In the past three or four years, Gainesville’s tree mitigation program has doubled down on its own acquisition efforts. Gainesville expanded its tree mitigation staff from one part-time role in 2024 to nine full-time employees in 2026 to lead the push. The city’s 2026 budget allocated $4 million of tree mitigation money to land acquisition. He also noted the tree mitigation team was working to acquire land around Tom Petty Park.“ The study also tracked empty planting space, making it easier for planners to decide where to put mitigation trees.