Stressed Community Forests Become Catalysts for Overhaul of State, Regional, Local Tree Management Practices.

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 19, 1999--

Urban and Community Forests Summit to Create

Statewide Mission Statement, Five-Year Plan 

While old-growth redwoods dominate headlines, the forests that 30 million residents of California's 471 cities drive through every day are stressed and growing unhealthy.

A summit convened today at the Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens to determine guidelines to resuscitate and manage California's urban forests.

Coordinated by the California Urban Forests Council (CUFC), the two-day California Urban and Community Forests Summit will prioritize goals raised in 11 regional caucuses and determine how best to reach those goals. One hundred urban forestry professionals and community leaders also will finalize a five-year mission statement to guide urban forestry management.

California Resources Agency Secretary Mary Nichols kicked off the summit today. "This is a pivotal time for community forests in California. Gov. Davis has allocated $3.1 million to reviving city forests -- the first new money dedicated to urban forestry in 10 years. His commitment and this summit will help reinvigorate local, regional and state programs," said Nichols.

In addition to funding, key issues to be tackled at the summit include adequate training on best practices within government and private organizations; incorporating trees in land use planning, building codes and zoning decisions; burnout of volunteer members in community-based groups; proper tree care techniques; the need for additional research; the need to educate the public about the benefits of trees; and other issues.

"The priority goals established at this summit will help define the guiding principles of strategic planning for urban forestry in California. We should all be concerned about our living environment and how the urban forest can affect our daily lives. Trees benefit us all, and it is my hope that more people will become involved in urban forestry," said State Forester Andrea Tuttle, director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CDF).

CDF, a summit sponsor, plans to incorporate the top goals identified at the summit into its five-year strategic plan. CDF's urban forestry program oversees grants to cities, counties and non-profit organizations, including the $3.1 million allocated by the governor.

"The summit is the first of its kind. It's a ground-up approach to advancing a common mission and goals. The topics represent the concerns of local communities and the urban forestry professionals who work in them. It's their chance to influence practices not only in their local area, but statewide," said Mel Johnson, executive director, CUFC.

"The Huntington Botanical Gardens is the ideal location for this important meeting and we're honored to act as host and sponsor. Even as Henry Huntington, at the turn of the century, helped expand the region with transportation systems, he planned to leave his estate to the public so the gardens and the collections could be enjoyed. Today, the Huntington continues his legacy and helps educate the public about the importance of plants in our daily lives," said Catherine Babcock, Communications Director, Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens.

Additional summit sponsors include Pacific Gas & Electric Co., E.S.R.I. Inc., and the Western Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture.

CUFC's mission is to promote an ecosystems approach to the practice of urban forestry, disseminating research, experience and knowledge of a wide range of disciplines, through education and training, to those responsible for the management of the urban forest. CUFC was formed as an information and idea sharing network in 1967 by a small group of foresters, educators and business people working with urban trees.

CUFC has more than 300 members in the public, private, and non-profit sectors and continues to expand its outreach to a growing network of those interested in urban forestry. CUFC can be found on the Internet at http://urbanfor.cagr.calpoly.edu/data/CUFC/CUFC.html