Canopulse
Grant Evidence Engine
Structured screening-evidence package
Generated July 8, 2026 · UCRI LA v1.0 (real-data, frozen 2026-05-23) · template ca-urban-forestry-v1 v1.0.0
Program reference
California Urban and Community Forestry grant program (descriptive reference)
A descriptive reference to the California Urban and Community Forestry grant program administered by CAL FIRE. Canopulse is independent of CAL FIRE and this package implies no agency endorsement. Program criteria are paraphrased for evidence alignment only; the applicant must verify the current solicitation, eligibility rules, and deadlines directly with the funder.
Selection summary
Requested inputs
5
Fully scored tracts
5
Mean UCRI
95.8
Population (scored)
17,272
Verification
Evidence checked against published Canopulse QA and validation records. See the Validation Center at /validation for the checks behind this statement.
Disclaimer. Screening-level planning support. Not a legal, regulatory, eligibility, or funding determination. Applicant is responsible for verifying current program requirements.
Section 1
Executive case
Deterministic narrative composed from the evidence objects below. Every number traces to a cited source.
Executive case
This evidence package summarizes verified screening evidence for 5 requested inputs in Los Angeles County, of which 5 resolve to fully scored Urban Canopy Risk Index tracts. The scored selection has a mean UCRI of 95.8, with 5 tracts in the Extreme or High priority tiers and an estimated resident population of 17,272. The evidence is organized to support an application aligned with the criteria of California Urban and Community Forestry grant program (descriptive reference); the applicant remains responsible for confirming current program requirements before submission.
Evidence: Requested inputs; Fully scored tracts in selection; Mean UCRI; Extreme plus High priority tracts; Estimated resident population (scored selection); Template program name
Statement of need
Across the scored selection, tree canopy cover averages 0.3 percent and summer land surface temperature averages 123 degrees Fahrenheit. The highest need tract in the selection, Census Tract 5343.01, carries a UCRI of 96.1 and ranks 1 of 2,251 fully scored tracts countywide. These conditions describe a measurable canopy and heat need grounded in source-linked data.
Evidence: Mean tree canopy cover; Mean summer land surface temperature; Highest UCRI tract in selection; UCRI composite score; Countywide UCRI rank; Countywide fully scored tract total (UCRI LA v1.0)
Program alignment
How the evidence maps to the program rubric
Each criterion's strength is the mean of its mapped, directional screening signals over the scored selection. This is an evidence alignment, not an eligibility or award determination.
Overall alignment: 97 of 100
5 of 5 criteria show strong evidence and 0 show moderate evidence across 5 scored tracts in this selection.
| Program criterion | Strength | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Canopy expansion where existing cover is low | 96Strong evidence | Strong evidence: canopy deficit percentile and UCRI composite average 96 of 100 across 5 scored tracts. |
| Benefit to disadvantaged and/or low-income communities | 100Strong evidence | Strong evidence: share in priority equity percentiles average 100 of 100 across 5 scored tracts. |
| Urban heat reduction and climate resilience | 96Strong evidence | Strong evidence: heat exposure percentile and UCRI composite average 95 of 100 across 5 scored tracts. |
| Data-based site selection | 96Strong evidence | Strong evidence: UCRI composite, impervious percentile, social vulnerability percentile, and environmental burden percentile average 96 of 100 across 5 scored tracts. |
| Measurable, verifiable outcomes | 96Strong evidence | Strong evidence: canopy deficit percentile, heat exposure percentile, and UCRI composite average 96 of 100 across 5 scored tracts. |
Section 2
Priority tract list
Fully scored tracts in the selection, highest need first. Expand any value's audit trail in the on-screen wizard.
| Tract | UCRI | Rank | Priority | Canopy % | LST F | SVI pctl | CES pctl | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5343.0106037534301 | 96.1 | 1 | Extreme priority | 0.3 | 123 | 98 | 99 | 4,104 |
| 2260.0106037226001 | 95.9 | 2 | Extreme priority | 0.2 | 123 | 94 | 100 | 2,188 |
| 2392.0206037239202 | 95.9 | 3 | Extreme priority | 0.5 | 123 | 98 | 100 | 5,645 |
| 224606037224600 | 95.8 | 4 | Extreme priority | 0.2 | 122 | 99 | 96 | 3,037 |
| 1047.0306037104703 | 95.5 | 5 | Extreme priority | 0.5 | 126 | 99 | 100 | 2,298 |
Priority tier distribution (scored selection)
Extreme
5
High
0
Moderate
0
Low
0
Very Low
0
Section 3
Disadvantaged-community, low-income-community, and priority-population evidence
Screening counts against published thresholds. Designation status must be confirmed by the applicant against current state lists.
