Stetson University
OP-T2-21: Tree Campus USA

healthy, mature tree canopy is a prominent feature of the landscape on the Stetson University campus as well as within the city of DeLand (which has carried the designation of Tree City USA for 23 years). With a campus community that has had a long tradition of deeply valuing our campus trees, the purpose of our current Tree Care Plan is to create a document with guidelines for: a) maintaining and removing existing campus trees, b) planting new trees, and c) communicating to the entire university community those plans and policies that will impact trees. In particular, specific objectives of our plan are to: 1) Support our campus Native Tree Initiative, adopted in 2002, that ensures that the selection of new trees for the campus is restricted to those that are native and are well-adapted to the growing conditions of Central Florida (http://www.stetson.edu/other/nativeplants/index.php); 2) Promote diversity in species, form and size of trees on campus; 3) Ensure that trees lost to disease, weather or construction are replaced appropriately; 4) Build upon an existing history of respect and value for the campus urban forest; 5) Ensure that proper consideration is given to existing trees in our Campus Planning process as the university increases enrollment and our built environment; 6) Support the creation of areas, on the campus periphery, with dense canopy coverage by a diversity of native tree species that will connect the university with the natural and historical environment of DeLand, while extending the learning environment beyond the walls of our classrooms.