Document Actions
Urban and Community Forestry
The program helps State forestry agencies, local and tribal governments, and the private sector improve natural resource management of trees and forests in urban areas and community settings by encouraging and facilitating the active involvement of volunteers in the management and protection of their community's natural resources. The program then analyzes, develops, disseminates, and demonstrates scientific information about protecting, managing, and maintaining community forest resources.
Vision
"...to achieve community sustainability and an enhanced quality of life through stewardship of urban and community forests and related natural resources." Has remained essentially constant since 1990.
Goals
To effect change within the various agencies, organizations, and individuals through awareness, outreach, partnerships, and ecosystem-based management. The focus is on ecological health in combination with social and economic well being as they contribute to healthy and sustainable communities.
Awareness
Create a responsible public and responsive government by promoting an understanding of stewardship. Emphasize the social, economic, and environmental values of trees, forests, and related natural resources in cities and communities to the public and others.
Outreach and Environmental Equity
Expand program participation by involving minorities, people of color, American Indian nations, people with disabilities, and under-served populations in all aspects of urban and community forestry.
Partnerships
Create and maintain partnerships that strengthen cooperative working relationships and integrate diverse activities among public and private agencies and organizations at federal, state, and local levels.
Comprehensive Natural Resource Management
Implement an ecological approach that integrates biophysical, social, and economic considerations to support healthy, sustainable communities.
Accomplishments
Urban and Community Forestry produced advances in integrating ecological issues with growth management to improve the environment and the quality of life of urban residents. Computer modeling tools like American Forest’s CITYGreen are becoming available to local units of government to assist with better land use planning and management.
Additional progress can be seen in the use of partnerships to expand available resources and to increase program support at the state and local levels. Citizen forester programs are one example of the expanding participation of concerned citizens who want to play an active role in restoring their communities.
Vision
"...to achieve community sustainability and an enhanced quality of life through stewardship of urban and community forests and related natural resources." Has remained essentially constant since 1990.
Goals
To effect change within the various agencies, organizations, and individuals through awareness, outreach, partnerships, and ecosystem-based management. The focus is on ecological health in combination with social and economic well being as they contribute to healthy and sustainable communities.
Awareness
Create a responsible public and responsive government by promoting an understanding of stewardship. Emphasize the social, economic, and environmental values of trees, forests, and related natural resources in cities and communities to the public and others.
Outreach and Environmental Equity
Expand program participation by involving minorities, people of color, American Indian nations, people with disabilities, and under-served populations in all aspects of urban and community forestry.
Partnerships
Create and maintain partnerships that strengthen cooperative working relationships and integrate diverse activities among public and private agencies and organizations at federal, state, and local levels.
Comprehensive Natural Resource Management
Implement an ecological approach that integrates biophysical, social, and economic considerations to support healthy, sustainable communities.
Accomplishments
Urban and Community Forestry produced advances in integrating ecological issues with growth management to improve the environment and the quality of life of urban residents. Computer modeling tools like American Forest’s CITYGreen are becoming available to local units of government to assist with better land use planning and management.
Additional progress can be seen in the use of partnerships to expand available resources and to increase program support at the state and local levels. Citizen forester programs are one example of the expanding participation of concerned citizens who want to play an active role in restoring their communities.
