STEWARDSHIP

How To Preserve and Expand Healthy Community Forests

Through stewardship, on-the-ground urban forestry work happens, involving the whole community, and for the long haul. Stewardship encompasses the preservation and protection of mature trees, the restoration of important ecosystems, and planting in areas to improve equity and human health.

Considerations about STEWARDSHIP

Retention and protection of mature trees (especially conifers) and native forest remnants provide exponentially more value and benefit than planting trees and restoration.

Public engagement in all phases of a project is critical for long-term success.

Be aware of the need to balance equity with human health and climate resilience when engaging neighborhoods through greening efforts; partner with residents and businesses to build programs that ensure long-term stewardship while supporting community needs (see below for resources).

Identifying “climate ready” tree species is a dynamic endeavor and requires elongated time between growing and supplying tree stock for restoration and new plantings.

Resource Links by Topic

Whatcom Million Trees Project – A non-profit with a mission to plant and protect one-million trees in the county “to urgently address climate and biodiversity crises and to enhance the health and resilience of our local communities.”
Grit City Trees – Tacoma’s annual program providing free trees, education, and assistance to equitably grow happy and healthy neighborhoods, utilizing the city’s Equity Index Map.
Chesapeake Bay Tree Stewards – A variety of programs across the multi-state region in the Chesapeake Bay Tree Network.

Backyard Forest Stewardship Homeowner’s Guide – An informative guide covering basic topics on how to be a better steward of your landscape and neighboring green spaces.
A Guide to Preserving Trees in Development Projects – This publication explains tree health and environmental considerations and details how to preserve trees.
Green City Partnerships – Forterra created a network of community-based stewardship programs across the Puget Sound region, dedicated to restoring forested parks and natural areas. Check out the Green Cities Toolbox full of valuable stewardship and community engagement resources.

Growing Tree Canopy through Environmental Justice Project – Focused on delivering in-depth community engagement with tree canopy in a heavily urbanized and impaired watershed; includes five case studies on effective community engagement strategies.
The Problem with Urban Tree Planting Promises – Equity, engagement, and environmental suitability are more important than numbers of trees planted.
Urban Forest Stewardship and Success – A case study of four models of urban forest stewardship in King County, Washington.

Climate Species Guide – Regional tree species list with adaptability, suitability, and vulnerability indicators in relation to climate change.
Puget Sound Region: Climate Projections and Tree Species Vulnerability – A summary report on projected climate impacts to tree species vulnerability, diversity, and allergenicity.
Climate Trees: Trees for the 21st Century – An older Friends of Trees article series that discusses trees more suitable to climate change in the region.
City of Portland Tree Summit 2019 – Presentation slides of park tree inventory findings about species performance.
Climate Ready Trees – California study evaluates the performance of climate-ready tree species.

STEWARDSHIP

How To Preserve and Expand Healthy Community Forests

Considerations about STEWARDSHIP

Resource Links by Topic

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