Urban

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Urban Community Forestry

• 2015 Current Issue
• Pennsylvania Envirothon

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Introduction

• The value of trees in our community is often
  overlooked but trees make human habitats more
  livable.
• Often we go about our days, and dont stop to
  think about how trees soften the many harsh
  aspects of our built environment.

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Key Topics

• What is sustainable urban/community forestry and
  why is it important?
• What are the benefits of urban/community forests
  to society?
• What are the costs associated with
  urban/community forestry?
• What is an urban forest plan and why is it an
  essential tool?

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Urban Forestry

• Refers to all publicly and privately owned trees
  within an urban area, including
• Trees along streets
• Trees in backyards
• Urban parks
• Landscaped boulevards
• Public gardens
• Greenways
• Nature preserves

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Urban/Community Forestry is

• the management of trees for their contribution to
  the physiological, sociological, and economic
  well being of the urban society.
• the art, science, and technology of managing
  trees, forests, and natural systems in and around
  cities, suburbs, and towns for the health and
  well-being of all people.

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Urban/Community Forestry

• Involves selection, planting, maintenance of all
  trees and landscapes in an urbanized area.
• Is a well planned, coordinated program
• Involves a partnership among federal and state
  governmental agencies, private sector companies,
  organizations, and the public.

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Benefits of Urban and Community Forests
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Economic Benefits

• Attracts businesses and tourists
• Higher occupancy rates
• Higher property values
• Lower crime rates
• Good investment for their return

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Economic Benefits

• Saves energy
• Cooling in hotter months
• Can reduce air conditioning by 30
• Wind barrier during winter
• Can reduce heating by 20 to 50

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Environmental Benefits

• Sustains long-term environmental
• Moderates the effects of harsh weather
• Improves air quality
• Reduces noise pollution
• Improves water quality
• Reduces runoff and erosion
• Filters stormwater and reduces flooding
• Reduces wind erosion of soil
• Provides habitat for birds and wildlife

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Community Benefits

• Safeguard pedestrians from traffic
• Provides screening and privacy
• Reduces noise pollution
• Reduces glare on sunny days

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Aesthetic Benefits

• Trees add beauty and peace
• Trees contribute positively to our quality of
  life
• Trees can serve as a source of community pride

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Health Benefits

• Creates feelings of relaxation and well-being
• Provides privacy and sense of solitude and
  security
• Creates recreational areas for walkers, runners,
  cyclists, and more
• Improves attention
• Improves physical and mental health
• Decreases asthma and obesity

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Improvements in Air Quality

• Absorbs and reduces airborne pollutants
• Stores millions of tons of carbon
• Lower air temperatures - cooling effect of
  trees in turn reduces carbon emissions from
  building energy use and other sources

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Improvements in Water Quality

• Reduces rate and volume of storm-water runoff
• Absorbs some of the nutrients in the soil
• Helps prevent raw sewage spillover
• Trees, vegetation, and wetlands can help prevent
  flooding of sewage treatment facilities.
• Limits soil erosion by helping control
  storm-water flow.

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Threats to Urban/Community Forests

• Insects and diseases, (i.e., gypsy moth, emerald
  ash borer, fungi that cause Dutch elm disease,
  chestnut blight,)
• Wildfire/fire
• Natural catastrophic events
• Invasive species
• Development
• Climate change

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Why should my community do a tree inventory?

• To determine the need for a community program
• To prioritize maintenance schedules
• To educate the public and residents and promote
  the program
• To facilitate the planning
• To provide the basis for the development of a
  comprehensive management plan

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Why should my community have a management plan?

• Increased Public Safety
• Increased Efficiency
• Facilitate Short- And Long-Term Planning
• Justify Budgets
• Documentation

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Management Plan Components

• Tree Inventories
• Tree Inventory and Mapping Data Management
  Software
• Tree Risk Reduction Plan/Emergency Storm Response
• Tree Board or Advisory Council Development
• Public Relations and Education
• Urban Forest Cost/Benefit Analysis

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What is a Tree Inventory?

• Statistically reliable survey of publicly owned
  and managed trees, used to determine
• Location and the exact or estimated measurements
  of
• Quantity and Quality
• Health and trends of the urban forest
• Description of other urban forest attributes
• Potential planting sites,
• Utilities present
• Hardscape features

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Tree Inventories

• Types
• Windshield Surveys
• Statistical Sample Inventories
• Partial Inventories
• Complete Inventories
• Using and Managing the Inventory Data
• Inventory Data Analysis
• Population Characteristics
• Maintenance and Planting Programs
• Insect and Disease Threats and Control
• Budgets

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Tree Risk Reduction Plan/ Emergency Storm
Response Plan

• Risk Reduction plans include
• Clearing leaves and woody debris from gutters and
  storm drains
• Sidewalk, street, and building clearance
  standards
• Line-of-sight conflicts for street and safety
  signage
• Blockage of street lamps and traffic lights
• Conflicts with overhead and underground utilities

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Tree Risk Reduction Plan/ Emergency Storm
Response Plan

• Emergency Storm Response
• Collecting and disposing of debris produced by
  catastrophic disasters, such as tornadoes, ice
  storms, hurricanes, and severe winds
• Managing increased
• Threats to life from hanging limbs and uprooted
  trees
• Hindrance to life-saving efforts by blocked
  streets and driveways
• Power outages and power restoration efforts
• Personal and public property damage

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Tree Board or Advisory Council Development

• Can provide a number of services, including
• Educate the citizens at large
• Interact with elected officials
• Assist with maintenance tasks (small tree
  maintenance, mulching, planting, watering)
• Generate private financial donations and apply
  for grants
• They serve in an advisory capacity only

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Public Relations and Education

• Have a computerized tree inventory and urban
  forest management plan accessible by the public
  print hardcopy or on a website
• Other actions may include
• Public meetings and/or seminars
• Monthly tree-related articles for the newspaper
• Letters to residents announcing tree maintenance
  or planting projects

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Urban Forest Cost/Benefit Analysis

• Trees growing in any community are valuable
  municipal resources.
• They provide tangible and intangible benefits for
  diverse services such as Pollution control,
  Energy reduction, Storm water management,
  Property values, Wildlife habitat, Education,
  Aesthetics.
• Benefits once considered unquantifiable, now can
  be calculated using models contained in i-Tree
  software and current tree inventory information.

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Urban Forest Cost/Benefit Analysis

• Benefits to the public works manager
• Obtaining economic evaluations for street trees
  to assess management program
• Justification for funding and performing
  strategic planning
• Gaining more public support
• Determining the annual amount of pollution
  removed by the urban forest, the amount of carbon
  sequestered, the amount of energy consumption
  reductions, and estimated increases in property
  values and aesthetics

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Models and Tools

• i-Tree Suite of software tools to help users
  identify and manage the structure, function, and
  value of urban tree populations.
• Leafsnap
• Forest Service Web sites - U.S. Forest Service,
  State forestry agencies, etc.
• Arbor Day Foundation
• Tree City U.S.A.

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Thank you for your learning about Urban and
Community Forestry!