The Sustainable Urban Forest
Michael LeffThe Davey Institute
USFS Philadelphia Field Station
2014 Partners in Community Forestry
A Step-by-Step Guidefor Urban Forest Managers
Sustainable development Sustainable energy Sustainable agriculture Sustainable landscape Sustainable communities Sustainable campus Sustainable tourism Sustainable marriage Sustainable lifestyle Sustainable hockey player Sustainable natural gas??
What is ‘Sustainability’?
SUSTAINABLE!
What is ‘Sustainability’?
SUSTAINABLE!
“… creates and maintains the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony, that permit fulfilling the social, economic, and other requirements of present and future generations.”
- EPA
Sustainability …
“Essentially, everything needed to assure that it achieves and maintains a healthy overall extent and structure sufficient to provide the desired benefits, or ecosystem services, over time.”
What makes the urban forest ‘Sustainable’?
everything
Sustainable Urban Forestry Standards
Exploring the Urban Forest Setting the Stage Covering the Canopy Gathering the Information Constructing the Community Framework Conducting the Evaluation & Measuring
Success Developing & Implementing the Plan
The Sustainable Urban Forest Guide
Exploring the Urban Forest
Setting the Stage
Covering the Canopy
Gathering the InformationKey Ingredients
Forest Resource Assessments Field-based inventories and
assessments (“bottom-up”) Tree canopy assessments (“top-down”)
Plans, Practices, Programs, and Policies Urban Forest Management Plan (UFMP) Maintenance plans for public trees Regional plans Community tree programs Municipal urban forestry policies
Constructing the Community Framework
Conducting the Evaluation & Measuring Success Category: Trees and Forest
Targets: T1 – Relative tree canopy cover T2 – Size class distribution T3 – Species mix and distribution Category: Community Framework
Targets: C1 – Municipal agency cooperation C2 – Involvement of large private and institutional landholders C3 – Neighborhood action Category: Resource Management Approach
Targets: R1 – Tree inventory R2 – Canopy cover assessment R3 – City staffing and training
TREES AND FOREST
Target T1: Relative tree canopy cover Key objective: Achieve optimal degree of tree cover, according to desired
levels overall and in each neighborhood.
Performance indicators:
Low (1 point) – Existing canopy cover is 0%-25% of optimal desired canopy.
Fair (2 pts) – Existing canopy is >25%-50% of optimal desired.
Good (3 pts) – Existing canopy is >50%-75% of optimal desired.
Optimal (4 pts) – Existing canopy is >75%-100% of optimal desired.
COMMUNITY FRAMEWORK
Target C3: Neighborhood action Key objective: At neighborhood level, residents understand and
cooperate in urban forest management.
Performance indicators:
Low (1 point) – No neighborhood action.
Fair (2 pts) – Isolated or few neighborhood groups actively engaged in advancing municipal urban forest goals.
Good (3 pts) – Multiple active neighborhood groups across much of city.
Optimal (4 pts) – Citywide coverage and interaction among neighborhood groups engaged in urban forest management.
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT APPROACH Target R3: City staffing and training Key objective: Employ and train sufficient staff to conduct citywide
urban forest management.
Performance indicators:
Low (1 point) – No staff.
Fair (2 pts) – Some staff, but minimal or no training.
Good (3 pts) – Certified arborists and foresters on staff with regular professional development training.
Optimal (4 pts) – Well-trained, multi-disciplinary team within an urban forestry unit.
Developing & Implementing the Plan
The Sustainable Urban Forest
A Step-by-Step Guidefor Urban Forest Managers
Your feedback?Q1 – What are key pieces of missing information?
Q2 – What resources should be added – or dropped?
Q3 – What’s wrong?
Q4 – What would help make it right?
Q5 – How can this grow, rather than stay
“evergreen”?
(if anything)
