Students from the Paul Public Charter School in Washington, D.C.
pretend to use binoculars in search of their urban forest. Photo credit: USDA

paper certified by Forest Stewardship Council- (FSC)

The USDA Forest Service has funded the development of the Ten-Year Action Plan for the National Urban and Community Forestry Council. This pamphlet was produced by the University of Virginia Institute for Environmental Negotiation, 2015. These organizations are equal opportunity providers.

Ten-Year
Urban
Forestry
Action Plan: 2016 -2026

Facilitated by the
National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council

The National Ten-Year Urban and Community Forestry Action Plan is developed by and for the urban forestry community. The Plan’s purpose is to expand awareness of the benefits that our urban forests, as a green infrastructure system, provide to communities throughout the nation, and increase investments in these urban forest resources for the benefit of current and future generations. The Plan provides specific goals, actions, and recommendations for improving the status of urban and community forestry for the United States and its territories. The Plan also identifies research needs, messaging and communications needs, and innovative funding and collaborative opportunities for urban forestry initiatives. Notably, this Plan also serves as a framework for funding and recommendation priorities to be developed by the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council (NUCFAC) for the USDA Forest Service’s National Urban and Community Forestry program and the program’s National Challenge Cost Share Grants. The urban forestry community, including the USDA Forest Service and other applicable Federal agencies, are to use the Action Plan as a guide to implement and expand urban and community forestry for the next ten years (2016 -2026).

Goal 7. Education and Awareness

Goal 1. Planning

Goal 6. Funding

Goal 2.
Human Health

Goal 5. Management

Goal 3. Diversity, Equity and Leadership

Goal 4. Environmental Health

Overarching Principles

1. Advance health and wellness of forests, ecosystems and people.
2. Maximize community and ecosystem sustainability.
3. Build community and natural ecosystem resilience.

Plan Vision

Urban and Community Forests Increase Sustainability, Wellness, and Resilience in All Communities.

Plan Mission

Help All Communities Create Urban and Community Forests that are Diverse, Healthy, and Accessible for All Citizens.

Goal 1. Integrate Urban and Community Forestry Into all Scales of Planning

Goal 2. Promote the Role of Urban and Community Forestry in Human Health and Wellness

Goal 3. Cultivate Diversity, Equity, and Leadership Within the Urban Forestry Community

Goal 4. Strengthen Urban and Community Forest Health and Biodiversity for Long-Term Resilience

Goal 5. Improve Urban and Community Forest Management, Maintenance, and Stewardship

Goal 6. Diversify, Leverage, and Increase Funding for Urban and Community Forestry

Goal 7. Increase Public Awareness and Environmental Education to Promote Stewardship