Urban Forest Master Plan Scope of Work rev 9_.pdf

City of Atlanta Departments of City Planning and Parks & Recreation

Scope of Work for: URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN

EXHIBIT A

INTENT

The City of Atlanta (“the City”), on behalf of the Department of City Planning, the Department of Parks & Recreation (DPR), in collaboration with the Tree Conservation Commission, is soliciting proposals from qualified firms to develop a comprehensive Urban Forest Master Plan (UFMP, “the Plan”) for the City. This UFMP will guide strategic management, protection, and enhancement of the City’s urban forest for the next 15 years, with 3- to 5-year achievable benchmarks. The plan will serve as a roadmap for sustainable urban forest management to optimize the contributions of the city’s natural environment to the health, well-being, and resilience of the community.

The awarded vendor (“Consultant”) is responsible for coordination and implementation of public and stakeholder engagement, data collection and review, and delivery of a plan document.

PROJECT BACKGROUND

The City of Atlanta, affectionately known as “The City in a Forest” by its residents, has an abundance of trees that contribute to a distinct forested landscape. A key aspect of Atlanta’s resilience to a changing climate is implementing a premier action plan for its urban forest. The City views trees as a critical living utility network, on much the same level as water, sewer, and electricity. The City's commitment to preserving its green spaces and sustaining its urban forest is a defining characteristic of Atlanta.

The City’s urban tree canopy coverage, at approximately 45.7%, is widely celebrated. However, the tree canopy faces challenges from urban development, and declined roughly 2.4% from 2008-2023, a loss of approximately one-half-acre per day. Approximately 7% of tree canopy is found in City-owned parks, acreage that makes up approximately 5.1% of land in the city. Development pressure on unprotected land is unprecedented, leaving the city vulnerable to canopy loss.

Atlanta’s urban forest is exceptional in quality as well as quantity, with significant biodiversity, a high percentage of native trees, and patches of old growth forests and trees. This quality, rare in an urban setting, is well-worth preserving. However, both tree canopy and high-quality natural areas are under threat from invasive plant pressure, tree regeneration failure, erosion, stream degradation, deferred maintenance, and climate change, as well as development pressure. In the past ten years, approximately 1.5% of the City’s canopy was lost and, additionally, an estimated 2% of the canopy was converted from biodiverse forests to a pine monoculture or invasive trees that grew after land clearing, but before project completion, and therefore may be cleared again when projects resume.

Policies, practices, and rapid development have created an environment that impacts the City’s public trees and is outpacing sustainable best management practices. Additionally, the distribution of Atlanta’s urban forest is uneven and does not meet the City’s mission to provide access to nature for all residents. A well-informed public and community support of a comprehensive Urban Forest Master Plan is essential for maintaining and increasing the quality of Atlanta’s canopy and reversing this pattern of canopy loss.

PROJECT GOALS

The Urban Forest Master Plan (UFMP) will outline a plan and recommend polices to meet the following goals:

• Reverse canopy decline. The Atlanta City Council committed to reverse canopy decline by establishing a goal of achieving 50% overall canopy coverage in the city. Atlanta City Design:

Nature, the City of Atlanta’s conceptual framework for designing with nature, concluded that achieving 50% canopy is challenging, but achievable. Activate ATL, the parks master plan set a goal of adding 275 acres of parkland each year for 10 years and preserving at least 50% of acquisitions as natural area.

• Ensure equitable canopy preservation and maintenance. Disadvantaged areas make up nearly half the city (49.6%), according to social, environmental, and health indicators. In contrast to other cities, the disadvantaged areas of the city, in aggregate, have more canopy coverage than non-disadvantaged areas (52% vs. 41%) and contain 69% of the city’s parks acreage. While data at the individual lot/residence level, stratified by income level, is not available, we have extensive information on the canopy coverage in various geographies, including data at the neighborhood-level, watershed-level, and by City Council District. It is critical to protect and increase tree canopy in areas where the population is most vulnerable to the adverse effects of heat and health disparities, and which experience a disproportionate impact when canopy is lost.

