 About Us
In 1987, the Sarasota Board of County Commissioners formally created a Forestry Division to conserve, preserve, cultivate and maintain the innumerable trees and environments that compose our community forest.
In conjunction with other county service centers including Parks and Recreation, Sarasota County Extension and Environmental Services, Forestry is the steward for trees found in the wild, in parks, on beaches, in the county rights-of-way, medians and thoroughfares, along waterways and water features and bordering our canopy roads.
Among our many achievements and services, Forestry has developed a Neighborhood Tree Program, our own county Tree Nursery, a comprehensive Master Tree List and Risk Abatement Program.
- The Division has reforested the county’s Interstate 75 corridor and ramps, plus planted more than 20,000 street trees.
- We fostered the creation of Tree Protection, Street Tree and Canopy Road Ordinances.
Forestry supports ongoing projects for invasive species removal and has volunteered emergency services both within the county and other Florida locations devastated by tropical storms and hurricanes. In acknowledgement of our performance and stewardship, the National Arbor Day Foundation has awarded the county Tree City USA certification annually since 1991.
The Forestry Division supports the evolution of Sarasota County as a healthy, progressive community. Emerging services under this agenda include:
- An informative and interactive forestry Web site, a series of public lectures, as well as education and community outreach programs.
- Forestry will have an integrated Urban Forestry Management Plan, structured to merge our natural assets and urbanized features on a prospective and continuing basis.
- Forestry is forging creative partnerships with foundations, associations and commercial and academic institutions.
- These partnerships will ensure that our community has access to latest technology and research and will meet its greatest potential for innovation.
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