Of the 5 scored tracts in the selection, 5 are at or above the 75th percentile of CalEnviroScreen and 5 are at or above the 75th percentile of the CDC and ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index. The estimated resident population of the scored selection is 17,272. Low-income community status is not computed by Canopulse and is reported as not available. These counts are screening evidence for equity alignment; designation status under state definitions must be confirmed by the applicant against the current published lists.
Equity screening values
| Claim | Value | Vintage | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tracts at or above the 75th CalEnviroScreen percentile | 5 | CalEnviroScreen 4.0 (2021) | verified |
| Tracts at or above the 90th CalEnviroScreen percentile | 5 | CalEnviroScreen 4.0 (2021) | verified |
| Tracts at or above the 75th SVI percentile | 5 | CDC/ATSDR SVI 2022 | verified |
| Tracts at or above the 90th SVI percentile | 5 | CDC/ATSDR SVI 2022 | verified |
| Median CalEnviroScreen percentile | 99.7 | CalEnviroScreen 4.0 (2021) | verified |
| Median SVI percentile | 97.8 | CDC/ATSDR SVI 2022 | verified |
| Population in tracts at or above the 75th CalEnviroScreen percentile | 17,272 | CalEnviroScreen 4.0 (2021); Census 2020 | verified |
Reported as not available (never invented)
- Low-income communities: Not computed by Canopulse. Reported as not available; the applicant must verify status against the current state definitions and lists.
Section 4
Selection map and evidence quality
Selection map
Highlighted polygons are the fully scored tracts in this selection; all other tracts are shown in a neutral tone for context.
Evidence quality and verification
This package contains 84 fully verified claims, 0 provisional claims, and 1 claims reported as not available. Evidence draws on 6 official sources listed in the citations section, each with a vintage and access trail. Evidence is verified against published Canopulse validation checks, and every value can be traced from claim to data point to source.
Evidence Strength Summary
Fully verified claims
84
Provisional claims
0
Not available claims
1
Official sources
6
Data vintages: CDC/ATSDR SVI 2022 · CalEnviroScreen 4.0 (2021) · CalEnviroScreen 4.0 (2021); Census 2020 · Census 2020 · Landsat summer 2023 · NLCD 2021 · UCRI LA v1.0 (frozen baseline)
Review warnings
- 1 claim is reported as not available rather than estimated. Nothing is invented to fill gaps.
- Low-income communities: Not computed by Canopulse. Reported as not available; the applicant must verify status against the current state definitions and lists.
- The applicant reviews, edits, and submits the application. This package is structured screening evidence, not a filing.
Section 5
Citations and method appendix
Every value in this package traces to the sources below.
Full citations
- U.S. Geological Survey NLCD Tree Canopy Cover. NLCD 2021 Tree Canopy Cover, v2021-4 (2021). https://www.mrlc.gov/data/type/tree-canopy. Accessed through the Canopulse source registry. [canopy_nlcd_2021]
- OEHHA CalEnviroScreen. CalEnviroScreen 4.0, 4.0 (2021). https://oehha.ca.gov/calenviroscreen/maps-data. Accessed through the Canopulse source registry. [ces_4_0]
- U.S. Geological Survey Landsat Collection 2. Landsat 8/9 Collection 2 Level 2 ST_B10 summer mosaic, Collection 2 Level 2 (2023). https://www.usgs.gov/landsat-missions/landsat-data-access. Accessed through the Canopulse source registry. [heat_landsat_2023]
- U.S. Geological Survey Annual NLCD fractional impervious surface. NLCD 2021 Impervious Surface, v2021-4 (2021). https://www.mrlc.gov/data/type/fractional-impervious-surface. Accessed through the Canopulse source registry. [impervious_nlcd_2021]
- CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index. CDC/ATSDR SVI, 2022 (2022). https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/place-health/php/svi/svi-data-documentation-download.html. Accessed through the Canopulse source registry. [svi_2022]
- U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line shapefiles. TIGER/Line Census Tracts, 2020 (2020). https://www.census.gov/geographies/mapping-files/time-series/geo/tiger-line-file.html. Accessed through the Canopulse source registry. [tract_boundaries_2020]
Method appendix
UCRI is a tract-level screening index that identifies where canopy, heat, impervious surface, social vulnerability, and environmental burden suggest closer planning review should begin.
