COSTS AND BENEFITS OF URBAN FORESTS PROJECTS
A Study of the Effect of Vegetation on Micro-Climates and Residential Energy Use in Ann Arbor, Michigan
(1995 Costs & Benefits of Urban Forests)
Energy conservation attributable to trees through direct shading, evapotranspiration, and wind shielding is experienced locally in lower utility bills and reduced peak energy demand. On the larger scale, a reduction in energy use implies lower emissions of greenhouse gases (including carbon dioxide) from the burning of fossil fuels. Building on previous work in Ann Arbor, Michigan funded by NUCFAC, this study seeks to quantify the effect of vegetation on microclimate and residential energy use. The first phase of the study monitors air temperature, wind direction and speed, and solar radiation in three neighborhoods with distinctly different tree canopies. Differences in microclimate variables attributable to vegetation would imply differences in energy used for heating and cooling. The second phase studies changes in energy use related to the removal of large healthy trees. Electricity and gas use for one year before tree removal will be compared with data for one year after removal, with any significant weather-corrected difference signaling an effect due to the presence of the tree. On the recommendation of the national Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $55,000 grant to the $115,250 project. For further information, contact Geoffrey Lewis, President, Arbor Resource Group, 405 West Mosley Street, #4, Ann Arbor, MI 48103. Phone: (734) 665-6665. E-mail: glewis@umich.edu.

The Forest Where We Live
(1995 Costs & Benefits of Urban Forests Project)
The Forest Where We Live, a one hour documentary produced by Louisiana Public Broadcasting and narrated by actor Sam Waterston, tells the story of a fascinating and endangered habitat that eighty percent of our citizens call home: America's urban forests. Urban forests are critical components of every day life for the majority of Americans, yet they are often overlooked or taken for granted by most citizens. The story of these vital ecosystems is the story of the American conservation movement. It is the story of deforestation caused by over development and biological disasters. It is the story of scientific discoveries and a new understanding of the economic, environmental and sociological impact of trees on community well-being. It is the story of individuals and organizations working throughout our country to ensure the future of this valuable natural resource. The Forest Where We Live effectively communicates the latest information on the benefits and relative costs of urban forests and raises public awareness of and appreciation for them. It was broadcast statewide in Louisiana in October 1997 and is being fed to public television stations throughout the country in February 1998. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $ 120,000 grant toward the $243,506 project. For further information, contact Tika Laudun, Louisiana Public Broadcasting, 7733 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70810-1009. Phone: (504) 767-4262 E-mail: tlaudun@lpb.gen.la.us Louisiana Public Broadcasting's web site can be found at http://www.lpb.org.

Evaluating Air Quality Effects of Urban Trees: Developing Directionally Sound Programs For Use in State Ozone Attainment Goals
(1995 Costs & Benefits of Urban Forests Project)
A previous ACRT project determined that there is a significant potential for developing credits within federally required State Implementation Plans, based on ozone reduction due to urban forests, which can be used to fund future long-term urban forest management. Before these credits can be pursued, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) needs evidence that the approach is directionally sound. This project produced evidence that will aid in the development of directionally sound programs for state ozone attainment goals, thereby facilitating the development of these credits. In addition, this project quantified the effects of urban trees on numerous other air pollutants. Results of this project have nationwide impacts, potentially affecting urban forest funding in many urban areas that have poor air quality. Detailed analyses of urban forest cover, structure (i.e., species composition, tree size and condition) and air quality effects were conducted for four cities: Baltimore, MD; Boston, MA; New York City, NY; and Philadelphia, PA. Urban forest structural information was necessary to quantify the air quality effects and to provide valuable management information for the cities. Air quality effects focused on pollution removal and volatile organic emissions by trees. Carbon sequestration by trees was also calculated. The main focus of the project was on the overall effects of trees on ground level ozone in these cities. Current and next generation state-of-the-science photochemical models were used to quantitatively evaluate this overall effect. Model results aided in developing directionally sound ozone programs in an effort to create cost-effective ozone control strategies using urban vegetation. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $175,000 grant toward the $383,000 project. For further information, contact Cindy Terry, ACRT, Inc., P.O. Box 401, Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221. Phone: (800) 622-2562 ext. 234. E-mail: askacrt@acrt.com. ACRT's website may be found at http://www.acrt.com.

Growing Hope: Children, Trees, and Urban Public Housing
(1995 Costs and Benefits of Urban Forests Project)
Intuitions tell us that a barren, concrete courtyard is an inhumane place to raise children, and yet policymakers managing tight budgets consistently treat green spaces for children as amenities. Is nearby nature merely a luxury for children? The purpose of this work was to determine whether access to nature has any systematic effects on children's healthy development, and to document and disseminate the findings. It compared children whose everyday play spaces have trees and grass to children whose everyday play spaces are barren. Two populations were targeted. Children growing up in urban public housing spend the vast majority of their free time in the outdoor spaces immediately surrounding their homes - while some of these spaces have trees and grass, many do not. A number of studies examined whether a barrenness of these neighborhoods might contribute to low academic achievement, delinquency, and violent crime in this population. Additional research examined the importance of nature for children with attention deficit disorder, another large population (7% of all children) suffering from many of the same difficulties. Do green spaces and green activities play an important role in children's intellectual, moral, and social development? This work shows that the urban forest may play a surprisingly large role in children's healthy development and provides considerable support for urban programs. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $200,000 grant to the $401,025 project. For further information, contact Frances E. Kuo, Professor, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Illinois, 1103 S. Dorner Lane, Urbana, IL 61801. Phone: (217) 244-0393 E-mail: f-kuo@uiuc.edu.

T.R.E.E.S.: Transagency Resources for Environmental and Economic Sustainability
(1995 Costs & Benefits of Urban Forests Project)
Recognizing the connection between the many costly problems that annually beset our urban environment -- and the negative repercussions on the city and outlying regions of some of our current attempts at solutions -- TreePeople sought to unify the efforts of federal, state, county, and local government agencies who each endeavor to address some aspect of these problems through their separate jurisdictions. With the help of the NUCFAC/U.S. Forest Service grant, and sponsorship from a variety of public agencies and environmental groups, TreePeople created the Transagency Resources for Economic and Environmental Sustainability (T.R.E.E.S.). The goal of the T.R.E.E.S. Project has been to devise and implement a series of Best Management Practices (BMPs) that can enable Los Angeles to function as an urban forest watershed. Through the use of these BMPs, we believe that such problems as flooding, drought, air and water pollution, excessive and expensive energy usage, and urban blight can be effectively and simultaneously addressed -- while also creating approximately 50,000 new jobs for inner-city youth as mini-watershed managers. To accomplish this goal, TreePeople organized a design "charrette" that was held at the Getty Center over a period of four days in May of 1997. During that time, some of the nation's most progressive landscape and building architects, hydrologists and engineers, urban foresters, and government representatives developed an array of BMPs for five representative types of public and private property land uses in Los Angeles. Four of these BMPs were then installed in a demonstration project at a single-family residence in South Central Los Angeles that was formally opened for public viewing on August 13, 1998. The opening ceremony/demonstration was attended by representatives of sponsoring agencies, distinguished guests, and members of the press. Extensive electronic and print media coverage introduced the concepts of sustainable designs to the public. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $150,000 grant to the $ 495,000 project. For further information, contact Andy Lipkis, President, TreePeople, 12601 Mulholland Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210. Phone: (818) 753-4600. E-mail: treepeople@igc.apc.org.

Urban Ecological Analysis Expanding the Economic Cost/Benefits Model to Include Air, Water, and Energy
(1995 Costs and Benefits of Urban Forests Project).
The Urban Ecosystem Analysis (UEA) process established in "Economic Benefits and Costs of the Urban Forest In Low Income and Non-Low Income Communities" was expanded to analyze the benefits of trees for improving air quality, specifically calculating carbon storage and carbon sequestration. This project analyzed the air quality benefits of trees in three cities: Austin, Baltimore, and Milwaukee and calculated its economic value. Air quality benefits can be added to the other ecological benefits - slowing stormwater runoff and conserving summer residential energy use, established in Phase I, to give local decision makers information they need to make decisions about growth, development, and the care of their city's urban natural resources. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a 135,000 grant toward the $270,000 project. For further information, contact Cheryl Kollin, Director, Urban Forest Center, American Forests, P.O. Box 2000, Washington DC 20013. Phone: (202) 737-1944, ext. 221. E-mail: ckollin@amfor.org. American Forests web page can be found at http://www.amfor.org. Look under Trees, Cities, and Sprawl.

Economic Benefits and Costs of the Urban Forest In Low Income and Non-Low Income Communities
(1994 Cost & Benefits of Urban Forests Project)
American Forests developed a method to measure ecological benefits of urban trees, called the Urban Ecosystem Analysis (UEA). The UEA uses Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology and scientific research to quantify the economic benefits of trees for slowing stormwater runoff and reducing summer residential energy use. This project analyzed the ecological benefits of three cities: Austin, Baltimore and Milwaukee as case studies to illustrate this process. The UEA establishes a mechanism for measuring the value of urban trees to give local decision makers the information they need to make decisions about growth, development, and the care of their city's urban natural resources. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $124,920 grant toward the $250,920 project. For further information, contact Cheryl Kollin, Director, Urban Forest Center, American Forests, P.O. Box 2000, Washington DC 20013. Phone: (202) 737-1944, ext. 221. E-mail: ckollin@amfor.org. American Forests web page can be found at http://www.amfor.org. Look under Trees, Cities, and Sprawl.

Young Citizen Pruners for Today & Tomorrow
(1994 Costs & Benefits of Urban Forests Project)
The New York City metropolitan region faces a long-term tree crisis. Active citizen education and participation in tree care and its management is the only realistic way the region can hope to combat this crisis. The Young Citizen Pruners for Today and Tomorrow (YCPTT) Program motivates, educates, trains and integrates youth into educational and volunteer programs for continuity to ensure future free care. The YCPTT program is a two-pronged approach dealing with the primary and secondary education arenas, and is designed to educate children and then integrate them into Tree New York's programs and community self-help efforts. The two program components are (1) interactive field curriculum for young children ("The Great Cookie Lesson") and (2) The Young Citizen Pruner Program which combines a New York City Board of Education approved science curriculum with lifetime skills training. The project ultimately precipitated community empowerment and self-help using trees as the vehicle to address a wise range of issues that includes environmental and economic viability, an awareness of "cause and affect", and basic maintenance and skills training which guarantee tree management, continuity, and health. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $100,000 grant toward the $200,000 project. For further information, contact Barbara Eber-Schmid, Executive Director, New York City Street Tree Consortium, 51 Chambers Street, Suite 1412A, New York, NY 10007. Phone: (212) 227-1887. E-mail: treesny@treesny.com. New York City Street Tree Consortium's web page can be found at http://www.treesny.com.

