Tips for Other Communities
There are many resources available for people who want to improve the urban forest in their local community. A list of tips for creating a successful initiative and broad-based collaboration follows.
Creating a plan and tracking progress
- Assess and document how the urban forest is currently managed in your community.
- Use the free i-Tree software available from the US Forest Service to inventory your community’s urban forest, and update it regularly.
- Analyze the current structure and benefits provided by your existing urban forest.
- Research best practices across the country, and draft an initial attempt at an urban forest management plan.
- Organize a working group to address public input and adjust objectives. Solicit more public comments and then propose a final plan.
- Designate priority-planting areas in your community. As a coalition, determine the criteria that most important to consider.
- Utilize Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies to create maps that can inform planning and track progress.
Building community support
- Identify a credible non-profit entity to create the first draft of a plan before the public input process. Municipal government or city agencies may have conflicts of interest or inadequate public trust.
- Identify everyone who may be a stakeholder and hold a forum to gather information on community hot-button issues relating to trees.
- Engage residents in volunteer tree planting activities. Consider creating a Tree Steward program to develop leadership volunteers.
- Launch a public awareness campaign once your group has achieved some success around tree issues at the city government level, to keep the momentum going.
Leveraging resources
- Assess what community tree initiatives are already happening in your area, and explore combining efforts.
- Join the Alliance for Community Trees, a national organization, and utilize their resources for local communities.
- Hire a legal consultant to draft a new city tree ordinance, and schedule meetings with various city departments to get their input.
Creating an effective coalition
- Designate a single project coordinator to do the initial research; consult coalition members on areas of individual expertise; compile documents; then review the draft plan with the entire group.
- Prioritize recruitment of those who directly manage your urban forest (i.e. city forester or contractor who does this work, non-profits, state foresters, etc.).
- Recruit at least a few others with a background in urban forestry who can bring their expertise to committee discussions.
- Reach out to anyone with potential to be a tree supporter: individuals, civic organizations, city agencies, local/county/state decision-makers, legislators and aides, community leaders, businesses.
- Ask each person to answer a brief survey (before inviting them to join the coalition) to identify primary interests and potential level of commitment.
- Define roles and mutual expectations at the outset. Identify who can be depended on as an active participant and who is more comfortable simply responding to questions from the group when needed.
- Maintain focus on priority issues and initiatives.
Working with government
- Consult your state and regional Forest Service for technical assistance and advice on getting started. Invite them to join your coalition.
- Advocate for plantings as the automatic default when removing a hazard tree. Encourage enforcement of tree-friendly ordinances.
- Be aware of decisions affecting urban forestry that may need to be made by authorities not directly participating in the coalition (Department heads, Mayor’s Office, City Council, etc.).
- Ask city departments what format would be most effective for presenting an urban forest strategic plan or management goals.
- Encourage line item funding for urban forest professionals to coordinate tree plantings, long-term care, and comprehensive forest management.
- Use the Brookings Institution study (Nelson, 2004) to challenge the low priority that green infrastructure often receives in the city budget process.
- Work directly with legislators to help them leverage funding.
Solving funding issues
- Develop an early funding plan to avoid over-promising as the project evolves.
- Advocate for a diversified and sustainable urban forestry budget. Sources might include Community Development Block Grants; federal, state or local transportation enhancement funds; state forestry grants; DNREC environmental penalty funds; city budget line items; USDA Forest Service grants; corporate grants; stormwater mitigation; heat island mitigation; power companies; urban forest endowments, etc.
- Identify a stable source of funding for emergency street tree care.
- Coordinate funds for maximum impact. Identify new funding, or community initiatives, to fill in the gaps.
