Advanced Training: Urban Forestry Management Planning

Course Description

This Advanced Training class will focus on the creation and implementation of an Urban Forestry Management Plan (UFMP) for public and private entities, or tree managers of any kind. Specifically, we will focus on the following topics:

• Creating a Needs Assessment for your organization
• Standards and BMPs that should be referenced by the UFMP
• Reviewing existing UFMPs for forward-thinking policies
• Drafting an outline of the management plan and its objectives
• Holding a comment period for the public or other stakeholders
• Final creation of the Plan, including goals and penalties for noncompliance Drafting supporting ordinances or bylaws to support the goals of the UFMP

Class

This 1-day class will be predominantly classroom based and will rely upon a combination of lecture and group exercises. Materials utilized will include review of existing Urban Forestry Management Plans, as well as several Municipal Codes and other similar organizational supporting language concerning trees. A broad range of tree-related topics will be covered including tree planting, trimming and removal, risk related policies, chemical treatments, budget projections, equipment and personnel capacity, and preparation of bid specifications, among other topics. Students will be assessed based on a written exam for their comprehension of the subject matter. Heavy emphasis will be placed on classroom participation to discuss specific challenges each student faces, and how a Management Plan can address each situation.

Outcomes

Upon completion of the course, the participants should be able to judge what types of management planning would most benefit their organization(s), how to begin the process of public outreach and data gathering, how to draft and edit a plan, and how to process data for such a plan. Participants are also expected to have an understanding of the various strategies, and how different organizations require different strategies.