Benefits of Large Trees Relative to Maintenance Costs To Private Tree Owners
(1994 Costs and Benefits of Urban Forests Project)
Large, mature shade trees provide a substantial range of environmental benefits, such as improving air quality, reducing storm water runoff, reducing greenhouse gases, and lowering building energy use. The environmental benefits derived from large trees can often be ascribed as an economic value, which further enhances their direct importance to communities. Despite their substantial impact on the urban environment, maintenance programs for large trees are rare in comparison to tree planting programs. This may be primarily due to the unrecognized value of large trees. A Windows-based computer model was developed to demonstrate the breadth, and to quantify the size, of the economic value of these environmental benefits relative to forecasted maintenance costs. Benefits estimated by the model are influenced by tree location (property level and national scale), tree species, site quality, and tree-health. Based on entry of this tree specific information, the program grows the tree and accrues a range of environmental benefits and related economic values over a 15-year period. Graphical and numerical formats are used to summarize the projected results, which provide tree care professionals, educators, researchers and the general public with an educational tool. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded an $85,000 grant toward the $170,000 project. For further information, contact Martin Novom, Director, Development, National Arborist Association, Route 101, P.O. Box 1094, Amherst, NH 03031-1094. Phone: (603) 673-3311.

Using Benefit/Cost Analysis to Manage an Urban Forest
(1994 Costs and Benefits of Urban Forests Project)
There is a growing body of research that proves the tangible benefits trees can provide to people in cities. Research findings have been applied in benefit and cost modeling to justify investments in tree programs. However, examples of communities using benefit and cost results in urban forest planning and management are lacking. This project was designed to advance the use of benefit and cost-modeling results in planning that directs tree care and planting activities. To meet the goal of advancing benefit- and cost-based planning, a guidebook for U.S. communities has been developed. The guidebook is based in part upon the urban forest planning efforts of a single community. Fort Worth was selected to demonstrate benefit- and cost-based planning because it faces challenges common to U.S. cities and has a range of urban forestry participants. A local steering committee guided the development of an urban forest plan that gives recommendations for achieving long and short-term urban forestry goals. The guidebook then draws on insights gleaned through this process, as well as recent research and accepted planning practices to make recommendations for implementing benefit- and cost-based planning. Specifically, the guidebook reviews public and private tree inventories, benefit and cost analysis, and the need for community input. The guidebook is made available to communities through an internet web page. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $135,598 grant toward the $275,200 project. For further information, contact R. J. Laverne, The Davey Resource Group, 1500 Mantua Street. Kent, OH 44240-5193 Phone: (330) 673-5685, ext. 49. E-mail: rjlaverne@davey.com. Davey Resource Group's web site can be found at http://www.davey.com

Bottom-Line Benefit Partnership. The Urban Forest and the Development Community: Using Bottom-Line Benefits to Shift the Paradigm
(1994 Costs and Benefits of Urban Forests Project)
This project was conducted to determine the values and beliefs that commercial developers have about tree preservation and planting, collect existing data that addressed those beliefs, and accumulate anecdotal data from commercial developers that incorporate trees in their developments about the bottom line benefits of trees. This information was used to develop communication tools and messages that may be more effective at influencing beliefs and changing practices of the commercial development community. Very few studies were found that documented the value of trees in commercial development but numerous reports of the economic value of trees to residential development were cited as relevant. Through our own survey, we found that commercial developers had a limited understanding about the benefits of tree preservation and planting on commercial and industrial development, with only 10 advantages and 5 disadvantages identified as salient beliefs that motivated behavior and influenced decision-making. Engineers, landscape architects, nurseries and landscape contractors were the contact professionals when tree information was needed. Most of the advantages of preserving or planting trees cited by developers were related to improved success and profits. Balancing perceived costs with potential profits of trees in commercial development is a critical point that must be addressed to support desired change. Findings of the project are being disseminated through a web site and presentations at relevant conferences and workshops. Technical support, a project evaluation and final report will also be provided. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded an $113,996 grant toward the $228,053 project. For further information, contact R. J. Laverne, The Davey Resource Group, 1500 Mantua Street, Kent, OH 44240-5193. Phone: (330) 673-5685, ext. 49. E-mail: rjlaverne@davey.com. Davey Resource Group's web site can be found at http://www.davey.com.

A Comparison of the Benefits and Costs of Tree Cover Between Two Prairie Communities
(1994 Costs & Benefits of Urban Forest Program Project)
The purpose of this study was to describe and contrast the benefits and costs of tree cover between two cities. The communities examined were North Eagle Butte and Murdo, South Dakota. Both communities are located on the short-grass prairie of western South Dakota. The primary differences between the two communities are the density of tree cover and the ethic composition of their citizens. The benefits described and contrasted were the potential energy savings from the tree cover for residential housing and the intangible benefits that trees may provide to residents. The costs described and contrasted are the dollars spent to plant and maintain trees, on both public and private property, and the potential increases in energy cost for residential housing due to the improper placement of trees. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $20,000 grant toward the $40,000 project. For further information, contact John Ball, Associate Professor of Forestry, Horticulture, Forestry, Landscape & Parks Department, College of Agriculture and Biological Sciences, South Dakota State University, Box 2140A, NPB 201, Brookings, SD 57007-0996. Phone: (605) 688-4737. E-Mail: john_ball@sdstate.edu.

The Economics of Tree Preservation in Developing Urban Areas
(1993 Cost & Benefits of Urban Forests Project)
During a period of approximately two and one-half years, tree preservation ordinances from several regions of the United States were reviewed for common requirements and language. In addition, time and materials data were collected from home construction and tree preservation activities on building sites and interviews with professionals performing these tasks. This accumulation of data led to the production of a workshop training video "The Economics of Tree Preservation," and a 17-page publication "Tree Preservation During Construction: A Guide to Estimating Costs." The target audience for both the video and the publication includes builders, developers, and contractors. The estimating guide details the labor and equipment hours associated with 37 separate tree preservation tasks, specifies several materials "costs" associated with those tactics, and includes a separate glossary of common tree preservation terms. In a separate part of this project, a survey of homeowners was conducted to reveal what, if any, expenses were incurred for removing or repairing trees after construction. Approximately 40% of those surveyed reported construction related expenses, averaging $500 per household. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $78,000 grant toward the $179,956 project. For further information, contact Gary R. Johnson, Associate Professor, University Extension Service, Department of Natural Resources, University of Minnesota, 1530 N. Cleveland Avenue, 116 Green Hall, Saint Paul, MN 55108-1027. Phone: (612) 625-3765. E-mail: gjohnson@mes.umn.edu.

Urban Forest Benefit/Cost Identification
(1993 Costs & Benefits of Urban Forests Project)
Davey Resource Group, ISA Research Trust, Communication Research Associates, and the Society of Municipal Arborists developed materials urban foresters can use to identify and communicate the benefits and costs of urban forests on a community-by-community basis. The project resulted in the analysis of beliefs, values and knowledge of decision makers regarding the benefits/costs of urban forests; the identification of message points for use in communications directed at decision makers; the development of computer software (QuantiTree 2.0) for use by urban foresters to identify benefits/costs of specific urban forests; and the development of model communications materials for use in conveying information to the public. Dissemination of research via the Internet produced opportunities to gain feedback from QuantiTree 2.0 users. From December 9, 1996, to August 21, 1997, 183 users downloaded the software. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $213,060 grant toward this $491,300 project. For further information, contact Sandra L. Burns, Manager, Public Relations & Corporate Communications, The Davey Resource Group, P.O. Box 5193, Kent, OH 44240-5193. Phone: (330) 673-9511 ext. 349. E-Mail: sburns@davey.com. Davey Resource Group's website can be found at http://www.davey.com.

Study of Energy Conservation Through Vegetation Management, Ann Arbor, MI
(1993 Costs & Benefits of Urban Forests Project)
Computer models have shown that proper placement of trees around climate-controlled buildings can significantly contribute to energy conservation by lowering cooling requirements in summer months and heating requirements in the winter. A study conducted in Ann Arbor, Michigan, used electric and natural gas utility company records to examine energy demand for homes in three areas with distinctly different levels of tree stocking. Field measurements quantified the density of vegetation that casts shade directly on homes, and aerial photo interpretation was used to evaluate potential wind shielding offered to individual homes by vegetation and adjacent buildings. Statistical analysis of data indicated that variability of structures, including different levels of insulation, infiltration, and efficiencies of space-conditioning appliances mask the effects of vegetation on energy use. Analysis was further complicated by a wide range of energy use habits of individual homeowners. However, trends were observed that suggest proper placement of trees with regard to seasonal solar gain and wind patterns may yield substantial savings of energy. Improper placement of trees may yield significant increase in net levels of energy use for space conditioning. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $20,000 grant toward the $43,500 project. For further information, contact Cindy Terry, ACRT, Inc., P.O. Box 401, Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221. Phone: (800) 622-2562 ext. 234. E-mail: askacrt@acrtinc.com. ACRT's website may be found at http://www.acrtinc.com.

Feasibility Study of Urban Forest's Economic Value for USEPA Air Pollution and Carbon Sequestering Emission Reduction Credits and/or Mitigation Trading
(1993 Costs & Benefits of Urban Forests Project)
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) policies provide that air pollution and carbon sequestering can be sold to manufacturers or utilities mandated to reduce their emissions. Urban forestry emission reduction credits (ERCs) could be established for carbon sequestering and certain air pollutants mitigated by trees. The National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) was established in 1989. New trees planted since 1989 and increases in canopy cover and general tree health since then could provide one basis for urban forestry ERCs that could be sold by municipalities. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $45,000 grant toward the $95,000 project. For further information, contact Cindy Terry, ACRT, Inc., P.O. Box 401, Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221. Phone: (800) 622-2562 ext. 234. E-mail: askacrt@acrtinc.com. ACRT's website may be found at http://www.acrtinc.com.

CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE PROJECTS

Conveying the Power of Trees: A National Outreach Effort
2001 Creative and Innovative Projects
In the last seven years, a series of NUCFAC-funded studies points to trees having a beneficial role in healthy child development, healthy families, stronger communities, and safer neighborhoods. These findings have been extremely well received, and the demand for written materials, web-based materials and invited talks by members of our laboratory has been tremendous. It is time for a major national education and dissemination effort focused on these compelling findings. This project proposes to reach millions of Americans: translate the findings from professional and lay audiences; document the impacts of this research; generate design recommendations; and deliver these products to national audiences. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $194,728 grant to the $549,179 project. For further information, contact William Kruidenier, Human-Environment Research Lab, University of Illinois, N409 Turner Hall, MC-047,1102 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801. Phone: (217) 244-2831. E-mail: kruideni@uiuc.edu.