• Increase efficiency of urban forest management. A guiding master plan will provide more efficient management of the urban forest. A management plan should address standards for maintaining and planting trees in parks, the right-of-way, and natural areas.

o Street tree and park tree management. Because of historic funding limitations, the City has had a reactive, rather than systematic, approach to maintenance of trees on public land, leading to less equitable maintenance across the city.

o Natural area management. Management of the City’s publicly accessible natural areas is decentralized, and the City lacks standardized approaches to natural area management. Natural area land managers include the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR), the Department of Watershed Management (DWM), and Atlanta Public Schools (APS).

o Tree planting. Tree planting on public land (required by the tree protection ordinance as recompense when healthy trees are removed) has limited oversight, leading to costly and unsustainable plantings that yield few benefits for the urban forest. Planting should be prioritized based on existing canopy coverage, heat risk, flood risk, equity objectives, and the City’s 50% tree canopy goal.

• Increase Community’s Understanding of the Urban Forest and Increase the

Community’s Connection to Nature: Community engagement is a priority for the City. We would like to incorporate community input as well as provide information to the public throughout the process of creating the Urban Forest Master Plan. The City will provide numerous opportunities for input via public meetings and engagement with neighborhood “ambassadors,” as well as educational activities related to the urban forest and its connection to watershed health and human health. These activities include an in-depth survey to assess perceptions, knowledge gaps, and information about how to improve the public’s understanding and access to nature and trees. Other actions to increase public awareness include placing new signage in natural areas, stream-naming, and restoration of a watershed mural. The City will also assess the level of access to nature by mapping existing hiking trails and wayfinding signage. Improving public access to nature is critical for increasing health benefits, enhancing quality of life, and fostering stewardship of natural areas.

REQUIREMENTS

The Consultant will work with the Core Project Team, Extended Project Team, supporting committees, external stakeholders, and the general public to complete the UFMP.

1. Core Project Team (CPT): DPR Arboricultural Manager – Natural Areas & Land Management;

DPR Arboricultural Manager – Operations; DPR Environmental Education and Community Outreach Coordinator; DCP Tree Conservation Commission Project Manager; and the DCP Arboricultural Manager. The Core Project Team is the coordinator of the supporting groups and stakeholders and will have final decision-making authority regarding the drafting and completion of the Urban Forest Master Plan. Any disputes or conflicts related to integrating stakeholder input, incorporating decisions of the Core Project Team, and completing the UFMP will be resolved by the Commissioner of Parks and the Commissioner of City Planning.

2. Extended Project Team: Internal DPR/DCP staff and leadership.

3. Supporting Committees: Research and Analytics Committee and Community Engagement

Committee, comprising internal DPR/DCP staff and external members.

4. Advisory Group (including but not limited to): DPR, DCP, Department of Watershed

Management (DWM), Atlanta Department of Transportation (ATL DOT), Mayor’s Office of Sustainability and Resilience (MOSR), Trees Atlanta, Park Pride, Georgia Forestry Commission, Georgia Tree Council, Georgia Power, Eco-Addendum, and the West Atlanta Watershed Alliance.

5. Focus Groups: Stakeholders engaged in focus groups may include tree care companies, landscape architects, developers, environmental non-profits, and educational institutions.

6. General Public: Residents, Neighborhood Planning Units, neighborhood organizations, park conservancies, and friends of the park groups.

The Consultant will establish scheduled progress meetings with the Core Project Team, the Research and Analytics Committee, and the Community Engagement Committee. The Consultant will prepare written progress reports, and we encourage use of an invitation-based online project management tool for sharing reports and other information with these groups. The Consultant will also provide meeting minutes, regularly updated schedules, and data as it is collected. Progress meetings will be held via Zoom or Microsoft Teams. All agendas, minutes, and facilitation of the progress meetings shall be the responsibility of the Consultant.

EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

1. Consultant must have demonstrated experience developing UFMPs for cities similar or greater in population and acreage to Atlanta.

o Consultant must have ten (10) years of experience in urban forestry-related work.

o Consultant must have conducted three (3) urban forest master plans or urban forest management plans since January 2016.

o The prime consultant firm should demonstrate satisfactory performance on at least three (3) prior contracts of similar scope and complexity. (Complexity may include contracts for Urban Forest Master Plans, Urban Forest Management Plans, or other similar guidance documents for a city of over 300,000 population or an area of 75 square miles). Respondents must provide references or performance documentation verifying successful contract execution.

