Casey Trees Tree Advocates Program

Maisie Hughes, DirectorEmily Oaksford, Planning Associate

Planning + Design DepartmentCasey Trees . Washington, D.C.

Local Policy: Citizen Advocate HandbookGrowing Savvy Tree Advocates in the Nation’s Capitol

Our Mission

To restore, enhance and protect the tree canopy of the nation’s capital.

Casey Trees: What we do

Inform, Educate, and Engage

Casey Trees: What we do



Casey Trees: Tree Canopy Goal

Urban Tree Canopy

1951 2011

50% Tree Canopy

36% Tree Canopy


Urban Tree Canopy

Current UTC = 35.8%

Need to plant 216,300 trees = 8,600 trees/year (by 2035)


How we measure progress

A- Our current tree canopy is 36%.

A+ Tree planting citywide is about 10,000 Trees per year.

B- Tree health may be threatened in the future by pests and diseases.

F Tree protection is still a big concern.


Tree Protection

Casey Trees: Tree Report Card

Increasing development is causing tree canopy loss

Tree Protection


1950 = 50% 2006 = 38% 2011 = 36%

Saint Elizabeth’s Hospital

Redevelopment (SE DC)

Tree Protection… is not working



1950 = 50% 2006 = 38% 2011 = 36%

Fort Lincoln neighborhood,

COSTCO development

(NE DC)

Tree Protection… is not working

Advocacy at Casey Trees

Advocacy: What we have been doing

• Provided public comment, guidance, or assistance to agencies, developers, and private-sector professionals

• Taught an advocacy class at Casey Trees, ‘Stand up for Trees’ twice a year

Advocacy: What we wanted to accomplish

• Use our existing assets ‐ galvanize our volunteers and help them act

• Connect citizens to policymakers‐ hold decision-makers accountable for their districts‐ show officials that people care about trees

Training: Advocacy Program Staffing

ADVOCACY PROGRAM OVERSIGHT• Planning & Design Department

(Director, Planning Associate, Interns)

PROGRAM ASSISTANCE• Education & Volunteer Department

(Class & Event Staffing)

• Communications Department(Online Presence, Social Media)

OFFICIAL LOBBYIST• Executive Director, Mark Buscaino

Stand up for Trees Participants

Volunteer advocates

Public meetings

Lobby days

(21 individual meetings)

Public comments

(8 by advocates, 6 by staff)

Advocacy: What we have accomplished so far (in 10 months)

23

78

3

14

48

Online letters

(139, 284 responses)

Citizen Advocate Handbook

Advocacy briefs

Online advocacy platform

Advocacy: What we have accomplished so far

2

2 1

1

Volunteer Advocacy

Volunteer Advocacy: Our cadre

• experienced volunteers, private citizens

• work with Casey Trees staff

• use Casey Trees’ materials and resources

• provide grassroots support of our policy agenda

Volunteer Advocacy: Our cadre

• not official representatives of Casey Trees

• volunteering their time

• citizens of DC, speaking with their elected officials

Connecting advocates with the people that represent their interests!

Showing their dedication to the issues!

Which is a benefit!

• participate in Lobby Days• attend public meetings, charrettes• submit public comment or testify

Volunteer Advocacy: What it takes to be a Tree Advocate

Attend ‘Stand up for Trees’

Attend 2 Tree Advocates Meetings per year

Complete 4 Advocacy Action per year

Inside the Citizen Advocate Handbook

Inside the Handbook

Inside the Handbook: Regulations impacting trees

Inside the Handbook: Key players


BROOKLAND

Within one neighborhood, there are many different land owners… all together we are the managers of our urban forest

Casey Trees in Brookland: Northeast DC

BROOKLAND

Private Residences

District Department of Transportation (DDOT)

Urban Forestry Administration (UFA)

DC Public Schools

DC Parks and Recreation (DPR)

National Park Service (NPS)

Stakeholders / Agencies


BROOKLAND

Private Residences



DC Public Schools





Private Residences



DC Public Schools



BROOKLAND



BROOKLAND


Private Residences



DC Public Schools




Inside the Handbook: Political designations

5B04


BROOKLAND

• Smallest governance level

• Contains approx 2,000 residents

• Each SMD elects a representative to serve on the Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC)

Single Member Districts (SMDs)