Computer Animated Stormwater Runoff Model
2001 Creative and Innovative Projects
The objective of this project is to develop a scientifically based model to predict the quality and quantity of stormwater runoff. The model and computerized visualizations can then be used to demonstrate the effectiveness of “green” BMPs and appropriate land use planning on the site-specific and watershed level where urban growth is projected to occur. The user can graphically see and compare the effects of traditionally engineered stormwater management controls, green BMPs, and land conservation on the streams and rivers of the local watershed. The user will also have the ability to access Technical Fact Sheets and diagrams of specific BMPs. Therefore, using the model to explore various growth and stormwater control scenarios, the user will have written, graphic and computer animated presentations of the data. 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 $157,00 project. For further information, contact John Lyons, Sanitation District No. 1 of Northern Kentucky, 1045 Eaton Drive, Fort Wright, KY 41017. Phone: (859) 578-6770. E-mail: jlyons@sd1.org.

Web Site Enhancement for arborday.org
2001 Creative and Innovative Projects
The National Arbor Day Foundation developed three modules on arborday.org offering unique learning opportunities for a diverse audience ranging from the novice tree planter to the forestry professional. The “Online Tree Guide” includes 131 commonly planted landscape trees that can be sorted by common name, scientific name, or family. The guide can be searched by type, soil, sun, hardiness zone, spread, height, or shape and includes information about use of trees for shade, wildlife, windbreaks, etc. “Right Tree Right Place Quiz” offers questions to test the user’s knowledge of trees and provides information in a fun and educational format by asking the user to determine which tree is best for a particular situation. The quiz highlights landscaping to conserve energy and attract wildlife, reduce heat island effect, consideration of utilities, crown shape, mature size, riparian areas, and windbreaks. “Virtual Pruning” encourages proper pruning cuts and includes information on pruning for strength, form, and fruit and warns against topping. The modular provides information on storm damage, pruning tools, and hiring an arborist for big jobs. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forest Program awarded a $61,200 grant to the $122,400 project. For further information, contact Tina Schweitzer, The National Arbor Day Foundation 211 North 12th Street, Lincoln, NE 68508. Phone: (402) 473-9553. E-mail: tina.schweitzer@arborday.org

TreeLink: An "Expanding Canopy" of Urban and Community Forestry Knowledge
2001 Creative and Innovative Projects
TreeLink’s vision is to create an “Expanding Canopy” of knowledge about Urban and Community Forestry by reaching into widespread community roots with potent, accessible communications resources. While TreeLink is the most comprehensive U&CF website, the concept of U&CF is not yet well known. With this two-year project, TreeLink has provided new, interactive resources tailored to four target audiences – academic institutions, green industry and government land agencies, nonprofit U&CF organizations, and the general public. We have the knowledge to plan cities that are both environmentally and economically sustainable. Internet technology allows us to share that knowledge with every small town in this country. TreeLink provides that tool for Urban and Community Forestry, with inreach to traditional resources and outreach to the widest possible audience. All can benefit from networking, research, community building and education outreach to expand name recognition and participation in the movement and discipline of Urban and Community Forestry. In 2003, TreeLink won three national awards: the Global ReLeaf Award for Organizational Achievement; the National Arbor Day Award and the (USDA) Chief’s Award for Excellence in Technology Transfer. TreeLink currently reaches more than 70 nations in 12 languages. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $245,870 award to the $495,870 project. For further information, contact Pepper Provenzano, TreeLink, 68 East Girard Avenue, Salt Lake City, UT 84103. Phone: (801) 359-1933. E-mail: pepper@treelink.org

Integrating a High-Powered Urban Forest Benefits Model in a User-Friendly, Public Domain Program
2001 Creative and Innovative Projects
UFORE, or the Urban Forest Effects model, is a powerful, scientifically accurate program that estimates urban forest structure, composition and environmental benefits. However, because of its programming as a research tool, UFORE’s general use is limited. This project developed a user-friendly program and materials that will assist urban forest managers and others in setting up UFORE projects. It also provides access to information on how UFORE works and the results from completed projects from other cities. These materials are accessible and downloadable through a website (www.ufore.org). The project also includes a demonstration of map-based presentation formats that will be developed further as work on the UFORE software program continues. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $92,000 award to the $184,000 project. For further information, contact Christopher Luley, Davey Resource Group, 6050 Hicks Road, Naples, NY 14512. Phone: (585) 394-9460. E-mail: cjluley@davey.com

Dissemination of an Approach to Integrate Urban Tree Planting into State and Federal Air Quality Improvement Programs
2001 Creative and Innovative Projects
Two previous National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council grants prepared the groundwork for this project that developed the materials and disseminated our approach on how to integrate urban tree planting and management into a viable strategy to reduce air pollution. The objectives of this project were to create a contact database of governmental air quality management officials, state urban forestry coordinators, and grassroots-type urban forestry activists, develop a color tri-fold brochure on urban forest management and air quality improvement and to disseminate the brochure to all states in the US. The database contained over 400 contacts. Each contact received by mail the brochure. A follow-up phone and email contact was conducted in States with federal ozone non-attainment status to ensure that all parties received and understood the brochure. This contact also allowed us to discuss our efforts and approach with the individuals that could influence the process in each state. We found that a simple mailing of a brochure, even to a targeted audience, was ineffective in raising awareness. The follow-up calling and contact process was invaluable in disseminating our message, and was well received once the contact was made. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $13,050 grant to the $26,100 project. For further information, contact Christopher Luley, Davey Resources Group, 6050 Hicks Road, Naples, NY 14512. Phone (585) 394-9460. E-mail: cjluley@davey.com

Our Heritage of Community Trees
2001 Creative and Innovative Projects
A 73-page booklet, “Our heritage of Community Trees”, was published to describe the intriguing, centuries-old history of how trees came into our urban landscapes in Europe and America, the new tree species discovered by plant explorers, the evolution of arboricultural practices, and how urban forest management systems were developed to care for community trees. These historical events are documented by 134 literature citations. Twenty-three photos, old etchings, and paintings make the booklet attractive to the intended audience – people who will be inspired to look anew at trees in their communities and challenged to convince community leaders to care for trees properly. Free copies were distributed to all state urban forestry coordinators, and additional copies are for sale by the Pennsylvania Urban and Community Forestry Council, 56 East Main Street, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055. Excerpts of the book have been published by the International Society of Arboriculture in “Arborist News”, to publicize its availability. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $3,980 grant to the $14,980 project. For further information, contact Henry Gerhold, Pennsylvania Urban and Community Forestry Council, 109 Ferguson Building, University Park, PA 16802. Phone: (814) 865-3281. E-mail: hdg@psu.edu.

Using Community-Based Urban Forestry to Create New Jobs for Lower-Income Urban Residents: A National Demonstration Project in Washington, DC
(2000 Creative and Innovative Project)
The health of our communities is dependent on the health of the urban forest for cleaner air and water, beauty, public health, psychological well-being, and economic opportunities. Our vision is to improve the total environment of two targeted urban neighborhoods, Shaw and Anacostia, by addressing the primary concerns observed and raised by community residents, leaders and institutions. During introductory meetings, four major concerns voiced were environmental quality, economic opportunity, and also the broader community issues of crime, grime, education, and lack of pride. These issues were chosen as the goals we were to work toward changing. We sought to improve the neighborhood environments of these communities through community-based urban forestry or greening. Our project tried to help 4-8 local green businesses in the communities to grow – providing more local green jobs, capturing both green and economic growth. We also provided individuals with the knowledge and skills needed to acquire and advance in the green-jobs industry. We simultaneously promoting community-based greening by training leaders and active residents in ecologically sound approaches to urban community greening. We linked the knowledge of urban greening to other community concerns. This we hoped would build a culture of local natural resources and community stewardship in communities where such a culture is often lacking. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $85,000 grant to the $200,500 project. For further information, contact Mike McConnell, Community Resources, Inc., 4900 Wetheredsville Road, 1D, Baltimore, MD 21207. Phone: (410) 448-4900 E-mail: mike@communityresources.org. Website: www.communityresources.org.

Holding Water and Creating Forested Parks in East New York: Cleaning the Waters of Jamaica Bay
(2000 Creative and Innovative Project)
Urban and suburban communities across the country face critical problems in the management of stormwater runoff. At the same time, wetlands and natural soils sustaining native species habitat continue to disappear under expanded construction of developments and the impervious infrastructure that connects them. This project has linked these problems with a holistic solution. With major NYC Agency partners, The Gaia Institute has created a wetland garden surrounded by an upland buffer. This stormwater capture park is designed to incorporate runoff from the neighboring bus depot, as well as the adjacent NYC street (Crescent Avenue), together with reused/recycled groundwater. The aim here is to create a system which can aid in both groundwater recharge as well as water table regulation in areas of high groundwater, such as parts of the Brooklyn-Queens Aquifer. Because there are no widely applicable models capable of reversing runoff and non-point problems at present, the critical step required of an effective, ecologically based stormwater program is to document and disseminate project results. By informing the public as well as public officials of cost effective steps for reforesting patches of urban landscape for the purpose of environmental quality enhancement, it should become possible to foster and encourage investment in the replication of natural-system based non-point pollution removal within NYC and surrounding municipalities. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $67,050 grant to the $166,500 project. For further information, contact Paul S. Mankiewicz, The Gaia Institute, 99 Bay Street, City Island, NY 10464. Phone: (718) 885-1906. E-mail: gaiainst@aol.com.

Creating an Edible Urban Forest in Detroit.
(1999 Creative & Innovative Project)
Imagine creating a diverse, mixed edible urban forest on vacant lots in Detroit where approximately one in every three households lives in poverty and one in every four experiences moderate to severe hunger. Detroit is an excellent location to situate an edible urban forest project. The goal of the project was to boost community self-sufficiency, educate and connect community leaders, enhance the environment, reduce hunger, and provide recreation to neighborhood citizens of Detroit. Urban edible forests were established at five sites in Detroit: (1) Catherine Ferguson Academy; (2) East Grad Community Park and Garden (Genesis Lutheran Church); (3) North Woodward Empowerment Center; (4) God’s Little Acre (Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church); and, (5) Holbrook Elementary School. The model developed resulted in agencies such as the Hunger Action Coalition and the Greening of Detroit working together on selected community greening projects to meld food producing vegetable plants with food-producing trees. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $53,200 grant to the $108,850 project. For further information, contact Tom Guthrie, Michigan Integrated Food & Farming Systems, P.O. Box 4903, East Lansing, MI 48826-4903. Phone: (517) 432-0712. E-mail: miffs@pilot.msu.edu. Website: www.msu.edu/~miffs/

Exploring Ecological Linkages Between Urban and Rural Communities
(1999 Creative & Innovative)
American Forests and the Communities Committee of the Seventh American Forest Congress have developed pilot projects in the Seattle and Baltimore areas to explore ecological, social, and economic linkages between urban and rural communities. Through these two-year pilot efforts, the national partners have: 1) forged collaborative partnerships with local nonprofit groups and agencies; 2) helped local partners identify shared objectives and actions; 3) provided seed money and helped implement actions; 4) connected local groups to each other and national networks; 5) assisted in efforts to raise additional financial and technical support for pilot project activities; and 6) disseminated information to broader audiences through publications and presentations. Both pilot projects are focusing on building local capacity for ecosystem restoration through education, skill-training, and increased investment. In Seattle, partner organizations have formed “Greenway Connections” to protect and restore urban and rural forests along the I-90 corridor through education and field training opportunities for youth from diverse and underserved communities. In Baltimore, partners are building a workforce in inner-city neighborhoods capable of restoring vacant and contaminated land through a restoration job training initiative, a high school education program, and efforts to increase public and private sector investment in green infrastructure restoration projects. 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 $125,000 project. For further information, contact Gerald J. Gray, American Forests, P.O. Box 2000, Washington, DC 20013. Phone: (202) 737-1944, ext. 217. E-mail: ggray@amfor.org. American Forests web page can be found at www.amfor.org.

