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Urban Forestry Programs Benefit Cities Large and Small
by Charles Marcus
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At first glance, the term “urban forestry” may seem like a contradiction, like “jumbo shrimp.” After all, trees are in the forest and people are in the city, right? Actually, no! The U.S. Forest Service estimates that roughly 25 percent of our nation’s trees are located in urban areas, which range in size from fewer than 1,000 to more than 1 million residents.
What is urban forestry all about? Here are some examples:
For Perry Odom, the utility forester for Tallahassee’s city-owned electric company, it’s working with community groups and engineers to implement a tree management program that maintains Tallahassee’s lush tree canopy while minimizing the likelihood of power failures caused by breaking limbs.
For Anna Dooley of the nonprofit group Greenscape Jacksonville, it’s planting more than 150,000 trees in the greater Jacksonville area over the past 30 years, including a large planting effort to prepare for the Super Bowl. Greenscape Jacksonville also has conducted a number of educational programs to promote tree awareness by residents of all ages.
For Meg Niederhofer, city arborist for the City of Gainesville, it’s overseeing an active management program to maintain a healthy tree canopy throughout the city. This involves balancing tree removals with replanting to assure a diverse and sustainable urban forest for future generations.
For John Alleyne and Dan Culbert of the University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service, it’s maintaining an arboretum of Florida’s native trees, and cataloguing the locations of the largest “champion” trees of each species.
For John Classe, vice president of planning and infrastructure for the Baldwin Park Development Company, it’s investing significantly in tree management in order to increase the value of the residential and commercial areas that his company is offering for sale in the Orlando area.
For Craig Iversen, county forester for the Florida Division of Forestry, it’s working with homeowners and local governments in the Pensacola area to help them repair and replant trees following the devastating effects of Hurricane Ivan in 2004.
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In other words, urban forestry involves partnerships between state and local officials, private businesses and citizen groups to improve the quality of life in their communities through an active tree management program.
Cities can derive a number of economic, as well as environmental and aesthetic, benefits from such a program. No one can dispute how trees beautify a community. To Realtors and developers, this beauty translates into higher property values and sales revenues. Tree canopies intercept rainfall and tree roots take up water, significantly reducing storm runoff. To city engineers, this increases the efficiency and reduces the cost of operating stormwater management systems. Trees absorb carbon dioxide and other pollutants, and produce oxygen through photosynthesis. To environmental administrators, this can reduce the cost of meeting state and federal air-quality standards. Tree planting programs by local groups, particularly in lower-income communities, serve as a source of community pride. To local law enforcement, this means reduced crime. To public health officials, all of the above benefits mean improved physical and emotional health for area residents.
But what about the property damage and cleanup costs caused by trees during the 2004 hurricanes? No doubt, this added up to millions of dollars throughout the state. Let’s look at the situation a little more closely, though. Much of this damage occurred in places where trees either were planted too close to buildings, where the wrong tree species for the site was planted, where trees were not properly planted or maintained, or where older unhealthy trees were not removed in a timely manner. An effective urban forestry program involves professional oversight and an enforced tree ordinance to encourage homeowners, businesses and public officials not to make these mistakes.
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In reality, there are plenty of examples throughout the state in which property damage from the storms actually was reduced by well-placed and well-maintained trees. The trees themselves may have been sacrificed to the ravages of 140-mph winds, but they saved people’s homes and property. From a cost standpoint, as well as the benefits previously described, decision-makers may want to think twice before eliminating trees from their local landscape.
In order to encourage local governments to have active urban forestry programs, the Division of Forestry has provided matching grants to communities since 1996. Funds can be used to establish staff positions, develop educational materials, conduct tree inventories, develop tree ordinances, purchase equipment, and establish tree planting and maintenance “demonstration areas.” Local governments and nonprofit groups are eligible to receive these grants. Additional information about these grants is available through the division’s Web site at www.fl-dof.com, or through your local forestry office.
Congress also recently approved special funding to help communities replant and rejuvenate urban trees in areas affected by the 2004 hurricanes. Unlike the annual grants, the hurricane grants offer a 75-percent match. Funding emphasis is placed on tree planting, corrective pruning, restoration of municipally owned forested areas, tree giveaways or voucher programs for private homeowners, and educational programs. The maximum award amounts also will be much higher than the annual grants, and recipients will have until October 2007 to complete their projects. The requests for proposals (RFPs) will be available in March.
The “Tree City USA” program provides recognition to cities that have active urban forestry programs. This program is sponsored by the National Arbor Day Foundation, and is administered in Florida by the Division of Forestry. Florida leads the Southeast, and most of the nation, with more than 150 certified “Tree City USAs,” in cities of all sizes. To qualify, cities must have an active tree board, an enforced tree ordinance, an annual work plan that allocates at least $2 per resident for urban tree management, and an annual Arbor Day celebration. Florida Arbor Day occurs on the third Friday of January. Many cities, however, celebrate the national date of April 23. Others incorporate their observance with another community event in the winter or spring.
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For more information on developing or improving your local urban forestry program, there are a number of sources, such as the Trees Florida Conference, which will take place on June 11 - 15 at the Westin Innisbrook Golf Resort near Tampa. During the conference, the Florida chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) and the Florida Urban Forestry Council will present speakers and programs on a variety of topics that you will find useful.
On the Internet, the Web sites for the National Arbor Day Foundation and the Florida ISA provide several technical publications for homeowners and urban tree managers. The ISA also has a directory of arborists who have met their certification standards. The University of Florida, under the leadership of Ed Gilman and Mary Duryea, has done considerable research on a wide range of urban forestry topics. The university also provides technical information through its statewide network of extension agents and on the Internet (at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/). The Division of Forestry has been involved in promoting urban forestry since 1971. Finally, county foresters located in most Florida counties can provide assistance to local officials and homeowners.
Charles Marcus is urban forestry coordinator with the Florida Division of Forestry. He can be reached by mail at 3125 Conner Boulevard, Tallahassee, FL 32399-1650; by telephone at (850) 921-0300; or via e-mail.
Reprinted from Quality Cities March/April 2005
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