Storyline: At the close of fiscal year 2024 over 2.5 million ft2 of tree canopy had been preserved while more than 380,000 ft2 of tree canopy had been planted. Nearly $380,000 were paid in Fee in Lieu, which will be used to enhance the urban canopy. Desired Trend: Increase in the tree canopy preserved and planted. Methodology: [...]
Storyline: 50 organizational work plan projects, which drive the general direction of the City, were planned or implemented with a sustainability lens, accounting for 91 percent of the projects. Of the 5 projects that didn’t consider sustainability only one likely would have been relevant. Desired Trend: Increasing number and percentage of OWP projects planned and implemented [...]
Storyline: There are nearly 300 edible and pollinator site entries in our Asheville Edibles Map and over 2/3s of those are on City-owned property. Desired Trend: Increase in total number of entries for edibles on City property Methodology: Analysis of edible sites uploaded to Asheville Edibles Map
Storyline: $17 million of the fiscal year 2024 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) budget was used toward projects considered to be sustainability or climate-related. That accounts for 26% of the total $68 million dollar CIP budget. Desired Trend: Increase in funds allocated and percentage of total funds for sustainability/climate related projects. Methodology: Analysis of descriptions of Fiscal Year [...]
Four closures of City infrastructure had a high probability of being weather related in fiscal year 2024. Examples of closures include facilities, roads, and services like electricity and water. This is the first year city-owned infrastructure closures were tracked for these purposes and we are updating our tracking methodology to increase reporting consistency across the [...]
Before COVID, carbon emissions from City operations were trending downwards and on track to meet our 2% annual reduction goal, but not the 4% annual reduction goal. As employees have shifted back to office-based work, and the number of City employees has increased by nearly 35%, emissions have increased. Employee commute, electricity use, and fleet [...]
Electrify Asheville-Buncombe County is a pilot program supporting home energy efficiency and electrification upgrades as one way to move toward the City supported goal of powering Buncombe county with 100% renewable energy by 2042.
Pawpaw season is here! Find, pick, peel and eat this fleeting fruit for a taste of the tropics right here in Appalachia. Did you know the Pawpaw is North America’s largest native fruit? No matter what time of year it is, the Asheville Edibles Map provides great ideas for locating and [...]
As changes in climate continue to impact our local weather patterns, the Asheville region expects more frequent and more intense weather events. There are actions we can take individually and as a community that will help build our resilience during emergency events and that will also support in “blue skies” times. Blue-skies actions, meaning the good [...]
City of Asheville launches Tree Inventory as part of Urban Forest Master Plan
The City of Asheville is embarking on a comprehensive tree inventory as part of its Urban Forest Master Plan to safeguard and enhance the urban forest. Over the next several weeks, arborists will conduct a thorough assessment of public trees located in the right-of-way, typically the area between the sidewalk and street. This public [...]