Bike Rack “cum” Tree Guard: Protecting Our Street Trees
(1999 Creative & Innovative)
TNY tackled a common streetscape clash between two good environmental practices: the planting/maintenance of street trees and the use of bicycles for transportation. In collaboration with Cooper Union, an international student competition was held to develop a device that protected street trees while providing bike parking with a practical, cost effective, flexible design. Fifteen design finalists were selected, and two designs were selected as first and second place winners. Prototypes are presently being piloted on the streets of Manhattan. We are planning to expand the pilot project in a variety of streetscape scenarios. The project emphasizes that street trees are an extremely important component of a community’s infrastructure. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $58,830 grant to the $125,130 project. For further information, contact Barbara Eber-Schmid, Trees New York, 51 Chambers Street, #1412A, New York, NY 10007. Phone: (212) 227-1887 E-mail: treesny@treesny.com. Trees New York web page can be found at www.treesny.com

Urban Trees to Household Furniture.
(1999 Creative & Innovative Project)
This project has combined two of our precious natural resources, people and trees. We accomplished two main objectives. One was to add value to low-quality, hardwood lumber, and urban trees that are unwanted or storm damaged. Two, was to provide vocational training and a sense of well being for the physically and mentally challenged clients of Spectrum Industries who will build quality furniture and craft items that will be marketed throughout the Midwest. This project has been successful in obtaining over 8,500 B.F. of lumber from unwanted trees that were derived from city tree cuttings, from clearing trees at housing developments, and from individual citizens who needed a tree removed. Through the use of grant funds, we have been able to assist Spectrum Industries in establishing a sound woodworking business that provides quality vocational training for their clients. The goal of Spectrum Industries is to have this woodworking program continue to grow in such as way that it allows individuals to move into competitive jobs, and to provide high quality products for the community to use and enjoy. We feel that this project has served as an educational model to demonstrate that value can be added to trees that are removed and used for lumber and also assist an organization in establishing a sound business for their clients to work and train in, so they can possible move into competitive jobs in the community. 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 a $173,800 project. For further information, contact Teresa Steffens, Resource Conservation & Development for NE Iowa, Inc., P.O. Box 916, Postville, IA 52162-0916. Phone: (319) 864-7112 E-mail: tsteffen@terra.ia.nrcs.usda.gov.

Sustainable Urban Orchard with Urban Produce Marketing Cooperative.
(1998 Creative & Innovative Project)
TreeFolks in partnership with Austin Community Gardens (ACG) and Texas Organic Growers Association (TOGA) developed revenue-generating organic urban fruit/nut tree orchards and neighborhood-wide fruit tree planting efforts in low-income communities concurrent with the development of a marketing cooperative. Because locally grown organic fruit is in high demand and consumers are willing to pay premium prices, the project partners developed a self-sustaining, organic produce marketing cooperative in Austin linking low-income growers with high end retailers, restaurants and caterers. Bilingual, culturally-appropriate growing guides and other education materials were developed for community and neighborhood gardeners as well as cooperative members. Our goal is to promote economic development and entrepreneurship in low-income neighborhoods in South and East Austin through the creation of the cooperative while emphasizing sustainable, urban agricultural practices. Cooperative members are comprised of the area's community and home gardeners. Technical assistance is provided in all aspects of production, business development and marketing. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $123,834 grant to the $247,668 project. For further information, contact Mary McCarthy, TreeFolks, Inc., P.O. Box 704, Austin, TX 78767. Phone: (512) 443-5323. E-mail: treefolk@io.com. TreeFolks, Inc.'s web page can be found at www.treefolks.org.

Feasibility Study for "Is the Urban Forest A Natural Resource Public Utility?"
(1998 Creative & Innovative Project)
Contemporary urban forestry has struggled under the label of aesthetics and amenities since its inception many years ago. In the majority of governmental debates involving budget allocations, city tree care is among the first to experience the fiscal axe. It would appear that the innocent connotation of "aesthetics and amenities" is compromising adequate funding. To affect this issue, it is proposed that a more penetrating designation for urban forests is that of a "Biogenic Public Utility (BPU)." This designation is not offered as a testable scientific hypothesis. It is essentially a methodology intended to strengthen the purpose and posture of trees in places where people live, work and play and to influence public policy. A Biogenic Public Utility is defined as: "the utility service produced by living organisms that supply the general public with an essential commodity or service such as cooling, clean air, flood control and carbon sequestering and storage. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $27,000 grant to the $54,000 project. For further information, contact Bailey O. Hudson, Bailey O. Hudson Horticultural Consulting, 1032 East Orange Street, Santa Maria, CA 93454. Phone: (805) 349-0081. E-mail: unceuchudson@utech.net.

Promote Holistic Effective Management of Forested Parcels.
(1997 Creative & Innovative Project)
Holistic Forest Management in the Urban-Rural Interface is an education program that promotes an ecological, economic, and sociological approach to understanding and managing natural resources located in or near populated areas. The program includes: (1) resource management education for policy makers, local planners, and those involved in community-level planning, and (2) natural resources education targeting homeowners living on 1 to 10 acres. Target audiences include: forest land owners with less than ten acres, families, community-level policy makers and planners, natural resource professionals, non-profit organizations, and the general public. The education programs and associated publications are in the public domain and are designed for easy replication by other states. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $123,600 grant to the $252,600 project. For further information, contact Kevin Doran, Maine Department of Conservation, Forest Policy and Management Division, 22 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333. Phone: (207) 287-4988. E-mail: kevin.doran@state.me.us. Maine Department of Conservation's web page can be found at www.state.me.us/doc/mfs.

Reducing Barriers to Urban and Community Forestry: A Policy Approach
(1997 Creative and Innovative Project)
The Parks & People Foundation has been working in Baltimore, Maryland, for over a decade helping needy, inner-city communities plant street trees, restore vacant lots, and build community tree nurseries. Though many of the communities receive some modest assistance from city agencies, almost on a daily basis they are confronted with barriers to community forestry that exist as a result of the policies and procedures of various city agencies. These barriers hinder urban and community forestry, cost the city money, and foil the positive efforts of many interested citizens. In an effort to reduce some of these policy barriers, the Parks & People foundation has developed a series of recommendations that will facilitate community management of open space and result in city policies that are more in support of community forestry. In researching ways to reduce barriers to urban and community forestry in Baltimore, six other cities were surveyed regarding their open space management and urban forestry policies and practices. Supporting policy recommendations for Baltimore with examples of effective strategies from other cities is aiding the passage of desired policy changes. This project has been documented as a model that other cities can use to reduce their barriers to urban and community forestry. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $15,890 grant toward this $32,080 project. For further information, contact Amanda Cunningham, Parks & People Foundation, 1901 Eagle Drive, Baltimore, MD 21207. Phone: (410) 448-5663. E-mail: amanda.cunningham@parksandpeople.org

TLC - The Landscape Consultation
(1997 Creative and Innovative Project)
The Landscape Consultation (TLC) includes the development and provision of individualized education and improvements in residential landscapes. TLC combines the features and resources of two nationally recognized program models in an effort to preserve and restore the urban ecosystem - one yard at a time - Home*A*Syst, for its holistic and high quality-educational materials, and "The Energy Fitness Program" for its individualized, neighborhood-based approach. TLC has provided customized information and advice related to urban forestry, plant health care, stormwater runoff, habitat diversity, composting and mulching. TLC has served as a cost effective model for communities seeking to improve their environment while reducing costs related to waste management, stormwater management etc. The site is located at: http://urbanoptions.org. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $10,000 grant toward the $20,000 project. For further information, contact LeRoy Harvey, Urban Options, 405 Grove Street, East Lansing, MI 48823. Phone: (517) 337-0422 E-Mail: info@urbanoptions.org

50 Careers With Trees
(1997 Creative and Innovative Project)
50 Careers With Trees was created to ensure that there is a work force of professionals to establish and sustain urban forests and manage and protect them now and in the future. 50 Careers With Trees is a bilingual (English and Spanish) compendium of information and inspiration posted on the internet describing a variety of ways to have gainful employment in urban forestry. Each career narrative includes slices from a-day-in-the-life of that professional, educational requirements, aptitudes and skills, credentials, startup costs, and expected salary ranges. The web site has active links to two- and four-year schools nationwide, as well as to related websites. 50 Careers With Trees averages 1,000 visitors each month from around the world. The five most popular careers are: arborist, landscape design/garden consultant, forester, landscape architect, and GIS professional/technician. 50 Careers With Trees web page can be found at http://www.urbanforest.org. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $22,500 grant toward the $45,020 project. For further information, contact Dana Adams, Tree Foundation of Kern, Inc., 1412 17th Street, Suite 216, Bakersfield, CA 93301. Phone (661) 325-6650. E-mail: treeinfo@urbanforest.org.

ECONOMIC IMPACT OF URBAN FORESTS ON A BUSINESS OR COMMUNITY PROJECTS

The Economic Impact of Urban Trees in Commercial Districts: A Greater New York/New Jersey Area Study.
(1996 Economic Impact of Urban Forests on a Business or Community Project)
This project assessed and documented the economic impact of urban forests in commercial districts within the New York/New Jersey region. The results of the study provided information to assist developers in deciding to plan for the living infrastructure during development or redevelopment projects and to maintain the resource, not only for its environmental benefits, but also for the economic viability of the project. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $150,000 grant on this $300,000 project. For further information, contact Barbara Eber-Schmid, New York Street Tree Consortium, Inc., 51 Chambers Street, Suite 1412A, New York, NY 10007. Phone: (212) 227-1887. E-mail: treesny@treesny.com. New York Street Tree Consortium's report can be found at http://www.treesny.com/eisreport.pdf.