2. Consultant must have experience organizing and conducting engagement with community members in the development of the UFMP. Experience should include public meetings, stakeholder interviews, focus groups, surveys, and engagement with historically underrepresented or underserved communities.

3. Consultant must have demonstrated experience that includes developing recommendations for tree maintenance, natural area management, tree planting, and policy development.

The prime Consultant and project team must demonstrate the technical expertise and professional qualifications necessary to perform the full scope of services. The team shall collectively demonstrate substantial experience and knowledge of urban forestry and arboriculture, urban forest assessment and data analysis, GIS and spatial analysis, natural area management, municipal policy, community and stakeholder engagement, public survey development and analysis, strategic planning, resource analysis, graphic design, and public-facing technical communication.

The proposed team should include as applicable, professional arborists, GIS professionals, urban forestry professionals, natural resource specialists, community engagement professionals, data analysts, policy/planning professionals, and technical writers/graphic communication professionals.

SCOPE OF SERVICES

The following scope will serve as the intended framework of tasks to complete the entire project.

1. Present status of urban forest. Based on available data, assess the current health and condition of the existing tree canopy, its structure, diversity, health and distribution; assess vulnerabilities to loss due development, pests and diseases, invasive species, and a changing climate, and suggest measures to counteract threats. Develop actionable recommendations for supporting long-term sustainability of the urban forest.

2. Management of urban forest. Review management standards and practices in existing street and park trees, and public natural areas, and make any relevant recommendations for improvement or streamlining of management.

3. Technology. Evaluate how the City uses available technology to manage the urban forest, and what data-driven approaches are available to enhance the city’s trees and forests.

4. Internal capacity. Assess the City’s current operational capacity to support the urban forest.

Identify means to maximize the resources and capacities of the City’s Arborist and Forestry Sections. Compare the City’s urban forestry budget and staff capacity to other cities of similar population (e.g. 300k+), land area (e.g. 75 sq mi+), and/or geography (e.g. forest ecosystem).

5. City Codes and standards. Analyze relevant City codes and standards of practice related to the urban forest and make recommendations for additions, updates, and improvements.

6. Tree risk assessment. Evaluate the City’s risk assessment protocol and develop formal Tree Risk Methodology, Standards of Practice, and Risk Management Protocols.

7. Policy factors. Evaluate the existing policies and practices that affect trees on private property and provide recommendations for incentives to protect trees on private land.

8. Coordination among owners. Evaluate existing relationships with owners of public land to better preserve existing tree canopy and plant trees (including ATL DOT, GDOT, Georgia Power, APS, AHA, and other City of Atlanta departments). Suggest methods to improve coordination and cooperation.

9. Public engagement. Engage the public via public meetings, stakeholder groups, a public survey, and interviews to understand the community’s priorities for the UFMP. This feedback should be used to develop goals and recommendations of the UFMP.

10. Local expertise. Create and execute a robust involvement process to gather input from a diverse range of local expertise and resources to assist the City in creating a structure to build an ongoing, proactive, accountable relationship with public and private stakeholders.

11. Planting priorities. Based on available data and information, list priority planting locations for public, private, and non-profit organizations to create momentum toward increasing canopy. Areas should match the City’s goals related to environmental equity, tree canopy, tree loss mitigation, health demographics, heat vulnerability and energy burden, and neighborhood pride.

12. Wood reuse. Assess the current disposal practices for wood removed from the urban forest and explore an urban wood reuse program.

13. Funding. Strategize actionable funding mechanisms for a stronger urban forest program.

14. Goals. Evaluate and establish goals for equitable canopy and access to greenspace and nature.

15. Metrics. Define metrics to measure success and keep the Urban Forest Master Plan updated and useful for the long term.

IDENTIFY LOGISTICS AND RESOURCE NEEDS TO IMPLEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS

The Consultant is to perform an analysis quantifying the logistics and resources needed to implement any potential programs or recommendations included in the Plan. This analysis should include an estimate of personnel/staffing resources, equipment, timing/duration required and funding necessary for development, initial implementation, and if applicable, sustained operation and management of the programs and recommendations. The estimate should include low-, medium-, and high-cost scenarios for staffing and resources and may be based on “low/moderate/good/optimal” outcomes.

