In a statewide first, the City of Plymouth has turned to artificial intelligence to monitor the health of its urban forest, using cutting-edge scanning and machine learning technology to detect issues in real time. The move is expected to save time, reduce costs, and help prevent storm damage, all while providing a data-driven approach to managing the city’s estimated 40,000 public trees.
“Rather than being reactive, be proactive,” said Paul Buck, city forester for Plymouth, underscoring the new initiative’s goal.
The initiative is powered by Greehill’s Smart Tree Inventories, in partnership with Davey Tree Expert Company, both of which have worked with cities such as Dallas, Las Vegas, and Burbank on similar urban forestry projects.
Ground-Based Scanning With AI Precision
Conor Nolan, a navigator for Greehill, drives a specially equipped vehicle at under 23 miles per hour along Plymouth’s streets. The vehicle uses 3D scanners to capture detailed images of leaves, branches, and trunks, generating a massive dataset on tree health. As Nolan described the process to WCCO, the spinning scanners continuously collect imagery as they move through parks, roadside areas, and public property.
The AI system processes this information to flag early warning signs of declining health, such as drooping leaves and branch instability—key indicators that can precede tree failure or storm damage. According to city forester Paul Buck, this allows the city to focus its limited resources on “the 10 to 20 percent of trees that seem to have an issue.”
A Shift From Reactive to Proactive Maintenance
Traditionally, municipal tree assessments in Plymouth required three to four months of manual surveying and were largely subjective. With AI, the process is completed in as little as two to three weeks and offers objective, high-resolution data that can be used to make informed decisions.
The funding for this initiative comes from the city’s Tree Preservation Fund, which collects contributions from developers whenever construction activities impact local tree cover. The project was approved by the city council in November 2024 and falls within the parks and forestry budget.
Long-Term Vision and Broader Impact
The initial scan is only the beginning. Another complete street scan is scheduled for two years from now to track changes and evaluate the effectiveness of ongoing tree care. The project, supported by a four-year contract, is expected to lower long-term landscaping and maintenance costs by identifying issues before they escalate.
Plymouth’s leadership in smart tree monitoring may soon have company. The City of Bloomington has announced its intention to launch a similar Smart Tree Inventory program in the near future, signaling a broader shift in how urban forestry is managed across Minnesota.
Urban forests play a critical role in environmental sustainability and climate resilience. According to the U.S. Forest Service, healthy tree canopies reduce heat islands, improve air quality, and absorb stormwater—making data-backed tree care essential as cities adapt to more extreme weather patterns.
As AI continues to shape public infrastructure, Plymouth’s pilot program stands out as a model for how small to mid-sized cities can harness technology for long-term ecological health and cost savings.