Principles that support urban forest health and resilience

Fire crew trained and prepared to fight fires.
  1. Know your urban forest resource. A forest inventory will determine the extent and condition of your urban forest. This becomes your baseline for planning and management.
  2. Understand your human capital. Organize a network of experts, practitioners and volunteer organizations who can help determine the changes occurring in your urban forest, how best to respond, and mobilize people to implement your plans.
  3. Manage your money. Scant budgets can impair day-to-day management of your urban forest. More importantly, it derails your ability to respond to risk. Budget realistically and identify and [hopefully] secure funding from diverse sources to deal with current and emerging threats.
  4. Establish a diverse and healthy forest.The nature and extent of risk changes depending on species selection, diversity, age and distribution. The wrong mix [or no mix at all] maximizes the harm done by any single agent. Spending money on improving forest health now can help protect against future risks and promote resilience.
  5. Think locally. Broad principles are a starting point but be sure to consider local risks [e.g. population change] and seek out the resources to address them.