The Influence of Trees on the Appraised Value of Urban Land.
(1996 Economic Impact of Urban Forests on a Business or Community Project.)
Natural resources can significantly enhance quality of urban life. The value of environmental resources to the economy and the community is well documented (Miller 1988, Arnold 1993, Kuser 2000). However, broader environmental and resource management issues are seldom addressed and integrated into the economic policies of a community due to lack of understanding of the social and economic value of the urban forest complex. This study attempted to establish economic value relationships between patterns of the urban forest and residential property value. Landscape greenness for two communities in New Jersey, New Brunswick and Highland Park, was compared to house sale values over a three-year period. A LANDSAT TM-derived Normalized Differential Vegetative Index (NDVI) for the study areas was compared to house sale values. While correlations were weaker for New Brunswick, both municipalities proved to have a statistically significant positive correlation of house value to urban forest components. The correlation was strongest for a neighborhood average NDVI (approximately 150x150 meters) suggesting a local neighborhood or mesoscale level of urban forest-house value interaction. This result provides the basis for additional investigation of the importance of spatial pattern in urban forestry and is intended to provide information for community urban forestry policy development. On the recommendation of the National Urban Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $104,700 grant to the $209,400 project. For further information, contact Steven Strom, University of New Jersey-Rutgers, Department of Landscape Architecture, Blake Hall, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08903. Phone: (732) 932-8488. E-mail: strom_c@aesop.rutgers.edu.

The Impact of Trees on the Sale and Leasing of Business Property in San Jose
(1996 Economic Impact of Urban Forests on a Business or Community Project)
This project conducted research to determine how trees impact commercial properties in the San Jose metropolitan area. A valid methodology to study the relationship between tree cover and the viability of commercial businesses was developed based on the availability of pertinent data. Aerial photos taken in 1971 and 1996 were utilized to measure the tree canopy of 30 shopping centers and 6 downtown areas. A positive association between business viability and tree cover was found. A high degree of association exists between increased tree cover and the presence of high-end offerings of goods and services. That retail offerings have converted from a local market service base to a broad area market where there are many trees is also a good indication that urban land values in these areas have also greatly increased over the same time period. All obviously successful shopping centers and downtowns have many trees, while poorer shopping centers have few. Study findings will provide the public with hard data regarding the relationship between trees and commercial business viability. The final products - a written report, a user-friendly informational brochure and a slide presentation - are being utilized to distribute the findings to various interested audiences. The ultimate impact of the project is to influence commercial property owners and managers towards a greater appreciation of, and investment in, the urban forests living under their domain. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $25,000 grant to the $61,000 project. For further information, contact Rhonda Berry, President, Our City Forest, 595 Park Avenue, Suite 100, San Jose, CA 95110. Phone: (408) 998-7337

EDUCATION, COMMUNICATION, AND OUTREACH PROJECTS

Electronic Media Tutorial Programs to Improve Urban Tree Establishment and Maintenance
(2000 Education, Communication, and Outreach Project)
The objective of this project is to develop, produce, and distribute nationally, a series of tutorial electronic media programs with information and training examples about basic urban tree establishment and maintenance techniques. World Wide Web page formats with national links, videos and videodisks suitable for television and/or cable programming, and compact disk and zip disks for computer assisted learning will be prepared especially for training tree service practitioners, municipalities and Master Gardeners in training. The main message of the programs is that trees are valuable assets in the urban and residential landscape, but that specific selection, planting and maintenance techniques are needed to ensure successful establishment. Although most of these techniques are simple, they are not well known in the tree service industry (including extension agents and landscape architects) because they are relatively new. Unfortunately, this means that earlier references and recommendations are now out of date. This project will provide a variety of up-to-date tutorial programs that address two specific priorities of the Council: Information, communication, and the dissemination of technological knowledge to strengthen urban forestry programs and empower communities to improve their urban forests; educating people to empower them to develop and preserve healthy urban landscape trees by demonstrating selection, planting and maintenance procedures to ensure successful establishment of young trees, and by demonstrating proper pruning of mature trees. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $78,754 grant to the $157,508 project. For further information, contact Douglas L. Airhart, Tennessee Technological University, School of Architecture, P.O. .Box 5034, Cookeville, TN 38505. Phone: (931) 372-3288. E-mail: dairhart@tntech.edu.

Trees2K
(2000 Education, Communication, and Outreach Project)
Trees 2K is a project dedicated to educating middle school youth on trees and their value to our communities. Through an interactive experience, students will learn how trees function, identification of trees in their community, and contributions of the urban forests. Additionally, they will be able to check their knowledge through a fun, interactive game, Treevia! The program is available as a CD-ROM and through the Shreveport Green website at www.shreveportgreen.org. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $20,000 grant to the $66,000 project. For further information, contact Donna Curtis, Shreveport Green, 3625 Southern Avenue, Shreveport, LA 71104. Phone: (318) 219-1888. E-mail: dcurtis@shreveportgreen.org.

Tree Conservation and Sustainable Landscaping for Habitat for Humanity Homes
(2000 Education, Communication, and Outreach)
National Wildlife Federation (NWF) has created and published the Tree Conservation and Home Site Development Guide. This guide will be used by Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI), one of the world’s largest homebuilders, and its affiliates around the country to facilitate the incorporation of environmental evaluation and planning into the siting and landscaping decisions that are made at new development sites. The guide is an informative resource, emphasizing the conservation of trees and other natural vegetation and the role sustainable landscaping plays in the energy, water, and habitat conservation. The guide will be distributed by the National Garden Clubs, Inc., a nonprofit organization of over 8,000 garden clubs nationwide, and NWF. Guides can be ordered from NWF at http://www.nwf.org/backyardwildlifehabitat/thehabitatshop.cfm. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $33,250 grant to the $91,500 project. For further information, contact David Mizejewski, National Wildlife Federation, 11100 Wildlife Center Drive, Reston, VA 20190-5362. Phone: (703) 438-6499. E-mail: mizejewski@nwf.org.

Tree City USA Bulletins
(2000 Education, Communication, and Outreach Project)
Five new eight-page Tree City USA Bulletins were produced and distributed: How to Reduce Wildfire Risk addresses breaking up solid areas of evergreens, planting evergreens a safe distance from homes, planting fire resistant shrubs, keeping trees in healthy condition, preventing build-up of leaves and dead branches, and other fire safety issues; Working With Children addresses ways to successfully provide direction and training to help children make their own discoveries and project plans; Selling Others on Tree Programs describes how to gain support from elected officials, city employees, businesses, the media and the public; What Ails Your Tree? Describes the methods of successfully identifying and treating insects and diseases of widespread concern; Trees for Better Streets describes the vision of entries and main streets, shows how green streets can attract people to live, visit or start a business in the community, shows that trees can and should be key elements of streets, and informs people how to work with planners, utilities, and newsmakers to bring this about. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded $57,147 grant to the $125,400 project. For further information, contact Tina Schweitzer, The National Arbor Day Foundation, 211 N. 12th Street, Lincoln, NE 68508. Phone: (402) 473-9553. E-mail: tina.schweitzer@arborday.org.

GreenWorks! Works.
(1999 Education, Communication & Outreach Project)
GreenWorks! Works is a campaign to promote environmental service learning emphasizing the educational value in exposing students to urban and community forestry practices. Twenty thousand copies of a GreenWorks! Works manual, with English and Spanish student material, will be produced and distributed to educators and forestry supporters. The project will be promoted at 16 conferences, 1,000 workshops, on the web, and in magazines and newsletters. Educators will be recruited to support forestry and the construction and use of schoolyard and parkland forest learning centers by demonstrating the capacity for such endeavors to address school reform priorities and pedagogical needs. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $104,529 grant to the $225,268 project. For further information, contact Caroline Alston, American Forest Foundation, 1111 19th Street N.W., Washington, DC 20036. Phone: (202) 463-2472. E-mail: calston@plt.org. American Forest Foundation's web page can be found at www.affoundation.org.

Model Community Forestry Internship Program
(1999 Education, Communication & Outreach)
The Greening of Detroit’s Model Community Forestry Internship Program (MCFIP) will provide educators and community forestry organizations with the tools to train graduates so they can strengthen forestry programs and empower communities to restore their ecosystems. In addition, MCFIP will increase environmental awareness among residents living in urban settings nationally and provide opportunities for them to effect environmental decay. Through the MCFIP, The Greening will: 1) Encourage students throughout the country to pursue careers in urban forestry; 2) Develop strong community outreach and advocacy skill among graduates; 3) Increase awareness of environmental concerns within urban communities. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $13,000 grant to the $38,000 project. For further information, contact Rebecca Salminen Witt, The Greening of Detroit, 1418 Michigan Avenue, Detroit, MI 48216. Phone (313) 237-8733. E-mail: rebecca@greeningofdetroit.com. The Greening of Detroit web page can be found at COMNET.org/greening.

Guidelines for Developing and Evaluating Tree Ordinances on the Web
(1999 Education, Communication & Outreach)
Through this project, we established a free website (http://www.isa-arbor.com/tree-ord/) based on the publication Guidelines for Developing and Evaluating Tree Ordinances, a publication originally produced for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Urban Forest Program. The website is designed to assist citizens and local governments with the process of developing, revising, and evaluating the effectiveness of tree ordinances. The site describes how to integrate tree ordinances with a community tree management program. It provides detailed descriptions of methods used to monitor community tree resources, tree management activities, and community attitudes. Rather than using a “model ordinance” approach, the website provides an extensive list of annotated examples of effective tree ordinance provisions, drawn from tree ordinances in use in communities throughout the country. These examples and accompanying commentary provide a useful reference point for anyone attempting to draft or modify a tree ordinance. The Guidelines website encourages local innovation over the use of static models and serves as a forum for quickly disseminating improved or novel approaches throughout the country. Response to the website has been favorable, based on use statistics, unsolicited comments, and responses to a survey of potential site users. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $24,250 grant to the $48,500 project. For further information, contact Dr. Tedmund J. Swiecki, Phytosphere Research, 1027 Davis Street, Vacaville, CA 95687. Phone: (707) 452-8735. E-mail: phytosphere@phytosphere.com. Phytosphere Research web page can be found at http://phytosphere.com.

