Urban Forestry Program

Sandy Springs Urban Forestry Program

Trees and the natural environment in general are a priority for the Sandy Springs community and Policy GS-D1 from the Next Ten Comprehensive Plan reflects this: “Preserve and enhance the tree canopy: Establish and implement an aggressive program to protect, renew and expand Sandy Springs’ tree canopy”.

Urban Forestry Operations and Policies

The State of the Forest

Canopy Study and Inventory

To better understand the existing tree coverage, the City conducted a study in conjunction with the University of Georgia Institute of Ecology Natural Resources Spatial Analysis Laboratory (NARSAL) in 2017. This comprehensive tree canopy study analyzed aerial photographs and determined that Sandy Springs has an estimated tree canopy of 62 percent, an increase of three percent over a 2010 study, and the highest it has been since the first study of this kind in 1991. This means that trees cover more than half of the view of the City from the sky. Sandy Springs’ canopy is among the top tier of American cities with highest percentages of tree canopy.

The Recreation and Parks Department oversees the planting and maintenance of all the trees on City-owned property, such as street trees and those in public parks. In addition to the citywide canopy study, the City commissioned surveys of all the individual trees on public property. The surveys are conducted by experienced arborists and collect data on each trees such as species, size and health condition. This information is used to create management plans and identify areas for new plantings. The City is updating its inventory and developing a new landing page, allowing our residents the opportunity to interact with, and educate themselves on, our urban forest, and all of the ecosystem services it provides. Please check back soon for more details.

The City has planted more than 1,000 trees since 2018, to learn more about where they are located and what types of trees you will find, visit this Tree Map. 

Ecosystem Services - The Benefits of Trees

Trees provide numerous ecosystem services and social benefits:

• Leaves dissipate rainfall, absorb some of the moisture and slowdown runoff
• Trees provide a natural cooling effect in the hottest months of the year, generating savings in air conditioning, when located appropriately
• Roots help maintain soil health and prevent erosion
• Certain plant species can improve air quality by collecting dust on their leaves and capturing some air pollutants, all produce oxygen from photosynthesis
• Provide habitat to wildlife – shelter and food
• The canopy dampens ambient noise and reduces noise pollution
• The presence of trees positively impact mental and physical health
• Trees can significantly improve aesthetics and increase property values

Major Forest Patches in Sandy Springs

Metro Atlanta is located in the Piedmont region, the foothills of the Appalachian mountain range. When European settlers came to Georgia, most of the land was covered by forest that was later cleared for agriculture or harvested for timber. Sandy Springs began to develop as a suburb to Atlanta in the 1950s and single-family homes progressively replaced farmland and patches of forest.

Several large tracts of land are forested in Sandy Springs: three units of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (Island Ford, Powers Island and East Palisades), many City parks (Big Trees Forest Preserve - a member of the Old-Growth Forest Network, Lost Corner Preserve, Morgan Falls Overlook Park, and Ridgeview Park) and private properties as well. This network of forest creates critical habitat for wildlife, including migratory birds on their way to other parts of the continent.

How Can Individual Homeowners Contribute to the Urban Canopy?

Plant native trees

The City partners with Trees Atlanta to provide trees, free of charge. Up to three trees per property can be requested. The trees must be planted within 35 feet of the street right-of-way, in the front yard. Only properties along public roads are eligible. Trees Atlanta will plant the trees but homeowners are responsible for the maintenance. For more information and to place a request, please visit: treesatlanta.org/yardtree/

Invasive Species Management

Many plant species native to other parts of the world thrive in our area, due to similarities in climatic conditions. Some make their way to our area as ornamental plants and others as unnoticed hitchhikers. Unfortunately some are very adaptable and, without their native predators to keep them in check, will spread uncontrollably. This can result in displacing our native plant species which are sources of food for the local wildlife. In other words, exotic invasive species are a serious threat to the health of natural ecosystems and are illegal to plant in the City of Sandy Springs (Development Code, Section 8.2.8) 

English ivy (Hedera helix) is of particular concern to trees as it has a tendency to climb up trunks. It attaches itself to the support plant causing damage to the bark. It can rob the tree from sunlight and cause it to struggle to grow leaves. Eventually the ivy may become too heavy for the tree structure and break branches and the trunk. Information on English ivy 

Other resources:

Trees Atlanta published a list of the top ten forest threats in metro Atlanta:

Georgia Invasive Species Task Force

Georgia Exotic Pest Plant Council: “Suggested Alternatives to Non-native Invasive Plants”

Nonprofit and Volunteer Groups in Sandy Springs

Sandy Springs Eco-stewards

Sandy Springs Conservancy

Eco-addendum

Trees Atlanta

Friends of Lost Corner

Environment Sandy Springs

Re-forest ATL 

Care for trees as they grow

While trees require minimal maintenance when compared to smaller plants, they need to stay hydrated and fertilized. They may also need to be occasionally pruned to keep low branches out of the way and to ensure the structural stability of the tree. This will result in mature trees that are strong and less prone to damage from weather storms.

Not all trees require the same type of care. For guidance, consult the Fulton County UGA Extension Office: https://extension.uga.edu/county-offices/fulton.html

If you need to remove a tree on your property, please be aware a permit might be required:

Tree Removal Permit page