Georgia: The State of The Urban Forest

Oct. 30, 2013

Susan Granbery

Urban & Community Forestry Coordinator

Georgia Forestry Commission

Stone Mountain, GA

Georgia: The State of The Urban Forest

• Benefits of the Urban Forest

• Tree Loss and Impervious Surface

Gain

• Arbor Day Foundation Programs

• Forest Service Report (CARS) Data

• Tree Advocacy Groups

• Georgia’s Forest Action Plan

• Five Year Plan for Georgia’s

Urban and Community Forest

2013 - 2017

Benefits of Trees

Economic

• Trees add 3% to 15% to home values.

• Shoppers spend 9% to 12% more in

central business districts with tree

canopy.

Environmental

• Cleaner, cooler air and water

• Stormwater retention and prevention of

soil erosion

• Carbon sequestration

• Shade and reduced temperatures in the

urban heat island

Benefits of Trees

Ecosystem Services - worth $37 billion annually in Georgia

• food, fresh water, timber, fiber

• pollination, water absorption, climate stabilization

• recreation, aesthetics, spiritual renewal

• nutrient cycling, soil formation

Cost of Community Services

• Greenspaces increase property values of surrounding land and

can provide environmental amenities for free.

Benefits of Trees

Social

• There is less graffiti, vandalism and littering

in outdoor spaces with natural landscapes

• 25% fewer acts of aggression and violence

• 20% decrease in calls to police after

greening vacant lots

Health

• An increase in trees showed lower early

childhood prevalence of asthma

• Trees motivate and encourage physical

exercise

• Symptoms of ADD can be reduced through

activity in green settings

Green Cities: Good Health

http://depts.washington.edu/hhwb/

Tree Loss and Impervious Surface Gain

Study of Georgia’s trends conducted by Dr. Liz Kramer, UGA, NARSAL

Between 1991 and 2005, Georgia gained 106 acres of impervious

surface a day from urban sprawl.

• Metro Atlanta makes up one half of the state’s impervious surface

gain.

Atlanta: Impervious Surface

Between 1991 and 2005

• Loss of 50 acres of tree

canopy per day.

• Gain 50 acres of

impervious surface per

day.

NARSAL

• http://narsal.uga.edu/

Tree Loss and Impervious Surface Gain

Gainesville

• Lost 15% of tree cover and gained in impervious surfaces by 106%.

Tree Loss and Impervious Surface Gain

Dalton - Whitfield County

• Gained 4% in tree cover and also gained in impervious surfaces by

78%.

Tree City USA

1 1 1 1 1 2 3 7

10 11

17

25

41

50

63

73 76

79 81 79 81 81

91 96 98

101 104

107 112

118

125

131

137 139 138

Number of GA Tree City USA Communities

Number of GA Tree City USA Communities

Tree City USA Communities

In Chestatee-Chattahoochee RC&D

• Homer

• Lavonia

• Royston

• Clarkesville

• Cornelia

• Gainesville

• Hartwell

• Dahlonega

• Clayton

• Toccoa

• Hiawassee,

• Young Harris

• Blairsville

• Cleveland

• Helen

Tree Advocacy Groups

Georgia Tree Boards and Nonprofits

• Plant trees

• Work with volunteers

• Raise money

• Support cities, provide education

• Arbor Day programs and much more

Tree Campus USA Schools

Schools

• Agnes Scott College

• Albany Tech

• Middle Georgia State College

• Emory University

• Georgia Tech

• Gwinnett Technical College

• The University of Georgia

• The University of West Georgia

• Valdosta State University

Tree Line USA

Utility Companies

• Snapping Shoals Electric

Membership Corporation

• Georgia Power

• Promotes the dual goals of safe,

reliable electric service and

abundant, healthy trees within

utility service areas.

Community Accomplishment Reporting

City or County key urban forestry program elements

• Arborist on staff

• Tree group

• Management plan

• Tree ordinance

Managing (all 4) Developing (1 to 3 elements)

Helen Cleveland Gillsville Young Harris

Cornelia Homer Hartwell Blairsville

Gainesville Dawsonville Clayton

Dahlonega Cumming Sky Valley

Toccoa Clarkesville Hiawassee

Community Accomplishment Report Outcomes

Reported in FY 2012, of Georgia’s population,

• 43% lived in communities that were fully managing their urban and

community trees and forests, and

• 26% lived in communities that were developing programs to manage

their urban and community trees and forests

• 79 managed communities

• 236 developing communities

Circuit Rider Arborists

Services

• Meet with community officials to promote community forestry

• Providing technical expertise on tree management issues

• Writing, revising or evaluating tree ordinances.

• Developing effective, efficient tree boards.

• Working with current and potential Tree City USA communities

• Developing a management or storm mitigation plan.

• Organizing Arbor Day events

• Training work crews and volunteers on proper planting, pruning, etc.

• Using inventory software to evaluate the economic and

environmental benefits

• Conducting regional roundtables on topics of interest to multiple

communities.

Georgia Forest Action Plan

Three national priorities and strategic

objectives are:

1. Conserve working forest landscapes.

• Identify and conserve high-priority

forest ecosystems and

landscapes.

