Prior to assessing Bentonville’s canopy and canopy change since 2013, a land cover assessment was conducted by PlanIT Geo, LLC (www.planitgeo. com). This assessment is funded by and prepared for the Bentonville Parks Conservancy and the City of Bentonville, Arkansas (2020). In 2019, tree canopy constituted 25% of Bentonville’s land cover; non-canopy vegetation was 45%; soil/dry vegetation was 3%; impervious was 26% (of which 7% are buildings and 19% are “other impervious” surfaces such as roads, sidewalks, and parking lots); and water is 1%.

Next, tree canopy data were analyzed for several geographies, including Bentonville’s zoning types, to determine the distribution of existing and potential urban tree canopy throughout the city. Downtown Neighborhood areas had the highest canopy coverage at 39%, although Residential areas contained the most canopy overall, containing 2,287 acres or 45% of all canopy in the City. Residential areas also contain the greatest potential for canopy expansion, offering over 3,166 acres (42 percent PPA by area and 61 percent of the City’s total plantable space).

Urban tree canopy change was also evaluated since it was last assessed in 2013. Bentonville had a small decrease in canopy of 0.2% although there is a larger decrease in mature canopy cover which is offset by the new plantings of smaller trees. This is evident within the included assessment geographies.

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