San Diego Regional Urban Forests Council
Upcoming Regional Events
Information on past events can be found here
Tree Canopy Assessment Workshop
Tuesday, April 5 from 8:30 to noon
War Memorial Building in Balboa Park, 3325 Zoo Dr.,
San Diego, CA 92101
Registration and Survey access below...
How do trees influence your work and life? How many trees are there in our cities, where are they, and how could more trees be planted and maintained? A new amazing Urban Tree Canopy Assessment tool has been developed, and funds are committed to apply it to all cities in San Diego this spring and summer. This Assessment will identify where trees are currently located, and how and where trees can be an integral part of shade, energy reduction, community liveability and walkability, storm water and air quality reduction, climate adaptation, wildlife habitat, and more.
The workshop sets the stage for the Assessment, with this agenda:
• Begin with coffee, bagels, and introductions, and a recap of how trees help achieve the objectives and missions in our work.
• Learn about the Assessment methods and outcome, from Jarlath O’Neill-Dunne, project director and scientist at the University of Vermont.
• Invite specific input, so the Assessment can be tailored to San Diego’s needs, and your interests in neighborhoods, land use or ownerships, infrastructure, economic values, and more.
If you can’t attend, please take a moment to fill out this survey https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Q8YYZD6
• Close the meeting by asking how you could use the Assessment results in the public and private sectors, and enhance the tree canopy and its benefits
Workshop invitations are extended to regulators, planners and designers, engineers, health professionals, environmental groups, urban foresters, and landscape professionals, and others.
• Are you a regulator? Where can trees be planted to help retain stormwater and/or improve air quality?
• Are you a planner or designer? Where can trees be preserved and planted to enhance livability, walkability, and property values?
• Are you a city engineer? Where are there street and park trees now, and where are there permeable surfaces for planting trees?
• Are you a health professional or community advocate? What neighborhoods lack trees, shade, or walkable streets? Where can trees be incorporated into community projects?
• Do you work in or advocate for conservation? Where can trees provide more wildlife habitat? How can trees contribute to climate mitigation and adaptation?
• Are you an urban forester or landscape professional? What data is now available to you, and how can it be used to care for and educate about trees?
More information. The Urban Tree Canopy Assessment (UTCA) is based on methods developed by the University of Vermont and the USDA Forest Service, <http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/urban/utc/> http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/urban/utc/. The UTCA will be led by the City of San Diego, and is based on the high-resolution (four-inch) remotely-sensed data Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) that already acquired for all urban areas in the County.
The project is funded by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire) for the City of SD and the US Environmental Protection Agency (for other cities in SD County).
From: <https://toolkit.climate.gov/tool/urban-tree-canopy-assessment> and https://toolkit.climate.gov/tool/urban-tree-canopy-assessment .
“Improving a city’s tree canopy (i.e., tree cover) can have numerous benefits, from reducing summer peak temperatures to improving air quality to strengthening social ties among neighbors. These factors can improve climate resilience while also helping a community attract businesses and residents. The U.S. Forest Service’s Urban Tree Canopy (UTC) Assessment helps decision makers understand their urban forest resources, particularly the amount of tree canopy that currently exists and the amount that could exist.
“These Assessments allow communities to prioritize planting/greening goals based on social, economic, and ecological criteria such as flooding, wildlife habitat, urban heat island/heat stress, public health (e.g., asthma), crime, income, [access to urban green space across income levels,] and other variables. The information from these assessments has been used to inform UTC goals, prioritize locations for tree planting efforts, establish urban forestry master plans, understand patterns of environmental justice, inform sustainability plans, and justify budget increases for urban forestry programs.”
Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Q8YYZD6
Questions? Contact Anne Fege <mailto:afege@aol.com