COMMUNITY AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

The City of Atlanta is committed to meaningful and representative community involvement in its planning efforts, and the community expects to be thoughtfully and comprehensively involved. It is vital to obtain stakeholder input in developing plan goals and objectives, priorities for the urban forest programs, and to the extent possible, building community consensus on recommendations contained in the plan. To ensure meaningful community participation, the Core Project Team will prepare a preliminary Public Engagement Plan (PEP), which will be finalized in collaboration with the Consultant and the Community Engagement Committee.

The PEP must include methods for involving constituencies often absent in planning efforts, such as ethnic and racial minorities, lower income residents, renters, and young people. The successful proposal will incorporate a variety of involvement techniques throughout the process to solicit input, test alternatives, and communicate findings. The Consultant may coordinate with local engagement partners for this project.

Community engagement will be conducted before and during the development of the UFMP, soliciting feedback on content of the plan. Community feedback, along with the Urban Forest Assessments, will guide development of the Plan. Engagement avenues include a public survey, public meetings, NPU presentations, a neighborhood ambassador program, focus groups advisory group meetings, and stakeholder interviews. The City will produce factsheets summarizing assessment findings, promotional flyers and yard signs, and an online hub to connect people to presentations and resources.

The Consultant will develop and analyze a public survey to collect information about knowledge, perception, and needs of urban forest issues in Atlanta. The survey will remain open for a minimum of (180) days. The survey will be accessible via the project webpage and a QR code. The survey will be available in English, Spanish, and additional languages as identified. Upon close, the Consultant shall compile and deliver an actionable summary report of survey results, including demographic analysis, to the Core Project Team.

The Consultant will lead six (6) public meetings to gather community input at various stages of the planning process. All six meetings will be held in-person at times and locations accessible to working residents and families. The Consultant shall coordinate venue selection with the Core Project Team.

Each meeting will include an interactive activity to facilitate active participant discussion. The Consultant will be responsible for recording meeting presentations and creating reports summarizing participant comments.

The City will present information about the UFMP and related projects to each of Atlanta’s 25 Neighborhood Planning Units (NPUs) twice throughout the planning process.

The City will select, train, and manage 35-45 neighborhood ambassadors (1-2 from each Neighborhood Planning Unit, with at least 25 within disadvantaged communities). The Consultant will work with the City to interface with the ambassadors and will distribute the stipends (a one-time payment) on behalf of the City. Ambassadors will be compensated at a rate of $25 per hour; total stipend distributions shall not exceed $25,000. The cost of the stipends for the ambassadors, which will be up to $25,000, depending on the number of participants, will be paid by the City, and disbursed to participating ambassadors by the Consultant. Each neighborhood ambassador will interview at least three community members about their knowledge and perception of urban forest issues in their neighborhood, photograph interviewees and examples of urban forest features and concerns, host a tour of their neighborhood highlighting urban forest features with City staff, and help promote the public survey by distributing flyers, posting yard signs, and tabling at community events.

The Consultant will lead at least four (4) in-person focus group workshops to engage stakeholders across various sectors in targeted discussions related to the Urban Forest. Focus group topics will be determined based on priorities identified through stakeholder interviews and the first Advisory Group and public meetings.

The Consultant will lead at least three (3) Urban Forest Advisory Group meetings at key stages in the planning process. At least one (1) of these meetings shall be held as an in-person workshop. Both in-person and virtual advisory group meetings shall include opportunities for interactive discussion.

The Consultant will be responsible for recording meeting presentations and creating reports summarizing participant comments.

The Consultant will conduct at least fifteen (15) one-on-one interviews with City staff, non-profit partners, and other organizations involved in the management of Atlanta’s urban forest. The City will provide the Consultant with a list of potential interviewees.

The Community Engagement Committee (CEC), comprised of internal and external members with specialized roles and/or experience related to public engagement, will assist the Consultant and CPT in reviewing community engagement materials (survey questions, meeting presentations, activities), sharing engagement opportunities, and ensuring engagement strategies are sound and equitable. At least four (4) meetings will be held with the CEC, CPT, and Consultant throughout the planning process. The CPT shall coordinate the scheduling of all CEC meetings.

Engagement-Related Deliverables:

1. Public Engagement Plan (PEP). Refinement and execution of a PEP, including compilation of a Stakeholder Database and media plan.

2. Meeting materials. Prepare materials for public meetings, advisory group meetings, and focus group workshops, including slides and print materials.