Making Tree Roots Visible
(1999 Education, Communication & Outreach Project)
In order to educate the public and tree care practitioners about the importance, function, care and protection of tree roots, several materials were developed. These materials - a color poster illustrating desirable and detrimental practices relative to root growth, a Power Point presentation on roots, and rhizotron construction plans - were distributed to all State Urban Forestry Coordinators. Other educational organizations requesting the materials have also received them. The Power Point presentation is currently being translated into Spanish to expand its use. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $25,136 grant to the $50,623 project. For further information, contact Dr. Bonnie Appleton, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Hampton Roads - AREC, 1444 Diamond Springs Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23455-3363. Phone: (757) 363-3906. E-mail: bapple@vt.edu

Growing Healthy Dogwoods: Proper Selection, Care, and Maintenance
(1999 Education, Communication & Outreach Project)
The University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service has developed and printed 40,000 copies of a 32-page bulletin (with 12 pages of full color) on the selection, care and maintenance of dogwoods entitled "Dogwoods for American Gardens." Topics addressed include: 1) Descriptions of the flowering and foliage characteristics of different species and cultivars of dogwood that are commercially available; 2) Proper site selection and planting procedures; 3) Cultural practices to maintain healthy dogwoods and to reduce insect and disease problems; and 4) Insect and disease identification with preventive and corrective controls. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $30,000 grant to the $60,000 project. For further information, contact Dr. Wayne K. Clatterbuck, University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service, Dept. of Forestry, Wildlife & Fisheries, P.O. Box 1071, Knoxville, TN 37901-1071. Phone: (865) 974-7346. E-mail: wclatterbuck@utk.edu.

Public Service Announcement: Trees Are My Friends!
(1998 Education, Communication & Outreach Project)
Trees Are My Friends introduced millions of people of color to urban forestry in the spring of 2001. Twenty-two urban forestry organizations participated in the national 2001 campaign. These partners used the Trees Are My Friends campaign theme song, poster, video and other materials to supplement their ordinary local outreach efforts, in order to reinvigorate the national community forestry movement with fresh faces from diverse backgrounds. The centerpiece of the campaign was a series of four public service announcements for television, featuring the song "Trees Are My Friends" written by EEI Director Anthony Sanchez, that depict people of color planting and enjoying trees. The PSAs were broadcast in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia and Washington D.C., reaching up to 20 million viewers. The PSA directed viewers to a hotline and website, which contained information on trees, tree care and special events and volunteer opportunities sponsored by tree-care organizations around the country. The website alone has received over 100,000 hits, with around 10,000 visits by 6,000 individuals. Though the 2001 campaign is officially over, the website remains up, and contains useful tree-identification information, links, games & activities, plus photos and tree poetry: Visit it at www.treesaremyfriends.org. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $98,000 grant to the $214,000 project. For further information, contact Anthony Sanchez, Eagle Eye Institute, Inc., 14 Chapel Street, Somerville, MA 02144. Phone: (617) 666-5222. E-mail: eeaglei@aol.com.

Regional Urban & Community Forestry Train-the-Trainer Sessions for Youth Corps Staff.
(1998 Education, Communication & Outreach Project)
The National Association of Service and Conservation Corps is conducting a series of intensive, hands-on training sessions for senior staff of youth conservation and service corps, in cooperation with host local corps, urban foresters, and citizen forestry groups. The four regional training sessions prepared 85 representatives of corps and cooperating community groups to play a larger role than at present in urban and community forestry nationwide, through pursuit of projects and partnerships at the local level. In addition, the training sessions better equipped corps to expose corps members to best practices in urban and community forestry, thus to prepare youth and young adults to become part of the professional and volunteer forestry workforce of the future. After-the-fact evaluations confirmed that the training sessions: 1) built informal regional networks of corps staff working in the UCF field; 2) spawned significant numbers of follow-up training sessions at corps sites nationwide, and additional corps member interest in the field - some corps members have already secured internships and employment; and 3) participating corps are laying the groundwork for greater expansion into urban and community forestry projects, are building technical and community relations skills, and are improving the working relationships between corps and forestry groups. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $43,892 grant to the $89,427 project. For further information, contact Andrew O. Moore, National Association of Service & Conservation Corps, 666 11th Street, N.W., Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20001-4542. Phone: (202) 737-6272, ext. 107. E-mail: amoore@nascc.org.

Getting the Word Out: Graphic Campaign to Communicate Tree-Planting Principles.
(1998 Education, Communication & Outreach Project)
This project produced a display that can be used in garden centers to effectively educate customers about proper tree selection, planting and care. Design criteria were gathered from the industry. Focus group research and model testing with garden center owners and managers provided input in the design process. A graphic artist designed a vertical banner and tree hanging tags to communicate simple planting methods. The display was produced and distributed to a select group of garden centers that agreed to provide survey information. Surveys were conducted at four pilot site locations during the summer and fall. Consumer response to the display was positive with 75 percent of survey respondents expressing that the display gave them confidence and increased their knowledge of tree selection, planting, and care. 70 percent responded that they felt encouraged to plant a tree after viewing the banner. An industry-marketing firm sold banners during the spring of 2000. Widespread use of this display in garden centers will help consumers learn to implement simple, but critical tree selection, planting, and care techniques. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $55,540 grant to the $120,782 project. For further information, contact Susan Barton, University of Delaware, Department of Plant & Soil Sciences, 149 Townsend Hall, Newark, DE 19717-1303. Phone: (302) 831-1375. E-mail: sbarton@udel.edu.

World-Wide Publication of the Cumulative Proceedings of the Metropolitan Tree Improvement Alliance (METRIA)
(1998 Education, Communication, and Outreach Project)
The Metropolitan Tree Improvement Alliance (METRIA) was founded in 1976 to exchange information and encourage collaboration among scientists and practitioners working in urban forestry. Conferences have covered a vast array of topics dealing with all facets of urban and community forestry. The proceedings from these conferences contain a wealth of information relating to urban forestry. Unfortunately, many of these proceedings are now out of print and others are not readily available. This project published the cumulative proceedings of prior METRIA conferences and made them available to the world, free of charge, through the World Wide Web. The site can be found at: http://fletcher.ces.state.nc.us/programs/nursery/metria/. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded an $8,000 grant toward the $16,000 project. For further information, contact Dr. Thomas Ranney, Mountain Horticultural Corps Research and Extension Center, North Carolina State University, 2016 Fanning Bridge Road, Fletcher, NC 28732. Phone: (828) 684-3562 E-Mail: tom_ranney@ncsu.edu

Tree City USA Bulletin Translation Editions
(1998 Education, Communication, and Outreach Project)
The National Arbor Day Foundation made the six most widely circulated Tree City USA Bulletins available to the Spanish-speaking population. These six were: How to Select and Plant a Tree; When a Storm Strikes; The Right Tree for the Right Place; Don't Top Trees; Trees for Wildlife; and How to Prune Young Shade Trees. Packets of the reproduction proofs in English with the Spanish translations were mailed to each state and federal urban forestry coordinator and state volunteer coordinator. Reproduction proofs with photos and illustrations but no text were distributed with the English packets to facilitate translation into other languages. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $16,600 grant toward the $70,327 project. For further information contact Tina Schweitzer, National Arbor Day Foundation, 211 North 12th Street, Suite 501, Lincoln, NE 68508. Phone: (402) 473-9553. National Arbor Day's web page can be found at http://www.arborday.org.

Tree Planting and Care Public Information Packet for Utilities
(1998 Education, Communication & Outreach Project)
NUCFAC awarded the Foundation a grant to develop a series of tree planting and care public information sheets aimed at utility consumers and designed to be reproduced by utilities nationwide in their customer newsletters and/or as billing inserts to strengthen the public's knowledge of trees and of urban and community forestry. The topics of the ten information sheets are Plant the Right Tree in the Right Place; Don't Top Trees; Plant Trees to Conserve Energy; Storms, Trees and Utility Lines; Trees and Underground Utility Lines; Tree Planting and Care; Your Street Trees May Be Public Trees; What Tree is That?; Celebrate Arbor Day; and Planting Trees for Wildlife. The majority of utilities that reported receiving the packets considered the material helpful, easy to understand, and indicated the materials would be useful to them. Based on reports of those who had used the materials already, the Plant the Right Tree in the Right Place feature was used more than twice as often as the second most used, Don't Top Trees! On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $26,400 grant to the $92,858 project. . For further information contact Tina Schweitzer, National Arbor Day Foundation, 211 North 12th Street, Suite 501, Lincoln, NE 68508. Phone: (402) 473-9553. E-mail: tina.schweitzer@arborday.org. The National Arbor Day Foundation's web page can be found at Website: www.arborday.org.

Trees and Traditions of the Native Americans.
(1997 Education, Communication & Outreach Project)
Trees and Traditions of the Native Americans is a six-part documentary series. Almost 100 interviews have been completed with individuals from dozens of Native American tribes across the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii. The series tells the Native American story of indigenous connections to forests and trees through personal interviews with elders, tribal leaders, artists and others. Urban and community forestry is linked through the sharing of many community-based traditions with trees and forests. The documentary series is available through Trees Forever. A beautiful educational poster will accompany the series. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $225,334 grant to the $592,920 project. For further information, contact Shannon Ramsay, T.R.E.E.S. Forever, 770 Seventh Avenue, Marion, IA 52302. Phone: (319) 373-0650. E-mail: sramsay@treesforever.org. T.R.E.E.S. Forever's web page can be found at www.treesforever.org.

The National Art and Design Street Tree Competition.
(1997 Education, Communication & Outreach Project)
The National Art & Design Competition for Street Trees (1998) was a unique interdisciplinary initiative that engaged the creativity of art and design professionals in the effort to raise consciousness about urban forestry. The purpose of the competition was to generate ideas about how to increase the survival of street trees, to increase awareness in the art and design communities about the problems facing trees, and to invite professionals to address the complex social, physical, and structural problems faced by trees in the urban environment. Related components of this multifaceted program included: a street tree design and care book, educational programs for adults and children, a web site, and a traveling exhibition showcasing award-winning designs. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $77,855 grant to the $156,450 project. For further information, contact Caitlin G. Cahill, City University of New York Graduate Center, Department of Environmental Psychology, GSUC at CUNY, 605 East 14th Street, No. 2H, New York, NY 10009. Phone: (212) 254-9501. E-mail: caitcahill@aol.com.

Tree Heritage Program
(1997 Education, Communication, and Outreach Project)
After two ice storms and a "Microburst," the residents of Watertown, New York, especially the children, had become very up close and personal with their trees. Downed power lines, damaged roofs, and blocked roads were often caused by a downed tree. The resulting landscape looked like a toothless mouth grinning bleakly. Senior citizens remembered those old trees as friends from childhood. Youngsters lost shade and a place to play. A common thread - the urban forest, connected these generations. The help bridge the gap, the "Tree Heritage" program was developed which hoped to bring the memories of seniors together with youth to learn about our urban forest and celebrate the memories of by-gone days. The project developed a replicable urban model in which senior citizen homeowners, with advanced-age trees, formally celebrated the heritage of the tree with local youth (from city schools and youth programs) in preparation for the damaged trees removal (if not previously removed) and replacement. The project includes and outreach component to engage senior citizens, and education component for both seniors and youth about the heritage and environmental impact of urban trees, and a communication component that solicits the major media's cooperation in a campaign to educate the broad community. A "how to" video and booklet by which similar urban communities can replicate a community coalition, cross-generational replacement program was developed. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $19,550 grant toward the $40,150 project. For further information, contact Susan Gwise, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County, 203 N. Hamilton Street, Watertown, NY 13601. Phone: (315) 788-8450 ext. 243. E-mail: sjg42@cornell.edu.

