Two Harbors seeks public input on urban forest management plan

Two Harbors is asking residents to weigh in on where the city should plant, protect or remove trees as it builds an urban forest management plan that could affect streets, storm sewer work and park upkeep for years. The Community Tree Survey stays open through Nov. 21, and the city is pairing that planning effort with a tree planting at Lakeview Park and a traffic closure on 15th Street.

The city says the plan is meant to protect, improve and preserve Two Harbors’ tree canopy for current and future generations. That matters because the city’s Public Works Department is responsible not only for the storm sewer system, streets and parks, but also the cemetery, governmental buildings, sidewalk replacement, maintenance of city parks and the care of trees. In practice, the plan is being folded into the same municipal work that keeps curb lines clear, manages runoff and repairs worn infrastructure.

That makes the urban forest plan more than a planting schedule. Decisions about canopy coverage can affect which blocks get new trees, where older trees may have to come down for street maintenance or utility conflicts, and how the city balances shade with access for plows, sidewalks and drainage. The city’s planning page says residents should check back periodically for updates, underscoring that this is an active land-use process rather than a one-time announcement.

The timing also shows how the city is linking the plan to work already visible on the ground. On June 13, 2026, Two Harbors highlighted a tree planting at Lakeview Park while also posting a notice that 15th Street, also known as CSAH 27, would be closed to traffic between 7th Avenue, Highway 61, and 8th Avenue, including the intersection of 15th Street and 8th Avenue. For residents and business owners along that corridor, the city’s tree strategy is unfolding alongside everyday road access and maintenance decisions.

The planning trail goes back at least to 2022, when the Trees & Trails Committee page listed an RFP for urban forest management. City notices later referenced both a Request for Proposal for an Urban Forest Management Plan and a Request for Quotes for arborist services, showing that Two Harbors has been building toward this step for some time. Sarah Swedburg, AICP, a planner II with Bolton & Menk, is listed as the planning contact, signaling outside planning expertise in the process.

The broader case for the work is straightforward. The U.S. Forest Service says urban forests help filter air and water, control storm water, conserve energy and provide habitat and shade. USDA Forest Service research adds that trees can reduce runoff by intercepting rainfall, slowing intensity, improving infiltration and reducing nutrient loads. In a city where Public Works already manages streets, storm sewer and sidewalks, those benefits turn the canopy into a budget and maintenance issue as much as a visual one.