5B

5B055B02

5B03

5B04

5B01


• Provide ‘great weight’ in the local decision-making process

• Developers are often required to present their plan at meetings

• Input here can often:

• influence ANC’s recommendations

• change development plans

Advisory Neighborhood Commissions

Inside the Handbook: Decision-making process

Inside the Handbook: How to advocate

Advocate Trainings

• Stand Up for Trees (twice a year)

• Tree Advocate Meetings(six times a year)

Training: Stand Up for Trees

CLASS AGENDA

Introduction• ‘The State of Urban Trees’• ‘Working the System’

Lunch Break• Introduction of Tree

Advocates• Role Playing• Mock Public Meeting

Wrap Up

Training: Tree Advocate Meetings

THEMES

• Writing a Public Comment• Public Speaking • Using Social Media• ‘Meet your Arborist’

Advocacy Actions – Lobby Days

September Lobby Day

Lobby Days: September Lobby Day

January Lobby Day on Omnibus Act of 2013

Lobby Days: January’s Lobby Day on Omnibus Act of 2013

Other Advocacy Actions

Advocacy Actions: State of the Ward Town Hall Meeting

Advocacy Actions: Rock Creek Park Stormwater Sewer Rehabilitation

Protection of mature canopy trees will prevent topsoil

degradation, reducing erosion impacts caused by construction.

We recommend that DC Water prioritize the protection of large, healthy trees in selecting a sewer

rehabilitation strategy.

Protect the root zones of trees that will be preserved.

Advocacy Actions: District-wide Parks Renovation and Master Plan

Advocacy Actions: Zoning Commission Hearings on Green Area Ratio

Mature Oak

60’

30’

Mature Yoshino

Trees should be prioritized by size at

maturity

Advocacy Actions: Zoning Commission Hearings on Green Area Ratio

The Online Platform

The Online Platform: Current initiatives

www.caseytrees.org/advocate

Urge DC to Invest in Trees!


139 responses

Urge DC to Invest in Trees!

Save the Brookland Green


284 responses

The Online Platform: Upcoming actions

Submit comments to DC Water and National Park Service on proposed sewer rehabilitation

The Online Platform: Advocacy tools

Make a Public Comment

Refine Your Message

The Online Platform: Advocacy tools

Citizen Advocate Handbook online version

Helpful tips / Lessons learned

Adopt best practices from other organizations: at both local- and national- level

Lessons Learned: You don’t have to re-invent the wheel

Lessons Learned: Be prepared for people to disagree with you

Lessons Learned: Be prepared for people to twist your words around

Broad Branch Road Rehabilitation

Building and fostering relationships

Lessons Learned: Local advocacy is inherently different

• with decision-makers• with volunteers

Relationship with decision-makers


• attended his State of the Ward address

• visited his office on September ‘13 Lobby Day

• attended his meeting on the WMATA development proposal / Brookland Green

• visited his office/met with him for January ‘14 Lobby Day

The many encounters with Councilmember McDuffie

Lessons Learned: Relationships with decision-makers

Volunteers:

Advocacy Actions: Councilmember’s Community Coffee Hour


• attended his Community Coffee Hour in September

The many encounters with Councilmember Wells

17%

Advocacy Actions: Councilmember’s Community Coffee Hour


• attended his Community Coffee Hour in September

• spoke with him at H Street Festival in September

• chatted with him at Casey Trees Donor Event in October

The many encounters with Councilmember Wells


Relationships with volunteers

• attendance at all three lobby days• graduated as an official ‘Tree Advocate’

THEN…• joined the DC Sierra Club’s political committee• wrote a follow-up email to his councilmember about

the mayor’s recommended changes to the Tree Bill• visited with Councilmember McDuffie, Mayor on

environmental and tree-specific issues

Lessons Learned: Relationships with volunteers

Citizen Forester, Tree Advocate Mark Rodeffer

Casey Trees: Advocacy

Summary

• harness the energy and dedication of existing volunteer base

• build direct relationships with decision-makers

• be accessible to advocates as moral support

• provide other resources and materials for advocates (online and in hand) to encourage independent action



Thank you

[email protected]; [email protected]; 202.349.1892

3030 12th Street NEWashington, DC 20017

Casey Trees Tree Advocates Program

Education

Transcript of Casey Trees Tree Advocates Program