Practices and Activities
Urban and Community Forestry (U&CF) Financial Assistance Practices and Activities
Suggested and eligible U&CF practices and activities, and prerequisites for each are listed below. To complete an application, applicants should identify a practice or activity for completion, develop a budget and produce a general completion schedule based on key measurable milestones. The budget should include cost of services and products to be purchased for completing the practice or activity.
Urban Forestry Tree Inventories & Canopy Cover Assessments
- Tree Canopy Cover Assessment
A tree canopy cover assessment uses aerial photograph 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 Practices and Specifications page under the Financial Assistance heading.
Prerequisite – None
- 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 Practices and Specifications page under the Financial Assistance heading.
Prerequisite – None
- 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.
- Risk Tree Inventory – An inventory of defective trees that require pruning or removal due to the risk they pose to public safety.
Prerequisite – None
- Forest Health Inventory – An inventory of trees that pose a forest health risk due to a species-specific insect pest or disease.
Prerequisite – None
- Storm Damage Tree Inventory – An inventory of storm damaged trees after a tree damaging storm event.
Prerequisite – None
- Tree Planting – Inventory of sites to plant trees. Ideal project for volunteers.
Prerequisite – Tree City USA, Tree Campus Higher Ed
- Invasive Plant Inventory – An inventory of invasive plant species of trees that pose a forest health risk.
Prerequisite – Managing Community
- Complete Tree Inventory
An inventory of all the trees located within a defined geographic location.
- Specific Geographic Project Area – Inventory of all trees on a project area.
Prerequisite – 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
Urban Forestry 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.
Prerequisite – None
- Conservation Development Ordinance
An ordinance that directs tree and other natural resource conservation during development.
Prerequisite – 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.
Prerequisite – 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 guiding the planting, maintenance, removal and protection of community trees.
Prerequisites – None
Urban and Community Forestry 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.
Prerequisite – None
- Tree Nursery – A documented plan to develop a tree nursery
Prerequisite – Tree City USA, Tree Campus Higher Education
Prerequisite for the following – An inventory of trees/sites relative to the respective practice that was completed within the last two years.
- Storm Damage Recovery Plan – A plan guiding tree pruning, tree removal and tree planting efforts after a tree damaging storm event.
Prerequisite – None
- Canopy Cover Plan – A comprehensive plan that sets canopy cover goals and strategies to conserve and increase canopy cover.
Prerequisite – None
- Tree Risk Mitigation Plan – A documented plan to identify, prioritize, monitor and mitigate tree risk.
Prerequisite – None
- Insect Pest/Disease Mitigation Plan – A plan to mitigate the threat posed by insects/diseases to public trees and urban forest health.
Prerequisite – None
- Invasive Plant Mitigation Plan – A plan to mitigate the threat posed by invasive plants to public trees and urban forest health.
Prerequisite – Managing Community
- Planting Plan – A tree planting plan for the entire community or specific project detailing standards and specifications matching species selection with planting site conditions, funding and implementation strategies. The project must include a ceremonial or educational tree planting.
Prerequisite – Tree City USA
- 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.
- Community Forestry Plans
A plan that guides the development and implementation of community-wide or specific community forestry activities. Examples include the following:
- Food Forest – A documented plan to develop a food forest.
- Urban and Community Forestry Demonstration Site
Prerequisite – Tree City USA municipality or Tree Campus Higher Education college/university
- 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.
Prerequisites – Managing Community
Community Forestry Activities
- Education and Outreach
Education and outreach projects to inform, engage the public and build advocacy in U&CF.
Training, Education and Outreach Events
- Conduct local seminars, training sessions and workshops for the public or target audiences. Conduct U&CF outreach events such as an Arbor Day celebration or the celebration of a U&CF accomplishment. Funds may cover brochure development, mailings, speaker fees, trees, facility rental and equipment rental.
- Prerequisites – None
- Media Products & Campaigns
- Development and production of new educational materials or media campaigns.
- Prerequisites – None
- Volunteer Stewardship Program
Development of a community volunteer or at-risk population U&CF stewardship program. Training and outfitting to perform basic tree care maintenance practices such as tree planting, young tree maintenance or inventorying sites to plant trees.
- Prerequisites – Tree City USA, Tree Campus Higher Education, Tree Campus K-12
- Advocacy Group Development
Development of a local U&CF advocacy organization.
- Professional facilitation for organizational development.
- Not-for-profit training and education for staff.
- Accounting or management software.
- Accounting or management consulting.
Prerequisites – None
Urban and Community Forestry Professional Staff Development
Professional training for staff or funding a staff position or consultant.
- Professional Staff Certification and Credentialing
Funding for training and exam fees, lodging and per diem for the following professional certifications and credentials.
- International Society of Arboriculture
- Tree Risk Assessment Qualification
Prerequisite – None
The N.C. Forest Service has a contract in place for this service, and there are several offerings throughout the year based on training event schedules.
- Professional Staff Funding
Partially fund the salary of a staff person or term-contract for professional services with a qualified urban forestry consultant. Terms are negotiable and contingent on the program offering but generally work on a declining funding assistance scale. An example for this would be 50% in the first year, 25% in year two and 12.5% in year three.
- New Staff Position – Creation of a new full- or part-time position, to include salary and fringe benefits. Positions may include, but are not limited to, not-for-profit organization staff, urban forester or city/town arborist. Primary position duties must directly relate to the management of U&CF program.
- Existing Position Reclassification – Partially fund the salary increase of an existing position commiserate with an increase or change in job duties which would include the duties related to U&CF.
- Urban and Community Forestry Consulting Services Contract – Partially fund an annual contract for consulting services with a qualified U&CF consultant.
Prerequisite – None
Special Projects
Creative or broad impact project ideas that serve a regional or statewide area. We are interested in hearing about your project ideas. Please complete an application. These projects are awarded based on merit, alignment with NCFS U&CF priorities and funding availability.