Helping Municipalities and Tree Commissions Manage Community Trees

The trees that line our streets and roads, shade our yards and parking lots, beautify our parks and playgrounds, and protect our streams are all part of the community forest and green infrastructure that provide a wealth of benefits to each of us.

The care and management of those trees and associated natural resources are in the hands of many landowners, institutions, and municipalities. Planning and managing the green infrastructure of street trees, parks, and open space will help any municipality safely take advantage of the many benefits these assets provide. With proper planning and management, they are important and appreciate community assets, not liabilities and maintenance headaches.

This article contains links to useful resources designed to help municipalities, community planners, shade tree commissions, volunteer organizations, and others that plant and manage community trees.  To access the resources in this article, simply click on the linked resource title.  Hard copies of some of the documents are available for purchase.

Community Forestry Articles

• Community Forests
• Municipal Tree Commissions
• Managing Natural Resources:  A Guide for Municipal Commissions  
• Working with Local Governments for Successful Urban Forests  
• Opportunities for Volunteers
• Sustaining and Funding an Urban Forestry Program
• Conducting a Community Tree Inventory
• Community Tree Plans: A Guide for Tree Commissions
• Annual Budgets for Community Tree Programs  
• Annual Work Plans for Community Tree Programs
• Working with the Media: A Guide for Volunteer Organizations and Commissions
• Questions about Trees and Utilities
• Reflecting on Municipal Tree Commission Effectiveness
• Managing Urban Forested Natural Areas
• TreeVitalize Program Restores Tree Canopy
• Is Your Community a Tree City USA
• A Green Solution to Stormwater Management
• The Role of Trees and Forests in Healthy Watersheds
• A Roadside Guide to Clean Water: Urban and Suburban Trees
• A Cost-Effective Way to Reduce Municipal Stormwater
• The Tree – A Rain Engineer

Planting and Care of Community Trees – Publications and Articles

• Planting and Aftercare of Community Trees
• Tree Planting in Construction Damaged Soils
• Container Grown Trees and Shrubs – Fix the Roots Before Planting
• Communities Save Money Planting Large Bare Root Trees
• Learning How to Properly Mulch Your Trees
• Don’t Top Trees
• Pruning Landscape Trees             
• Pruning for Utility Line Clearance
• Backyard Trees
• Selecting Community Trees in a Changing Climate
• New Tree Selection Guide Available from TreeVitalize
• Landscape Tree Factsheets
• A Guide to Preserving Trees during Development
• Helping Trees Recover After Storms
• Heat Stress in Urban Trees

Recorded Community Forestry Webinars/Lectures

View previously recorded lectures/webinars on various topics that can help communities learn how to plan, protect, and manage their community green infrastructure. 

• Celebrate Arbor Day
• Community Forestry Ordinances
• Community Tree Plans
• Conducting Community Tree Inventories
• Establishing Riparian Buffers in Urban Areas
• Community Tree Map
• Citizen Tree Monitoring
• Designing Green Parking Lots
• Designing Trees into the Urban Landscape & Managing Stormwater
• Stormwater Management – The Role of Trees and Forests
• Green Infrastructure at Multiple Scales: From Landscape to Site
• Assessing Tree Condition – Health and Structure
• Broaden Species Diversity to Improve Urban Forest Resilience
• Diversity in Northeastern U.S. Urban Tree Plantings
• Site Analysis: The First Step to Successful Tree Planting Projects
• Planting Landscape Trees
• Modifying Tree Planting Sites in the Built Environment
• Large Bare Root Trees: Cost Effective and Volunteer Friendly
• TreeVitalize Recommended Trees on Parade
• Changing Landscapes – Conserving Natural Landscapes in Development
• Urban Tree Pests – Insects that Harm Trees
• Urban Tree Pests – Tree Diseases
• Pruning Young Trees for Strength, Structure and Form
• Are Your Trees Storm Ready?
• The Role of Climate Change on Forest Trees & Fall Coloration in the Eastern U. S.
• Finding Professionals to Care for Community Trees