Urban

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Urban Community Forestry in Washington
Center For Urban Horticulture, College of Forest
Resources, University of Washington
What is an Urban or Community Forest?
collective masses of trees publicly or
privately owned natural remnants or
plantings stewarded by professionals
citizens found within cities, towns or
neighborhoods in parks, near schools, within
residential yards, on the grounds of institutions
and along streets
Forest Benefits
State -Wide Assessment Projects
Environmental

• Air pollutant reduction
• Carbon storage and sequestration
• Urban heat-island cooling
• Stormwater runoff reduction
• Nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment
  interception
• Wildlife habitat creation

2000 - 2002 Qualitative Quantitative Studies
Goals

• Establish baseline data for longitudinal studies
• Gauge State program performance
• Promote standardization of best practices
• Highlight innovations

Economic

• Corporate relocation/retention
• Increased real estate property
  values
• Public costs reduction (safety,
  environment)
• Tourism
• Retail redevelopment

Products

• Analytic reports
• Community toolboxes
• Report success stories and good models

Psycho-Social

• Emotional stress reduction
• Traffic stress reduction
• Better household dynamics
• Improved wellness, healing and recovery
• Enhanced workplace productivity

Tree Inventories
Management Practices
Policy/Code Ordinances
Community Framework

• Calculate magnitude of non-profit activity
• Explore innovative public-private partnerships
• Gauge perceived public support for Urban
  Community Forestry

• Determine which communities
  have ordinances
• Analyze enabling legislation
• Characterize breadth of ordinances
• Describe implementation systems permitting and
  enforcement
• Survey satisfaction with ordinance effectiveness

• Determine resource magnitude range of
  departmental jurisdiction
• Assess program fiscal status
• Describe staffing levels and technical capacity
  for tree care
• Gauge level of systematic operation Proactive
  vs. Reactive
• Describe tree-related outreach efforts

• Characterize Washingtons urban forest
• Describe inventory content
• Determine the extent to which inventories
  are used as management tools
• Elucidate administrative aspects
• Toolbox to help communities establish an
  inventory or improve upon an existing one.

P r o j e c t s S p o n s o r s