ADVOCACY + POLICY

With the launch of the New Orleans Reforestation Plan in January 2023, SOUL entered the realm of tree advocacy. 

Tree Protection Ordinance. Along with a group of concerned organizations, including The Urban Conservancy, Parks For All, Groundwork New Orleans, Evans + Lighter Landscape Architecture, and others, we have been advocating for a transparent process, including public input, around the creation of a Tree Protection Ordinance. We are disappointed with the ordinance that was passed on March 27, 2025 with unanimous approval by the city council. Considering that every comment issued was against passing the ordinance, we felt that the council was not representing the community’s voice. We will continue to advocate for a revised ordinance under the new mayor. 

Tree Protection Ordinance. Along with a group of other concerned organizations (The Urban Conservancy, Parks For All, Groundwork New Orleans, and Evans + Lighter Landscape Architecture), we have been advocating for a transparent process, including public input, around the creation of a Tree Protection Ordinance. We are disappointed with the ordinance that was passed on March 27, 2025 with unanimous approval by the city council. Considering that every comment issued was against passing the ordinance, we felt that the council was not representing the community’s voice. We will continue to advocate for a revised ordinance under the new mayoral administration. 

Trees scapegoated after storms. Additionally, trees continue to be scapegoated for power outages after storms. After Hurricane Francine, the city council blamed power outages on trees. However, they presented no data to back these claims. In fact, at the July 23 meeting of the same committee, data showed that 11% of power outages in the first quarter of 2024 were attributed to vegetation, approximately 35% were attributed to equipment failure, and 34% to scheduled outages.
 
The New Orleans Reforestation Plan. In January 2023 SOUL launched the New Orleans Reforestation Plan, a blueprint for reforesting New Orleans at scale.