Urban Forest Management Plan
Toolkit

The overall management planning process used in this web site follows the model illustrated below. This process is referred to as adaptive management. It is commonly used for management planning and resource management (Miller 1988). This model provides a good conceptual framework for the process of developing a management plan. You can also use other variations of this general framework.





Although the steps shown above are represented as a continuous cycle, it is common to go back and forth between the first three steps when developing a plan. Steps A and B are closely related. You may need to revisit these steps several times before proceeding further.

For example, you may know that increased canopy cover is desirable before you assess it. However, to set a quantifiable goal (how much more canopy?), it will be necessary to determine how much canopy is present. Findings from step A may also raise new questions that may require additional assessments. In progressing from step B to C, it may become obvious that the funding or organizational structure for accomplishing various goals are lacking. It may be necessary to backtrack and develop goals related to developing a funding base or public support.

After the management plan is in place, it is important to evaluate how it is working (Step D). Monitoring procedures should be specified in the plan. This brings the process to a full cycle. This cycling allows the plan to adapt to changing conditions.