Did you know most municipal tree programs are 95 percent reactive and citizen complaint-driven? This reactive atmosphere tends to produce inadequate resource availability, a low standard of care, and decreased benefits to the urban and community forest that provides for all residents. There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to developing an urban forest program with a proactive tree care approach. The process of turning a relatively young community tree program into a fully resourced urban forestry program has Cary’s staff realizing this task requires adaptability and creative thinking. This presentation will give the perspective of a historically small town growing into a city, the seventh largest municipality in North Carolina, and all the challenges of increasing capacity without increased resource availability. Trees have always been a priority within the community, however, with the increased growth and population, Cary’s staff must rethink how they manage their street trees, green space, and parks. Please join us to learn and understand new ideas while building an urban forest program.

After this session, participants will be better able to:
• Educate the importance of a proactive municipal tree care program.
• Work across municipal departments to ensure a consistent standard of care.
• Explain lessons learned from implementing priority strategies and standardizing tree care procedure.

Contributor/Source

Leslie Moorman

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