• Actively and sustainably manage

forests.

2. Protect forests from harm.

• Identify, manage and reduce

threats to forest and ecosystem

health.

Georgia Forest Action Plan

3. Enhance public benefits from trees and forests.

• Protect and enhance water quality and quantity.

• Improve air quality and conserve energy.

• Assist communities in planning for and reducing wildfire risks.

• Maintain and enhance the economic benefits and values of

trees and forests.

• Protect, conserve and enhance wildlife and fish habitat.

• Connect people to trees and forests.

• Manage and restore trees and forests to mitigate and adapt to

global climate change.

Georgia Forest Action Plan – Urban Forestry

GFC’s Strategies

• GFC will initiate updated tree canopy loss and impervious

surface studies and help build local capacity to manage tree

canopy.

• The Georgia Urban Forest Council and GFC will utilize grant

and corporate funds to plant trees in communities.

• GFC will help Identify and promote greenspace connectivity

using an integrated green infrastructure management

system.

Areas of focus include metropolitan Atlanta, north Georgia and the

coast. Focus on high-profile projects in these areas.

New Initiatives

• Focus on Small Landowners – GFC is creating an online forest

management tool for small landowners that own parcels less than

10 acres.

• America’s Great Outdoors – National Initiative to reconnect

Americans with the nation’s lands, waters and natural and cultural

treasures.

• Urban Waters Federal Partnership – 11 federal agencies

dedicated to restoring the health of urban waters

• Urban Agriculture and Agroforestry – People’s Garden Program,

Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food

Vibrant Cities & Urban Forests

Key Themes

• Equity

• Knowledge and research for decision making and evaluation

• Collaborative and integrated planning for natural resources at a

metropolitan regional scale

• Engagement, education and awareness to action

• Building capacity

• Realignment of resources

• Standard and best practices

National U&CF Program

Goals

• Mitigate and adapt to climate change

• Protect and improve air and water quality

• Conserve energy

• Reduce the impacts of land use change, fragmentation, and

urbanization on forest landscapes

• Improve community health and well-being

• Build urban forest resilience and mitigate the impacts of

invasive pests and catastrophic events.

Southern States Regional U&CF Program

Goals

• Conduct larger statewide significant projects.

• Address urban forestry issues and opportunities in major

metropolitan areas.

• Implement goals and objectives outlined in state forest action plans.

• Focused on developing their communities’ capacity to manage the

urban forest.

• Tree planting (site specific) demonstration projects are allowable

Southern Forest Futures Project Findings

• The spread of plant, insect, and disease pests could severely affect

native species, forest productivity, and wildlife.

• More than 1,000 plant and wildlife species of conservation concern

could be threatened by urbanization, climate change, and invasive

species.

Challenges

• Forest Fragmentation/Urbanization

• Water Quality

• Air Quality

• Economics

• Carbon Sequestration

Five Year Plan for Georgia’s Urban and Community Forest

Goals

1. Promote Tree Canopy through Green

Infrastructure

2. Increase advocacy for community

forests

3. Promote the Development and

Enforcement of Local Tree

Ordinances

4. Promote sustainable community

forestry by training professionals to

implement BMPs

Goal 1 – Promote Tree Canopy through Green

Infrastructure

Objectives

1. Develop green infrastructure policy and design criteria for model

urban forest

2. Conduct 6 regional canopy studies

3. Increase capacity of local governments to increase canopy in

critical areas

4. Promote the use of pervious surfaces

Goal 2 – Increase Advocacy for Community Forests

Objectives

1. Update the urban forest communication plan

highlighting benefits and values of community

forests

2. Develop 5-Year Plan for annual Arbor Day

celebrations

3. Reach urban legislators with “State of the

Urban Forest Report”

4. Broaden reach of Georgia ReLeaf.

5. Expand Childern’s Forest Network, Tree

Campus USA and other partnerships

6. Reach out to community gardens and urban

farm programs.

Goal 3 – Promote the Development and Enforcement of

Local Tree Ordinances

Objectives

1. Assist 25 communities per year with tree ordinances that connect

to land use planning and transportation

2. Provide self-survey tool for evaluating current ordinances

3. Increase the use of websites and educational resources by

citizens, developers and local officials

Goal 4 – Promote sustainable community forestry by

training professionals to implement BMPs

Objectives

1. Partner with other agencies to

offer online webinars

2. Develop capacity among

Spanish language population in

BMP materials

3. Provide cutting edge training for

urban forest professionals

4. Build Georgia Urban Forest

Council capacity by networking

with one new partner group per

year.

It’s Your Urban Forest – Learn It, Grow It, Maintain It, Enjoy It!

Susan Granbery

U&CF Coordinator

Georgia Forestry Commission

Stone Mountain, GA

678-476-6227

Sustainable Community Forestry Program Blog

gfccommunityforestry.wordpress.com

Georgia Forestry Commission

6835 James B. Rivers/Memorial Dr.

Stone Mountain, GA 30083

678-476-6227

GaTrees.org

@GaTrees

@Treegirl