Realizing the Potential of Urban Forests

In October 2019, urban forested natural area practitioners gathered in New York City to share and compare their strategies for management, the first Forests in Cities workshop. As part of the Forest in Cities Workshop, 12 cities across the United States created case studies around common themes related to achieving healthy forests as a part of sustainable cities. The goal was to provide examples of work on the ground, and demonstrate that work of individual cities are part of common themes and solutions. The themes of the workshop and related case studies are described below. 

Assessment: 

• Managing and Protecting the Richmond Pine Rockland Tract in South Florida
• Assessing Houston's Forested Habitat
• Plant Community Assessment and Management Recommendations for Minneapolis Park Natural Areas

Prioritization and Planning

• Prioritization and Planning to Improve Urban Tree Health in the Chicago Region
• The Value of Strategic Planning to Prioritize Acquisition and Management of Ecological Coordinators in an Urbanizing County, Hillsborough County, FL
• Green Seattle Partnership Models Regional Urban Natural Areas Restoration Efforts

Innovations in Restoration and Management

• Riparian Cottonwood Forest Restoration along the Yellowstone River: A Featured Natural Area in Billings, Montana
• Use of Vegetation Monitoring and Professional Sharpshooting in White-Tailed Deer Management at Eagle Creek Park in Indianapolis, IN
• Restoration and Management of High-use Urban Missouri Woodlands and Forests

Monitoring

• Evolution in Natural Area Monitoring at Indianapolis Parks
• Monitoring Forest Restoration Activities in New York City Parks
• Natural Resource Monitoring Progression of St. Louis' Forest Park Forested Natural Areas

Climate Change Adaptation

• Planning for Climate Change Through Riparian Restoration in Houston, Texas
• Climate Change Vulnerability and Response in Seattle's Urban Natural Areas
• Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change in the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, an Urban National Park

Organizing and Community Engagement

•  Leadership Learning Communities, Scientific Sustenance, and Inspiration Feedback Loops in Baltimore
• Natural Areas Program and Interagency Environmental Education in Billings
• Aligning New York City Forest Management by Engaging Community Partners
• Engaging Volunteer Stewards Through Shifting Forest Management Goals in New York City’s Natural Areas

Urban Land Preservation and Policy

• Protecting Austin’s Urban Forest Through Tree Preservation and Complementary Land Development Regulations
• Preservation, Regulations, and Policy to Protect and Grow Baltimore’s Forests
• Conservation Strategies for a Rare Ecosystem in Miami-Dade County

In a nutshell, this resource offers:

• A collection of case studies from across the country, organized by theme, that explore different areas of urban forested natural area management.
• Examples of methodologies and approaches.
• Ideas for developing urban forested natural area management strategies.

How to use this resource:

• As a starting place to understand urban forested natural area management.

Date published: 2020

Point of contact: Clara C. Pregitzer, Deputy Director of Conservation Science, Natural Areas Conservancy, clara.pregitzer@naturalareasnyc.org 

Citation: Pregitzer, C. C.; Plitt, S.; and Charlop-Powers, S. 2020. Realizing the Potential of Urban Forests: Forests in Cities Workshop Themes and City Case Study Descriptions. Cities and the Environment (CATE): Vol. 13: Iss. 1, Article 2.

Resource is available online here.