, at least three departments are requesting new employees (known as Full-Time Equivalents, or FTEs) to support tree maintenance and tree policy enforcement:

• Water Services/Stormwater Management — requesting two new employees: a junior arborist, who will work in the field on tree projects and respond to tree complaints, and a project planner, who will manage tree planting on Metro properties. The department has also requested an additional $200,000 for planting and an additional $200,000 for tree maintenance.

• Planning — requesting two new employees, one to evaluate proposed developments on steep slopes from an engineering perspective and another to focus on trees, particularly zoning code and subdivision updates pertaining to trees. These two new positions would significantly increase the department’s expertise in these areas. 

• Parks — requesting 1-2 FTEs for it landscaping division. 

• General Services — though it is not a new position, the General Services department is planning to rehire an arborist to manage trees on GS property, such as public libraries, fire stations and community centers. The citywide hiring freeze instituted in 2020 left the position vacant.

Trees at Metro government’s Fulton Campus off Second Avenue South.

The mayor’s proposals will be evaluated by the Council and could be amended or eliminated in the final budget for next year.

Mary Beth Ikard

Mary Beth Ikard, Director of Sustainability for the mayor’s office, says that even in difficult financial times, it makes sense from both a monetary and environmental perspective to provide adequate care for trees on city property. “There is a lot of data to support the efficacy of trees for stormwater retention and water quality,” she says, pointing to one study that showed a 12 to 1 return on investment when trees are used to reduce stormwater runoff.

Because of climate change and Nashville’s record growth in recent years, stormwater problems are growing in neighborhoods throughout the city. Ikard cites the Nations as one example — an area where an antiquated stormwater system can no longer cope with storm runoff, creating tremendous spot flooding issues. Metro Water Services found that retrofitting one five-square-block area of the Nations with a new stormwater system would cost the city $40 million. And there are many other neighborhoods with similar problems.

Green infrastructure

A less capital-intensive solution to the problem can be found in so-called “green infrastructure” projects, such as planting and maintaining trees on city land and converting old paved parking lots to greenspaces and parks. Greenspaces reduce runoff and trees help to capture and filter water before it reaches our stormwater systems and treatment facilities. Ikard cites the current budget requests as evidence that Mayor Cooper’s office sees the value in working to protect Nashville’s tree canopy.


New plantings at Fire Station 19 off Charlotte Pike.

Still, several lingering administrative problems in Metro agencies will continue to affect Nashville’s trees. Even if its new maintenance employees are approved, the Parks department remains woefully understaffed for the task of caring for thousands of acres of parklands and trees. By the estimate of the Parks director, it would take 100 new employees to adequately maintain our city parks. Also, the Codes department has requested no new tree-related positions, despite the fact that there are only two urban foresters in the department to enforce tree policies for builders.

Contact your council member

Metro Council will hold a second reading and public hearing on the budget Tuesday, June 1, with third reading and final passage set for June 15. Join the Nashville Tree Conservation Corps in supporting these budget initiatives and let your voice be heard in encouraging our city government to make Nashville a more tree-friendly city.

UPDATE: This post has been updated to note that the Parks department is requesting 1-2 new landscaping employees and that the Codes department currently has two urban foresters.