Inventories & Assessments
- Tree Canopy Cover Assessment
A tree canopy cover assessment uses aerial photographs and other types of remote sensing data to quantify the area of a community covered by tree canopy, vegetation, hardscape and other land cover features for planning purposes. The assessment also quantifies the ecosystem services provided by the tree canopy.
The N.C. Forest Service has a contract in place to complete tree canopy cover assessments for communities. For more information, see the Sample Tree Inventories and Canopy Cover Assessments Program fact sheet on the U&CF Resources and Specifications page under the Financial Assistance heading.
- Urban Heat Island Assessment
An urban heat island (UHI) is an urban area that is significantly warmer than its surrounding rural areas due to human activities. Assessments and analysis using remote sensing data and on-the-ground surveys will identify UHI areas from which mitigation strategies such as tree planting can be developed.
Prerequisites – Tree CityUSA, Tree Campus Higher Education and sample tree inventory or canopy cover assessment, Tree Campus K-12 or Health Care.
- Program Assessment – An assessment of a municipality’s U&CF program including policies and procedures, staffing, and budgets.
- Sample Tree Inventory
A statistically valid sample inventory of trees in a community or defined area in the community. The resulting data will provide estimates of numbers of trees, tree species, condition, age and management needs for planning purposes.
The N.C. Forest Service has a contract in place to complete sample tree inventories for communities. Contact your NCFS county ranger or U&CF for more information and the cost to complete your sample tree inventory. For more information, see the Sample Tree Inventories and Canopy Cover Assessments Program fact sheet on the U&CF Resources and Specifications page under the Financial Assistance heading.
- Partial Tree Inventory
A partial tree inventory records trees or sites that meet a specific management objective. Management and location information are also collected so crews can return to the site/tree to perform work. Trees that do not meet these management criteria are not inventoried.
- Forest Health Inventory – An inventory of trees that pose a forest health risk due to a species-specific insect pest or disease.
- Invasive Plant Inventory – An inventory of invasive plant species of trees that pose a forest health risk.
Prerequisites – Tree City USA, Tree Campus Higher Education, Tree Campus K-12
- Risk Tree Inventory – An inventory of defective trees that require pruning or removal due to the risk they pose to public safety.
- Storm Damage Tree Inventory – An inventory of storm-damaged trees after a tree-damaging storm event.
- Tree Planting Site Inventory – Inventory mapping of sites to plant trees.
- Complete Tree Inventory
An inventory of all the trees located within a defined geographic location.
- Project Area Inventory– Inventory of all trees on a project area.
Prerequisites – Tree City USA, Tree Campus Higher Ed
- Complete tree inventories for all public trees in a community. Tree inventory management software is required.
Prerequisite – Managing Community
- Inventory & Assessment Tools
Software, computers, and other tree inventory and assessment tools.
Plan Development
- Urban Forestry Practice Plans
A documented plan that establishes policies, goals, objectives and a budget that addresses a single urban forestry practice in the management of the community's urban forest. The primary audience is the staff and leadership of the organization.
- Storm Readiness, Response and Recovery Plan - A documented plan to prepare, respond to and recover from tree damaging storm events.
- Tree Nursery – A documented plan to develop a tree nursery.
Prerequisites – Tree City USA, Tree Campus Higher Education
- Urban Wood Utilization Plan – A plan to develop and implement an urban wood utilization program.
Prerequisites – Tree City USA or Tree Campus Higher Education
Prerequisite for the following – A canopy cover assessment or inventory of trees/sites relative to the respective practice that was completed within the last two years.
- Canopy Cover Plan – A comprehensive plan that sets canopy cover goals and strategies to conserve and increase canopy cover.
- Insect Pest/Disease Mitigation Plan – A plan to mitigate the threat posed by insects/diseases to public trees and urban forest health.
- Invasive Plant Mitigation Plan – A plan to mitigate the threat posed by invasive plants to public trees and urban forest health.
Prerequisite – Tree City USA, Tree Campus Higher Education, Tree Campus K-12
- Tree Maintenance Plan - A plan to guide tree pruning and tree removal efforts including specifications.
- Tree Planting and Post-care Plan – A plan that details tree species selection for planting matching species selection with planting site conditions, standards and specifications for tree procurement, planting, funding and implementation strategies.
- Storm Damage Recovery Plan – A plan to guide tree pruning, tree removal and tree planting efforts after a tree damaging storm event.
- Tree Risk Mitigation Plan – An implementable plan to identify, prioritize, monitor and mitigate tree risk.
- Urban Forest Management Plan
A comprehensive plan that establishes policies, goals, objectives and a budget for the operational management of the community's urban forest. The primary audience is the staff and leadership of the organization.
Prerequisites – Tree City USA municipality or Tree Campus Higher Education college/university that have a sample or complete tree inventory that was completed within the last two years.
- Comprehensive/Master Urban and Community Forestry Plan
A comprehensive plan that establishes policies, goals and objectives for all U&CF activities for the management of the community's urban forest. The audience is the public, staff and leadership of the community.
Prerequisite – Managing Community
Ordinances and Policy Development
- Public Tree Ordinance
An ordinance that establishes municipal authority over the management of public trees and sets management policy and standards. All Tree City USA communities or communities working toward Tree City USA status must have a public tree ordinance.
- Conservation Development Ordinance
An ordinance that directs tree and other natural resource conservation during development.
Prerequisites – Tree City USA and professional urban forestry staff or consultant
- Landscaping Ordinance
An ordinance that specifies landscaping requirements for existing properties or properties under development.
Prerequisites – Tree City USA and professional urban forestry staff or consultant
- Historic/Legacy Tree Ordinance
An ordinance that provides protection for individual trees of historical significance.
Prerequisite – Tree City USA
- Urban Forestry Standards and Specifications Document
Standards and specifications document to guide the planting, maintenance, removal and protection of community trees.
Tree Planting and Maintenance
- Tree Planting – Purchase supplies, trees and/or plant trees.
Prerequisites – Tree planting inventory, tree planting and post-planting care plan
- Tree Maintenance – Tree pruning and removal.
Prerequisites – Partial or complete tree inventory, tree maintenance plan
- Tree maintenance and planting tools.
- Tree planting site preparation – Removal of poor soil, asphalt or concrete to establish suitable growing conditions for the species of tree to be planted.