National Assessment of Current Urban and Community Forestry Programs (01-DG-11052021-217)

This project was an assessment of current urban and community forestry programs and organizations in the United States.

The National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council (NUCFAC) requested an assessment of current urban and community programs and organizations in the U.S. We used an on-line survey to develop an inventory of 680 organizations, representing the 50 states and several territories. These organizations operate at the federal, state and local level and include governmental agencies as well as for- and non-profit organizations. The inventory is available at the TreeLink website (www.treelink.org).

We also assessed the breadth and effectiveness of the USDA Forest Service's Urban and Community Forestry (U&CF) program. The program operates under the authority of the Cooperative Assistance Act. Since 1990, it has been instrumental in creating a broad network of urban and community forestry organizations. U&CF has also been successful at raising awareness of urban forests and the ecological, environmental, social and psychological benefits they provide. The U&CF program faces significant challenges in the areas of 1)accounting procedures relative to partner match of federal funds, 2) accountability associated with program requirements and reporting, 3) reaching non-traditional and underserved groups, 4) integrating U&CF with other Forest Service programs notably Research and NUCFAC, and 5) providing national leadership in the field.

Project objectives:

1. National Urban Forestry Programs Inventory and Assessment.

We will develop a database of existing urban forestry programs at the national, state and local government level. This database will include information on each organization/program (name, location ,contact) and its current status (funding, minority involvement, staffing). In addition, each organization will be surveyed as to its views on current and future challenges facing delivery of urban forestry programs in the U.S. Our goal is to provide a comprehensive inventory of current programs. In so doing, we will analyze the geographic and programmatic themes and variations of urban forestry programs.2.USDA Forest Service's National Urban and Community Forestry Program Assessment.

2. USDA Forest Service's National Urban and Community Forestry Program Assessment.

We will analyze the current status of the Forest Service's Urban and Community Forestry Program as well as the historical patterns of funding and programming. We will provide a state-by-state inventory of funding and program development. We will survey each recipient on the impact/value of Forest Service funding and program support. We believe there is value in identifying direct federal funding as well as non-federal sources. We will also survey each recipient (i.e., states) on the primary challenges to their program and the impact of Forest Service support over the short- and long-term. These results will then be prioritized by recipient (e.g. state or organization) and geographic basis. We will also provide recommendations for improvements to the Forest Service program.

Attachments

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