SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio councilwoman has proposed a program to help fill the gaps in San Antonio’s tree canopy caused by Oak Wilt.
Oak Wilt is a fungal infection that can cause oak trees to slowly die. It is spread through open wounds and root systems, and a Texas A&M Forest Service map shows it’s most prevalent in the Northwest parts of Bexar County, especially outside Loop 410.
Councilwoman Marina Alderete Gavito (D7) submitted a council consideration request (CCR) for a program to help replace infected oaks with other native trees after they are removed. It would apply to trees on both public and private land.
She suggests paying for it through the city’s Tree Mitigation Fund, which developers have to pay into when they remove too many trees.
“It’s important so that these neighborhoods can keep their tree canopies. That makes up a lot of the character of these neighborhoods,” Alderete Gavito said in a Zoom interview. “It’s also important because, you know, we’re seeing so much about heat islands in San Antonio. We need to protect our green spaces. And so this is just another effort in doing so.”
Gavito’s district stretches from Woodlawn Lake to Loop 1604. The council representatives for the other four northernmost districts also signed on to support her request.
The councilwoman did not have an estimate on how much would be spent on the program or how many trees might be planted.
The idea will first need to go before the council’s Governance Committee.