Restoring the Urban Forest Ecosystem.
(1997 Education, Communication & Outreach Project)
Urban and community forests are often managed as individual trees instead of whole forest ecosystems. Yet, there are many opportunities for urban forest restoration to provide ecological benefits such as storm-water management, wildlife management, and biodiversity. This CD-ROM contains ten extension publications covering basic ecological principles, biodiversity, plant succession and disturbances, hydrology, site assessment and soil improvement, wildlife, invasive plants and restoration planning. The primary audience for the CD-ROM will be natural resource managers working in urban and community forests. Yet, it can also be an educational tool for gaining community support. Our objective is to improve the health and productivity of urban forests in the U.S. by providing public and resource managers with the skills, knowledge, and methodology to restore urban forest ecosystems in their communities. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $74,625 grant to the $149,700 project. For further information, contact Mary L. Duryea, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 110200, Gainesville, FL 32611-0200. Phone: (352) 392-1784 E-mail: mlduryea@ufl.edu. University of Florida's web page can be found at www.sfrc.ufl.edu.

The Forest Where We Live
(1997 Education, Communication & Outreach Project)
Louisiana Public Broadcasting produced a six part instructional video series, with a companion instructor's manual, aimed at students in grades 6-12. The purpose of this series is to help young viewers understand that trees are an integral part of the municipal infrastructure and that, as future stewards of our environment, young people should value and fight to preserve urban forests because they provide significant economic, sociological and environmental benefits to city dwellers. These videos have been produced with a view towards national broadcast via public television stations, as well as widespread dissemination on videotape. The comprehensive 75 page instructor's manual which accompanies these videos provides detailed program descriptions, as well as background information on a wide variety of topics such as deforestation, careers in urban forestry, the science of trees and built communities. Teachers are presented with online links to a wide variety of classroom resources, as well as model lesson plans and an extensive glossary of terms. The content of each video is correlated to the national science standards, and the correlations appear in the print materials. On recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a 95,008 grant to the $215,251 project. For further information, contact Ayan Rubin, Foundation for Excellence in Louisiana Public Broadcasting, 7733 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70810-1009. Phone: (225) 767-5660. E-mail: arubin@lpb.org. Foundation for Excellence in Louisiana Public Broadcasting's web page can be found at www.lpb.org/programs/forest series/

Colorado Habitat Tree
(1997 Education, Communication, and Outreach Project)
In a partnership venture, including the disabled community, educators, environmental organizations, local government, and the Great Outdoors Colorado Trust Fund, the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo has built a two story, "walk-in" tree. Every year the Colorado Habitat Tree will teach nearly 400,000 residents, newcomers and visitors, including the disabled, about the importance of forest ecosystems. This interactive tree journey will foster a sense of respect and a stewardship attitude toward forests and the many associated plants, animals, insects and people who depend on them, and will serve as a model for zoos across the country. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $20,000 grant toward the $245,000 project. For further information, contact Frogard Ryan, Education Curator, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, 4250 Cheyenne Mountain Road, Colorado Springs, CO 80906. Phone: (719) 633-9925, ext. 116. E-mail: fryan@cmzoo.org. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo's web site can be found at http://www.cmzoo.org.

GUIDEBOOK FOR ASSISTING COMMUNITITES TO DEVELOP A SUSTAINABLE URBAN AND COMMUNITY FORESTRY PROGRAM PROJECT

Sustainable Urban and Community Forestry Program Guidebook
2001 Guidebook for Assisting Communities to Develop a Sustainable Urban and
Community Forestry Program
The National Arbor Day Foundation developed and produced a comprehensive 76-page guidebook that communities can use to develop successful and sustainable community forestry programs including instruction on organization, administration, and individual program components. Chapters include: Sustainable Urban and Community Forestry—What is it?; Collaboration—The Key to Sustainability; A Common Cause—Creating Attainable Goals; Know Your Audiences and Their Names; Multi-Cultural Communities—Addressing the Needs of All; Collaborating with Volunteers, Schools and Utilities; Building Stakeholder Capacity; Promoting the Urban Forest; Securing Financial Funding; and Policies and Programs Essential for Sustainability. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $54,300 grant to the $108,644 project. For further information, contact Tina Schweitzer, The National Arbor Day Foundation, 211 North 12th Street, Lincoln, NE 68508. Phone: (402) 473-9553. E-mail: tina.schweitzer@arborday.org.

INTERNET CLEARINGHOUSE OF URBAN FORESTRY PROJECT

The TreeLink Project
(1996 Internet Clearing House of Urban Forestry Project)
TreeUtah played a lead role in the creation, implementation and marketing of TreeLink: a worldwide website devoted towards addressing the issues associated with urban and community forestry. TreeLink consists of several main components to meet the mission of expanding public awareness. These components are: Research; Multiple Partner Coalition Building & Communication; Public Education & Awareness; On-line quarterly magazine; and Organization Management & Current News. Under these components are dozens of specific feature topics that meet the needs of a vast audience. TreeLink's success was measured in the following ways yielding these results: through an access counter that records the number of times a portion of the site has been accessed. Statistics show the TreeLink site was accessed over 120,000 times in December 1999. Sixty-eight countries from Canada to Greenland accessed the TreeLink site. The web address for TreeLink is: http://www.treelink.org. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $100,000 grant to the $200,000 project. For further information, contact Pepper Provenzano, TreeUtah, 38 East Girard Avenue, Salt Lake City, UT 84103. Phone: (801) 359-1933 E-mail: pepper@treelink.org.

MODEL MUNICIPAL AND VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS PROJECTS

A Model for Urban Forest Sustainability
(1994 Model Municipal and Volunteer Program Project)
Attaining a goal of sustainable urban forests requires that people in government, business and the community develop and manage their vegetation resources in a responsible manner with a view towards meeting long-term goals. This project described the steps that diverse communities must take in order to attain sustainability. HortScience, Inc., California ReLeaf and the U.S. Conference of Mayors were partners in a comprehensive examination of urban forest management. The project involved establishing criteria for sustainable urban forests, then evaluated those criteria for existing cities and urban forests. One of the results of this project was the creation of a working model for sustainable urban forests that included the three critical elements of people, resources, and management. The model was summarized in two publications as well as a workshop at the 1997 National Urban Forest Conference. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $195,000 grant toward the $390,000 project. For further information, contact James R. Clark, Vice President, HortScience, Inc., P.O. Box 754, Pleasanton, CA 94566. Phone: (925) 484-0211 E-mail: jim@hortscience.com.

Teen's Forestry Organization for Russell Community Enhancement: T-FORCE
(1994 Model Municipal and Volunteer Program Project)
T-FORCE involved youth in neighborhood revitalization through tree plantings. The project had a positive impact on the Russell neighborhood, a predominantly African American, low-income community in Louisville, Kentucky. A total of 36 youth participated in the project over a three-year period. They planted 1,100 trees in yards and on streets and gained comprehensive knowledge about urban forestry issues through workshops, education programs, and urban forestry conferences. They also gained knowledge by learning database management skills, which allowed them to monitor activity for tree plantings, and assisting grade school children in planning and designing a greenspace on a vacant lot near their school. Several agencies in the Russell neighborhood have recommended expanding T-FORCE to include more youth, while some teachers and community leaders have suggested creating a focused urban forestry job-training module as part of a community development initiative. T-FORCE culminated in an 8-page color photo magazine; a community event to thank everyone who was involved in T-FORCE; and a CD-ROM that contains a program manual for replication and an eight-minute video documentary. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $102,201 grant toward the $210,000 project. For further information, contact Sam Watkins, Louisville Central Community Center, 1015 W. Chestnut Street, Louisville, KY 40203. Phone: (502) 589-8821.

Native American Urban/Community Forestry Technical and Cultural Transfer Project
(1994 Model Municipal and Volunteer Program Project)
Natural Path Forestry Consultants, Inc. conducted an outreach project from 1994-1997 for Native American communities located in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington, and Oregon in order to compliment existing state and federal community forestry initiatives. Their goals were to increase the Native American level of participation in existing state and federal programs, to evaluate how existing programs could be modified to meet the needs of such culturally diverse communities, and to develop community forestry outreach methodology that is sensitive to the local needs and traditions of culturally diverse, isolated, rural communities. Our methodology was based on the premise that outreach programs to these unique communities could be successful only if there was a clear understanding of local needs, and program development was empowered at the local level. Project goals were to identify the community forestry needs of tribal communities in our project area, and to attempt to account for the disparity in the level of participation from these communities. This was accomplished by means of the project's three integrated phases; a needs assessment for interested tribal communities, education and training workshops, and the development and distribution of resource materials. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $91,600 grant toward the $220,305 project. For further information, contact Kelly Chalfant, President, Natural Path Forestry Consultants, Inc., P.O. Box 7723, Missoula, MT 59807. Phone: (406) 721-3263. E-mail: natpath@montana.com.

Coping with Poverty and the Value of Nature in Urban Public Housing
(1993 Model Municipal and Volunteer Program Project)
Cities are characterized by a host of social ills - from anonymity, to incivility, to outright violence - that are strikingly less prevalent in rural areas. Why is this? Some have suggested that the physical environment in cities, crowding, noise, and lack of nature may contribute to these social ills. In this study, we asked: can part of the unsociableness of city dwellers be traced to the lack of trees in their everyday surroundings? We set out to answer these questions in one of the grimmest of urban settings - Chicago Housing Authority's Robert Taylor Homes. The number of trees immediately outside each of the 28 buildings at Robert Taylor Homes vary considerably. Some of the buildings are surrounded by only concrete and asphalt, while others have trees, grass, and even flowers. Using aerial photographs and on-site analyses, we chose 10 buildings with trees and eight buildings without trees. We then conducted in-depth interviews with women living in those buildings about their social behavior, and compared the answers from women living in different buildings. We also observed and compared resident's outdoor activities in areas at Robert Taylor Homes where there were trees, and where there were no trees. Do people who live in or nearby, the urban forest get along, and treat each other better, than people who have very little contact with the urban forest? This study, which shows they do, provides considerable support for urban forest programs. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $180,000 grant toward the $375,534 project. For further information, contact William C. Sullivan, Assistant Professor, Human-Environment Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, 1103 S. Donner Drive, Urbana, IL 61801. Phone: (217) 244-5156. E-mail: wcsulliv@uiuc.edu.

