National Urban and Community
Forestry Advisory Council

Projects selected for funding in the 2007 Challenge Cost-Share Grant Program

CATEGORY 1: Urban and Community Forestry for and with Minority and Underserved Populations

1-01 TreeSchool: Using City Trees in Multi-Disciplinary Teaching

(2007 Urban and Community Forestry For Minority and Underserved Populations)

Openlands will develop a bilingual curriculum (English and Spanish) geared to inner city urban neighborhoods that will use city trees and Openlands’ new community arboretum not just to teach children to know, care about, and understand the value of the urban forest, but it will use these trees as graphic, visual tools to teach language arts, visual and performing arts, nutrition, social studies, and history. The curriculum will include 15 activities demonstrating ways each can be modified to serve children in grades K-2, 3-4, 5-7, and 8-12. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $9,150 grant to the $18,300 project. For further information, contact Glenda Daniel, Openlands, 25 E. Washington, Suite 1650, Chicago, IL 60602. Phone: (312) 863-6255.
E-mail: gdaniel@openlands.org.

1-05 Trees for Life Learning and Planting Project

(2007 Urban and Community Forestry For Minority and Underserved Populations)

The Student Conservation Association will engage up to 500 urban youth in six cities through the Trees for Life Learning and Planting Projects and will plant approximately 1,000 trees that are at least ½” in diameter. Through local programs in the District of Columbia, Pittsburgh, Seattle, Houston, Dallas and the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Area, the Student Conservation Association participants, and the community members they engage, will have the opportunity to learn about the efficacy of urban trees and plant trees in their own communities. During the 2007-08 program year, this program will be expanded from the pilot model to include 200 additional youth and add as many as four cities, chosen from among the following: Milwaukee, Cleveland, Baltimore, Jacksonville, and Stamford (CT). On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $50,000 grant to the $100,000 project. For further information, contact Leib Kaminsky, The Student Conservation Association, 1800 North Kent Street, Suite 102, Arlington, VA 22209. Phone: (703) 524-2441. E-mail: lkaminsky@thesca.org

CATEGORY 2: Advancing Emerging Issues: Green Infrastructure and Sustainable

Urban Ecosystems

2-20 Assessing the Effectiveness of Green Infrastructure Developed in Residential Subdivisions

(2007 Advancing Emerging Issues: Green Infrastructure and Sustainable Urban Ecosystems)

Current goals for green infrastructure (open space) in new suburban developments are to provide active and passive recreational areas, to serve as stormwater quality enhancements and wildlife habitat, and as a buffer to the hard surfaces of urban areas. However, given the lack of post-occupancy evaluations, the link between those goals and current open space and forest conservation codes are tenuous at best. This project will complete an analysis of 12 case studies, resulting in the recommendations for the revision of current requirements in subdivision development codes to ensure that maximum green infrastructure benefits are retained. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $49,241 grant to the $120,572 project. For further information, contact Elizabeth Brabec, Utah State University, Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning, 4005 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322-4005. Phone: (435) 797-0500.
E-mail: elizabeth.brabec@usu.edu.

CATEGORY 3: Urban and Community Forestry Research and/or Technology Development

3-01 Linking Urban Forests and Tourism: Aesthetic Appeal and Economic Values

(2007 Urban and Community Forestry Research and/or Technology Development)

The importance of linking forestry and tourism has been recognized in forest management, community development, and tourism. However, urban forests’ role in urban tourism development has been rarely examined in the literature. This project will study visitors’ perceptions of aesthetic appeal of urban forests, assess the role of urban forests as an attractive attribute for visitors, and estimate economic values of urban forests from the perspective of tourism. This project aims to show city and community planners, policy decision makers, developers, and academicians the importance of urban forests in shaping a city’s image and in generating revenues from tourism. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $119,245 grant to the $238,842 project. For further information, contact Jinyang Deng, West Virginia University Research Corporation, 886 Chestnut Ridge Road, Morgantown, WV 26506. Phone: (304) 293-2941 ext. 2462.
E-mail: jinyang.deng@mail.wvu.edu.

3-03 Trees and Residential Electricity Demand: A Large-Scale Multivariate Empirical Analysis

(2007 Urban and Community Forestry Research and/or Technology Development)

Drawing from a large sample of residences in Auburn, Alabama, Auburn University will develop and estimate a multivariate regression model that produces specific estimates of the electricity savings generated by shade-producing trees in a suburban environment. This model will link residential energy consumption to hedonic characteristics (exterior construction material, square footage, power source, number of floors, etc.) of the structures, characteristics/behaviors of the occupants, and the extent and density of shade cast on the structures at different times of the day and different months of the year. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $116,438 grant to the $238,817 project. For further information, contact

David Laband, Auburn University, 310 Samford Hall, Auburn University, AL 36849. Phone: (334) 844-1074.
E-mail: labandn@auburn.edu.

CATEGORY 4C: Replication and Transfer of Model Urban Forestry Programs  
4C-01 National Register of Famous and Historic Trees

(2007 Replication and Transfer of Model Urban Forestry Programs)

Most people have a special tree such as the one you first climbed in or received (or gave) your first kiss under. These trees hold special significance with people and can be powerful tools to connect them with nature. Across the country there are State and local programs that recognize famous and historic trees, conveying their importance, linking them with the history of the nation, and connecting people to their urban ecosystems. American Forests proposes to establish a national program where people can recognize their own special trees and discover famous and historic ones, building a positive constituency at the national level for trees and urban forests.

On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $56,000 grant to the $117,600 project. For further information, contact Deborah Gangloff, American Forests, P.O. Box 2000, Washington, DC 20005. Phone: (202) 737-1944 ext. 232. E-mail: gangloff@amfor.org.

4C-03 Return to the Forest Where We Live

(2007 Replication and Transfer of Model Urban Forestry Programs)

Just prior to the turn of the 21 st century, Louisiana Public Broadcasting completed a one-hour documentary with an extensive teaching guide and web site. The documentary received the National Arbor Day Foundation’s Award for Media and many additional honors. In light of recent environmental events, expanded research findings, and new model programs, Louisiana Public Broadcasting will update the project to include this information; provide a documentary for national broadcast; clips for web/pod-casting; and DVD’s for distribution nationwide to members of the urban forestry community and to educational institutions. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $139,826 grant to the $280,258 project. For further information, contact Tika Laudun, Louisiana Public Broadcasting, 7733 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70810. Phone: (225) 767-4262. E-mail: tlaudun@lpb.org.

4C-09 Community Tree Leadership Forum

(2007 Replication and Transfer of Model Urban Forestry Programs)

The Community Tree Leadership Forum is designed to increase the impact of nonprofit and community tree groups by strengthening knowledge and practice in the key areas most critical to their success. The mission of the training program is to help existing nonprofits become even more successful, and inspire the formation of new organizations dedicated to engaging the public in urban forest stewardship and protection. Launched in February 2006, the Community Tree Leadership Forum successfully engaged 110 participants from 93 nonprofits and urban and community forestry groups from 35 states. This project proposes to replicate the Forum in three locations. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $49,450 grant to the $104,192 project. For further information, contact Jared Liu, Alliance for Community Trees, 5010 Sunnyside Avenue, Suite 305, Beltsville, MD 20705. Phone: (301) 220-3279. E-mail: jared@actrees.org.