POW Title: Urban and Community Forestry

Beautiful, healthy, and safe trees and greenspaces are vital to communities for maintaining the quality of life for residents, revitalizing downtowns, and attracting businesses and visitors. Trees provide many practical benefits, for they improve human health and comfort, enhance property values, cleanse the air of pollutants, sequester carbon, reduce heating and cooling costs, and mitigate stormwater runoff. Trees also nourish and inspire the human spirit. Proper planting, protection, and management of the green infrastructure truly are essential for healthy communities.

When this extension urban forestry program started in 1991 with U.S. Forest Service support, only 28 percent of Pennsylvania cities and boroughs had tree care programs. Most street trees and public parks were in poor condition. The importance of proper tree care and planting for safety, economic values, and environmental benefits to people was not well understood, so many municipalities thought they could not afford spending their limited resources on trees. Yet they suffered from declining business districts, bore the costs of storm cleanups from poorly maintained trees, endured power outages, and sometimes were sued for injuries and property damage caused by hazardous trees. The urban and community forestry extension program addressed these challenges.

Funding and planning for the extension education program have been coordinated closely with the DCNR Bureau of Forestry and the Pennsylvania Urban & Community Forestry Council. This 501c3 organization provides linkages with many other partnerships, including state and federal conservation and transportation agencies; associations of cities, boroughs, and counties; green industries and electric utilities; non-profit organizations; and regional community tree associations that were initiated by the Council. Four extension urban foresters, two faculty, and partners offer a wide variety of educational opportunities and assist communities in applying for grants awarded by the Council. Grants stimulate communities to improve their tree programs and to seek assistance from the extension program.

Accomplishments since 1991 have been substantial, but much remains to be done. Through the grants about 750 municipalities and local volunteer groups became engaged in tree planting and tree care projects, valued at more than $2,600,000. They planted more than 182,000 trees along streets and in parks, and started contracting with commercial arborists to prune their public trees. A variety of educational programs, newsletters, technical publications, and professional advice have empowered communities and volunteer organizations to undertake such practical work. However, an estimated 1,800 municipalities still have no tree program or natural resource plan. Many kinds of people besides tree commissions increasingly seek our advice and information. Furthermore, the initial main interest in community tree programs has expanded to include a broad array of environmental volunteer projects, greater service to inner city populations, enhancing parks and riparian areas, planning for natural resources in community development, and other topics.

SUB POW: 5.J.1. Urban and Community Forestry

Objective: 5.J.1.1. Build public understanding, appreciation, and support for natural resources and the need to institutionalize community tree programs by adopting ordinances, empowering tree commissions, and developing supportive relationships.

Output/Outcome Indicators (These indicators will be captured in the database for FY2003):

1. Number of program participants (in workshops, presentations, trainings, arbor days, short courses, etc.)
2. Number of participants who indicate increased understanding and support for natural resources (e.g., testimonials from clients that attest to intentions and actions).

Special Indicators (suggested by the POW team):

3. Number of communities that undertake preliminary actions or projects that may lead to a tree program, including Arbor Day Celebrations, developing a tree planting project, receiving a first-time urban forestry grant, forming a new tree commission or tree committee, developing a tree or natural resource ordinance, developing an educational program (workshop, planting, demonstration, other event), newspaper article or PR materials (newsletter or brochure) in support of their programs.
4. Seat hours of training (number of program participants x number of hours of training).
5. Program evaluation results.

Objective: 5.J.1.2. Improve conservation and management of public trees and related natural resources through ordinances, tree commissions, inventories and assessments of natural resources, management plans, and better planting and tree care practices.

Output/Outcome Indicators (These indicators will be captured in the database for FY2003):

1. Number of program participants.
2. Number of participants who indicate increased knowledge and motivation concerning improvements in their natural resource conservation and management practices (e.g., testimonials from clients).

Special Indicators (suggested by the POW team):

3. Number of communities that make improvements in their tree program, e.g. revise an existing ordinance or adopt a new shade tree ordinance, perform an inventory, develop a management plan or annual work plan, begin a tree maintenance program, receive grant funds for tree management, acquire stable municipal funding, attain Tree City USA status, perform tree risk assessment and removal program, adopt national tree care standards.
4. Program evaluation results.

Objective: 5.J.1.3. In planning for community development and revitalization, encourage the inclusion of properly managed green infrastructure based on ecological principles, natural resource management practices, and functions of trees in mitigating urban heat island effects, storm water runoff, riparian buffering, and heating and cooling of buildings.

Output/Outcome Indicators (These indicators will be captured in the database for FY2003):

1. Number of program participants.
2. Number of program participants that indicate an understanding of green infrastructure and intent to improve practices (e.g., testimonials from clients).

Special Indicators (suggested by the POW team):

3. Number of municipal and multi-jurisdictional plans that incorporate green infrastructure and natural resource management.
4. Number of communities planting new riparian forest buffers or protecting existing streamside forests, developing downtown revitalization projects that include trees and other natural resources along streets and in parking lots, adopting ordinances that require landscaping (tree planting) as part of new commercial and residential development, or working to acquire public open space, protect natural resources during construction, and manage natural areas for community benefits.
5. Program evaluation results.

Objective: 5.J.1.4. Improve professional expertise in community forestry programs by promoting applications of national standards and certification programs, and exchanging technological information throughout the green industries.

Output/Outcome Indicators (These indicators will be captured in the database for FY2003):

1. Number of program participants.
2. Number of program participants that indicate improved knowledge and intent to use it (e.g., testimonials from clients).

Special Indicators (suggested by the POW team):

3. Number of communities that utilize advanced technology or consultants, contracting tree work with the latest ANSI standards and/or to ISA Certified Arborists, or computerizing tree inventories.
4. Number of tree care professionals successfully passing the ISA Certified Arborist or PLNA Certified Horticulturalist exams following assistance from extension agents or attending an extension workshop or short course.
5. Program evaluation results.
   

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