Hometown Forest Youth Education Package
(1993 Model Municipal and Volunteer Program Project)
The Hometown Forest Program produced a technically accurate community forestry Action Kit by kids and for kids. With El Segundo, California, serving as the laboratory, real life activities of kids were documented and packaged with detailed information designed to put kids into action in American hometowns. 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 toward this $215,173 project. For further information, contact Gail Church, Executive Director, Tree Musketeers, 136 Main Street, Suite A, El Segundo, CA 90245-3800. Phone: (310) 322-0263. E-mail: gail@treemusketeers.org. Tree Musketeers website can be found at http://www.treemusketeers.org.

Project Kansas Urban Green
(1993 Model Municipal and Volunteer Program)
Natural Tree Source, Inc. created an innovative, comprehensive community model for creating large new urban forests by implementing demonstration projects in at least eight diverse "communities" to create a broad sustainable infrastructure, resulting in a process transferable to other locations to increase the scope and success of the national urban forest initiative. A model was developed that blended private enterprise and the non-profit sector in public/private partnerships to optimize the incentive systems of each, which required an "investment" from each and secured the resources for the projects primarily from non-traditional sources. The model tested the efficacy and profitability of a private enterprise company with a mission to develop "urban forestry" projects. The company creates the markets, develops the partnerships with non-profits or municipalities, takes all of the up front capital risk, raises the capital (its own, fund raising and operating budgets from partners), provides the management and direction throughout the project, purchases/plants the plant material, maintains and guarantees the product and labor for at least one year. At the conclusion of the project the company leaves a structure in place to assure continued maintenance and growth of the urban forest. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $250,000 grant toward this $3,251,029 project. For further information, contact Duane Dyer, President, Natural Tree Source, Inc., P.O. Box 780192, Wichita, KS 67278. Phone: (316) 788-7581 E-mail: treesource@twsu.campus.mci.net

Building Effective Partnerships for City Trees
(1993 Model Municipal and Volunteer Program Project)
The project developed a handbook, "Building Effective Partnerships for City Trees," and a process for creating effective partnerships to work on urban forestry issues in local communities. The handbook and process was developed based on assessment instruments and its series of four workshops and summits developed by American Forests. The handbook was distributed to nearly 1,000 people working in the urban and community forestry field to foster partnerships in their community. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $100,000 grant toward this $200,758 project. For further information, contact Deborah Gangloff, Executive Director, American Forests, P.O. Box 2000, Washington, DC 20013. Phone: (202) 737-1944. E-Mail: gangloff@amfor.org. American Forests web page can be found at http://www.amfor.org.

NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT URBAN AND COMMUNITY FORESTRY PROGRAMS PROJECT

National Assessment of Current Urban and Community Forestry Programs
2001 National Assessment of Current Urban and Community Forestry Programs
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. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $238,370 grant to the $487,870 project. For further information, contact James Clark, HortScience, Inc., P. O. Box 754, Pleasanton, CA 94566. Phone: (925) 484-0211. E-mail: jim@hortscience.com.

NATIONAL URBAN AND COMMUNITY FORESTRY RESEARCH ASSESSMENT PROJECT

National Urban and Community Forestry Research and Technology Transfer Assessment.
(1999 National U&CF Research Assessment Project)
The International Society of Arboriculture Research Trust proposes to coordinate an assessment of current and past urban and community forestry research and technology transfer and update the national research agenda in urban forestry through a research and technology "summit." A small advisory committee will coordinate the progress assessment. Information from the assessment will set the stage for the national Summit with participants from approximately 20 or more organizations. Results from the Summit will be compiled and distributed through print and Internet media with funding recommendations for research in the areas identified. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $125,200 grant to the $250,400 project. For further information, contact John Geissal, ISA Research Trust, P.O. Box 3129, Champaign, IL 61826-3129. Phone: (217) 355-9411, ext. 53. E-mail: jgeissal@isa-arbor.com. The International Society of Arboriculture Research Trust's web page can be found at http://isa-arbor.com.

PUBLIC'S KNOWLEDGE OF URBAN FOREST BENEFITS AND VALUES PROJECTS

Public Knowledge of Urban Forest Benefits and Values in Commercial and Retail Environments
(1995 Public's Knowledge of Urban Forest Benefits & Values Project)
Public preferences and perceptions of the benefits and costs of trees in business districts were investigated in a two-phase research project. While revitalizing business districts in American cities were targeted for surveys, results suggest that the benefits attributed to the urban forest can be realized in diverse retail and commercial settings. In the first phase, open-ended interviews with business owners and business association staff revealed two dimensions of benefits for business districts: consumer environment enhancements and community capacity building. Revitalizing business districts face complex issues and needs; the benefits of tree programs include both amenity improvements and development of "social capital" for problem solving. In the second project phase photo questionnaires were sent to the businesses and residents of revitalizing communities in Pacific Northwest cities, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Washington D. C., and Austin. Preliminary analysis suggests that districts with urban forest improvements are perceived to be more consumer friendly, are places that consumers are likely to visit more often, and are places where consumers report greater willingness-to-pay for products. The research was done in partnership with business improvement associations and agencies, community forestry organizations and urban resources agencies. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $64,628 grant toward the $129,257 project. For further information, contact Dr. Kathleen L. Wolf, University of Washington, College of Forest Resources, Box 352100, Seattle, WA 98195-2100. Phone: (206) 616-5758. E-mail: kwolf@u.washington.edu. Website: www.cfr.washington.edu/research.envmind.

RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS

Tree Maintenance – Wire Basket Manipulation and Tree Stabilization
(2003 Research and Technology Development)
Trees are a vital component of our urban land areas and communities, and yet some of the actual practices and products we use to plant trees are highly controversial. Many anecdotal reports exist that attribute tree stress, decline, or death to wire baskets left intact (unaltered) when balled in burlap (B&B) trees are installed, and to improper tree stabilization (staking). This project will consist of applied research that will address these two planting issues, and the distribution of the research results. The audience for this project is consumers and green industry personnel nationwide. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $3,240 grant to the $6,696 project. For further information, contact Bonnie Appleton, Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1444 Diamond Springs Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23455. Phone: (757) 363-3906. E-mail: bapple@vt.edu.

The Street Tree/Utility Easement Conflict
(2002 Research and Technology Development)
To educate all parties affected by the conflict between street trees and overhead utility easements, templates for a publication, PowerPoint presentation, and a poster on said conflict, conflict resolution options, and selection of easement-compatible trees, will be developed. These materials will be distributed to all State Urban Forestry Coordinators and Extension Consumer Horticulture Specialist, and to requesting utility companies, for their use in customizing the educational materials for regional use. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $4,880 grant to the $9,839 project. For further information, contact Dr. Bonnie Appleton, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, Agricultural Research & Extension Center, 1444 Diamond Springs Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23455. Phone: (757) 363-3906. E-mail: bapple@vt.edu.

Reducing Urban Crime: A Multi-city Assessment of the Benefits of Urban Forests
(2000 Research & Technology Development Project)
Although the urban forest has occasionally been blamed for encouraging crime, new evidence from inner-city neighborhoods suggests that residents may be safer and fewer crimes may be committed in areas where the urban forest is dense and healthy. The purpose of this project is to 1) examine whether urban forests reduce Property crime, Violent crime, and Total crimes in urban neighborhoods; 2) disseminate the results to policy-makers, foresters, scientists, and the public; and 3) build new partnerships in support of urban forestry. This research will be carried out in multiple neighborhoods in cities such as New York, Chicago, and Houston. The University of Illinois, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the National Institute of Justice are partners in this project. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $125,330 grant to the $328,265 project. For further information, contact William C. Sullivan, University of Illinois, Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences, 1103 S. Dorner Drive, Urbana, IL 61801. Phone: (217) 244-5156. E-mail: wcsulliv@uiuc.edu.

Nature's Assets: Public Perceptions of the Community Forest of Business Districts in Small Towns.
(1999 Research & Technology Development Project)
Merchants in central business districts of small cities strive to both retain and expand their customer base in the face of intense retail competition.  Prior research has concluded that revitalizing business districts in large cities may use urban forest improvements to boost
consumer perceptions and associated shopping behavior. This study demonstrated that streetscape trees also benefit retailers in small cities and towns (10-20,000 population). The study was based in the Pacific Northwest, but data was also collected from communities in
states of the Midwest, Northeast and Southeast U.S. Respondents included small city residents, and residents of nearby large cities representing potential visitors to small cities. Using interviews and surveys, it was confirmed that trees in small city business districts contribute to higher visual quality, more favorable district perceptions (including merchants and products), enhanced patronage behavior, and higher willingness-to-pay for products. Business district visitors in small
cities claim they are willing to pay 9 percent more for goods and services in business districts having a quality urban forest, compared to a 12 percent price margin reported by large city retail district visitors of prior research. The research expands the evidence about the positive role of trees in ALL retail environments. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $84,000 grant to the $168,000 project. For further information, contact Kathleen Wolf, University of Washington, College of Forest Resources, P.O. Box 352100, Seattle, WA 98195-2100. Phone: (206) 616-5758. E-Mail: kwolf@u.washington.edu. Website: www.cfr.washington.edu/research/envmind.

The Healing Power of the Urban Forest: Impacts on ADHD
(2000 Research & Technology Development Project)
Preliminary research suggests that the “everyday” urban forest may play a pivotal, healing role in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. ADHD is a crippling biological disorder afflicting 5-7% of all school-age children and 2-5 million adult Americans. Initial findings indicate that ADHD symptoms disappear or substantially lessen after activities in “green” settings. In this project, we are (1) conducting a nationwide study documenting the ways in which green neighborhoods, green schools, and green parks and recreation areas help heal ADHD children; (2) disseminating the findings to policymakers, the public, and other audiences; and (3) leveraging the findings for future support from other funding sources. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $145,604 grant to the $393,942 project. For further information, contact Frances E. Kuo, University of Illinois, 1103 S. Dorner Drive, Urbana, IL 61801. Phone: (217) 244-0393. E-mail: fekuo@uiuc.edu.

Healing Nature: The Psychological, Social, and Spiritual Effects of Nature in the Hospice Care Environment.
(2000 Research & Technology Development Project)
Work by Roger Ulrich, Sam Bass Warner, Clare Copper Marcus and others in the field of environmental psychology suggests a positive relationship between the experience of the natural landscape and human health and healing. There is surprisingly little actual research on the effects of nature and healing gardens on those they are intended to serve. While it appears to have been clearly demonstrated that nature can contribute to healing, what remains unexplored is how best to design settings for human contact with nature for healing purposes. What is the significance of the natural landscape, its quality, its forms, and organization? Can landscaped places improve the hospital experience, i.e.: visits with family members are more comfortable in naturalized places? What are the spiritual connections to nature in the healing process and can the healing effects of therapeutic gardens be quantified? We believe the landscape can, and often does, play a significant therapeutic role in the li