3. Meeting coordination. Coordinate, attend, and lead at least six (6) public meetings, three

(3) advisory group meetings, and four (4) focus group workshops.

4. Meeting minutes. Compile a project archive and maintain meeting minutes.

5. Meeting recordings. Produce video recordings of public meetings and advisory group meetings to be uploaded to the UFMP webpage.

6. Progress reports. Prepare progress reports for meetings with Core Project Team.

7. Survey and summary report. Develop a public survey and compile and report actionable summary of results.

8. Public engagement report. Create a report summarizing all UFMP engagement, including the quantity and reach of engagement activities and key findings and recurring themes of public input.

9. List of quotes. Compile quotes/photos from interviews, public meetings, the public survey, and neighborhood ambassador tours, which will be incorporated into the UFMP.

10. Photos. Collect and organize photos from public meetings, including obtaining consent to utilize photos in UFMP.

11. Infographics. Create infographics to help explain various areas of interest and to respond to questions posed during public engagement, which can also be utilized in fact sheets and the UFMP document. If desired, the Consultant may coordinate and subcontract with local partners to develop and refine infographics tailored to the community.

DATA COLLECTION AND REVIEW

In addition to robust and meaningful public engagement, the City of Atlanta highly values accurate and thorough information to serve as the foundation for deliberation, policy, and decision-making.

To that end, the UFMP should include a review and summary of the findings of available studies and assessments the City has completed (and those pending completion) such as those listed below.

The City of Atlanta will provide:

1. Smart Tree Inventory. The City is conducting its first-ever Smart Tree Inventory of all street trees and trees in selected parks in Spring and Summer of 2026. Results and recommendations should be incorporated into the UFMP, provided data collected in the Inventory is available by July 1, 2027. The Consultant will have responsibility for evaluating only the data and summary findings available by this date. Once the Smart Tree Inventory data are provided, the Plan should include a summary of findings about current forestry conditions, current and proposed management activities, and any additional data needs.

2. Tree Canopy Analyses. The City updated the Urban Tree Canopy Analysis in 2024. The Plan should include a summary of significant findings of the 2024 analysis and show trends from previous analyses.

3. Forest Age Assessment. The City is utilizing aerial data (dating back as far as 1938 in some areas) to assess forest age of existing forests larger than or equal to one acre. The UFMP should include a review and high-level summary of this assessment and recommend ways to preserve privately-owned and public older forests and forest patches.

4. Natural Area Assessments. The City is mapping and assessing public natural areas one acre and larger. Ecosystems and sensitive or environmentally notable areas will be identified and mapped, along with information on deer browse, native and non-native groundcover density, native and non-native shrub density, tree regeneration, number of trees and basal area per acre, native and non-native vine density, and mineral soil. The UFMP should include a review of these assessments and provide recommendations to address any identified problems and improve the quality of the natural areas.

5. Support for Nature Access. The City is mapping existing trails and existing wayfinding signage within public natural areas to assess barriers to the public’s access to nature.

Through this process, we will increase accessibility by identifying and addressing signage and other information needs, formalizing trails, assigning trail difficulty, and producing public-facing maps. The UFMP should include a review of this assessment and any recommendation for increasing public access to nature.

6. Research and Analytics Committee (RAC). The City will form a Research and Analytics Committee including internal and external researchers who have conducted or are conducting assessments integral to the Urban Forest Master Plan. The RAC will guide the Consultant and the Core Project Team in better understanding existing Urban Forest conditions, summarizing findings for public and stakeholder engagement, and ensuring the UFMP is grounded in high-quality data and analysis. The RAC, CPT, and the Consultant will meet at least four (4) times, either remotely or in-person, over the life of the UFMP planning project. The CPT shall coordinate the scheduling of all RAC meetings.

IDENTIFY AND EVALUATE OPPORTUNITIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS

With the understanding and context gained from the document review and the community engagement process, the Consultant will identify and evaluate potential opportunities and recommendations for the UFMP. After reviewing current operations, the Consultant should provide recommendations on transitioning from a reactive urban forestry program to a proactive program.

THE PLAN DOCUMENT

The City is seeking an UFMP that is logically organized, well-written, and highly illustrative with both photographs, infographics, and explanatory information. The document needs to synthesize contextual information, data, public/stakeholder input, and urban forestry planning and management expertise into a set of actionable goals, objectives, and recommendations, and strategies that support the City’s established goals and priorities.