Formula
UCRI = 0.25*CDS + 0.25*HES + 0.15*ISS + 0.20*SVS + 0.15*EJS
| Component | Weight | A high score means |
|---|---|---|
| CDSCanopy deficit | 25% | Lack of tree-canopy cover; high means very few trees. |
| HESHeat exposure | 25% | Summer land-surface temperature; high means hotter ground. |
| ISSImpervious | 15% | Share of paved / built surface; high means little permeable land. |
| SVSSocial vulnerability | 20% | Community sensitivity to climate stress (income, age, language…). |
| EJSEnv. justice burden | 15% | Cumulative pollution / environmental burden. |
Normalization
Each component is normalized to a 0-100 percentile across the LA County tract universe before fixed weighting. Higher values represent stronger screening priority on that component.
Missing-data handling
Fully scored tracts have all five layers. Provisional tracts use a clearly labeled available-case estimate over measured layers and are not included in the official ranking. Offshore or unmeasurable tracts remain unscored.
Validation status
The current public method is suitable for transparent screening and comparison. Validation language should remain limited to documented checks such as source consistency, component inspection, sensitivity review, and convergent comparison with related indices. It is not an independently validated prediction of project outcomes.
What UCRI does not determine
UCRI is a relative LA County tract-level screen, not an absolute hazard threshold. It does not determine parcel-level feasibility, ownership, right-of-way, planting capacity, irrigation need, utility conflicts, engineering suitability, legal status, funding approval, procurement readiness, or community acceptance. Historical comparisons are limited to loaded year-matched source vintages and should be read with their vintage labels. Live Earth Engine refreshes require configured server-side credentials and may be subject to Google terms, quotas, and processing limits.
Confidence labels
- High
- The tract has the full required layer set and no known coverage caveat beyond normal tract-scale uncertainty.
- Moderate
- The tract is usable for screening, but interpretation should account for tract-scale source resolution and contextual data limits.
- Low
- The tract has limited confidence or partial coverage and should be used with extra caution.
- Insufficient
- The tract does not have enough available data for a complete UCRI score.
Source summary
UCRI is built from 6 authoritative public layers. Each tract value is traceable to the dataset, product, and vintage listed in the source registry.
- Tract boundaries: TIGER/Line Census Tracts (2020)
- Tree canopy: NLCD 2021 Tree Canopy Cover (v2021-4)
- Land surface temperature: Landsat 8/9 Collection 2 Level 2 ST_B10 summer mosaic (Collection 2 Level 2)
- Impervious surface: NLCD 2021 Impervious Surface (v2021-4)
- Social vulnerability: CDC/ATSDR SVI (2022)
- Environmental justice burden: CalEnviroScreen 4.0 (4.0)
Section 6
Checklists, input audit, and disclaimers
Field-verification checklist
- Walk the highest priority blocks and confirm canopy and shade conditions match the tract-level data.
- Confirm plantable space, parcel ownership, and right-of-way constraints with local records.
- Check site utilities, irrigation access, and maintenance capacity before committing planting counts.
- Document community input and local partner support for the proposed locations.
- Photograph representative conditions for the application record.
Applicant review checklist
- Read every narrative section and edit it to match your project scope and voice.
- Verify current program requirements, deadlines, eligibility rules, and match obligations with the funder.
- Confirm disadvantaged-community and low-income-community designation status against the current state lists.
- Replace or extend the evidence with any newer local data your organization holds.
- Confirm that every claim you submit is one your organization can stand behind.
- Remember that Canopulse never files anything; a human reviews, edits, and submits the application.
Input audit
Every submitted input and how it resolved. Invalid and provisional inputs stay visible; nothing is silently dropped.
| Input | Status | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| 06037534301 | fully scored | Matched a fully scored UCRI LA v1.0 tract record. |
| 06037226001 | fully scored | Matched a fully scored UCRI LA v1.0 tract record. |
| 06037239202 | fully scored | Matched a fully scored UCRI LA v1.0 tract record. |
| 06037224600 | fully scored | Matched a fully scored UCRI LA v1.0 tract record. |
| 06037104703 | fully scored | Matched a fully scored UCRI LA v1.0 tract record. |
Disclaimer. Screening-level planning support. Not a legal, regulatory, eligibility, or funding determination. Applicant is responsible for verifying current program requirements.