Urban Forest Management Plan
Toolkit

A key feature of urban forests is the close proximity of trees and people within a built environment. Urban forest management primarily deals with the interaction of people and trees in this environment, and strives to find ways to keep the interaction mutually beneficial. Urban forest management requires the support of and cooperation of a wide variety of people.

In order to gather the support and resources necessary to develop and implement an urban forest management plan, you will need to determine who the key people and groups are in your community that can make it happen. Are these people aware of urban forestry and your community's specific needs? What will it take to reach, inform, and persuade these people to provide the necessary political and monetary support?

The impetus for developing an urban forest management plan may come from the top down, e.g., elected officials and top administrators. In other cases, it may come from the bottom up, from local citizens, or the urban forester. Under this latter scenario, the people interested in developing an urban forest management plan may or may not have the authority or political wherewithal to make it happen on their own. The concept may need to be sold to decision makers and stakeholders. These parties will need to have an overall concept of the potential scope of the plan. The needs, desires, attitudes, and history of the local community can play a large role in determining whether a plan can be developed and what it will address.