The Plan’s goals, objectives, recommendations, and strategies should offer behavioral- and science-based solutions. As a strategy document, the Plan must include benchmarks and policies relating to monitoring, timeframes, responsible parties, resource needs, funding possibilities, and measures of success. To the extent feasible, the recommendations for meeting the City’s major goals and objectives should drive the structure and content of the UFMP document. The Core Project Team will work collaboratively with the Consultant to develop the goals and objectives as well as to structure the activities required for completing the final document.

Once the final draft document is developed, the Consultant will provide information in a format suitable for the Consultant and City staff to present to the City Council for review and approval/adoption. The Core Project Team will provide feedback at three stages on a mutually agreed upon schedule, to be determined upon initiation of the contract: 1) After existing data collection and review by the Consultant; 2) Upon completion of the community survey and Ambassador interviews; and 3) Upon drafting of the report. This schedule will provide at least seven

(7) business days for City review and seven (7) business days for the Consultant to incorporate recommended changes at each stage. The final document revisions will be limited to three rounds.

Following approval of the final UFMP, the Consultant will provide a PDF file, an editable file (e.g. Word format) and twenty-five (25) printed and bound copies of the document to the City. The Consultant will also provide all electronic files, modeling, maps, and layouts.

RESOURCES

The following resources will be provided by the City of Atlanta for review, evaluation, and incorporation of findings into the Urban Forest Master Plan.

• Atlanta City Code

• Atlanta City Council resolution (23-R-3338), adopted goal of achieving and maintaining

50% tree canopy coverage

• 2008 Urban Tree Canopy Report - baseline tree canopy analysis.

• 2014 Urban Tree Canopy Report - updated canopy analysis and canopy change analysis.

• 2018 Urban Tree Canopy Report - updated canopy analysis and canopy change analysis.

• 2024 Urban Tree Canopy Report - updated canopy analysis and canopy change analysis.

• Atlanta Heat & Flood Risk Assessment - modeling of heat and flood susceptibility.

• 2011 Downtown Tree Inventory - street tree inventory of downtown and surrounding area.

• Atlanta City Design: Aspiring to the Beloved Community - a guiding document for City of

Atlanta incorporated into the city charter in 2017.

• Atlanta City Design: Nature - an outgrowth of Atlanta City Design, a comprehensive plan to integrate natural systems with city planning.

• Activate ATL - 2021 comprehensive 10-year master plan for parks and recreation plan.

• Trails ATL - 30-year plan to build 535-mile network of multi-use trails.

• Plan A – Atlanta's Comprehensive Development Plan - July 2025 official policy document guiding future physical growth and development.

• Urban Wood Utilization Program Feasibility Study

• City of Atlanta Climate Action Plan

• Clean Energy Atlanta - a Vision for a 100% Clean Energy Future

• City of Atlanta Watershed Improvement Plans

• Atlanta Smart Surfaces Project - ATL Plantable Area, Decision Support Tool, Benefit-Cost

Analysis Tool, Smart Surfaces Policy Tracker

• Fresh Food Access Report 2020

• One Atlanta Strategic Transportation Plan

• Streets Atlanta - A Design Manual for Multimodal Streets 2018

• City of Atlanta Public Right-of-Way Manual

• Utility Manual - Utility Accommodation Policy and Standards Manual 2022

• GDOT Design Policy Manual

• Tree Equity Score

• Summary Report of Neighborhood Ambassador interviews and activities (during UFMP)

• Photos taken by Neighborhood Ambassadors

• Summary of attendance and questions received during presentations to NPUs

(conducted as part of the UFMP)

• City of Atlanta Dept of Parks and Recreation Natural Resources Management Plan

FINAL DOCUMENT DELIVERABLES

1. Publishable public-facing document synthesizing all findings and recommendations.

Consultant will provide a final document as PDF file and twenty-five (25) printed and bound documents.

2. Slide/print presentation for City Council’s consideration for approval/adoption of the Plan (to be delivered by the Consultant and/or City staff).

TIMELINE

The work is part of a USFS Inflation Reduction Act and must be completed by April 30, 2029. We anticipate the work to begin by Spring 2027, but the start date will depend upon the duration of the selection process.