Photo Credit: Willimyn Brown 

Five-Year 

Benchmark Report 

Ten-Year Urban Forestr y Action Plan: 2016 -2026

National Urban and 

Community Forestry

Advisory Council 
 

 

 

FIVE YEARS OF ACTION 

The Ten-Year Urban Forestry Action Plan: 2016-2026 seeks 

to expand awareness of the benefits that our urban forests 

provide to communities across the United States, and 

increase investments in these urban forest resources for

the benefit of current and future generations. Developed 

in 2015, the Action Plan serves as a guiding document for

funding and programmatic priorities of the USDA Forest 

Service’s National Urban and Community Forestry program 

and the program's National Challenge Cost Share Grants. 

At this five-yearjuncture, this benchmark report assesses and 

documents the work that has occurred from 2016 to 2021 

and identifies key opportunities forthe remaining years ofthe 

Action Plan. The time period reflected in this report included 

the COVID-19 global pandemic which brought significant 

challenges to continued delivery of service and shed light 

on disproportionate impacts experienced by disadvantaged 

communities. The impacts of the pandemic are ongoing 

and reverberate across the National Urban and Community

Forestry Advisory Council’s (NUCFAC) work. Urban and 

community forestry has continued to play an essential role 

to the physical and mental health of the country. Additionally, 

climate change continues to produce new and emerging 

threats to urban and community forestry, which will require 

collaborative and creative solutions from NUCFAC and its 

many partners, with a focus on equity and environmental 

justice. With continued implementation of the Action Plan, 

NUCFAC is well-positioned to serve as a leader and resource 

in supporting communities to rise to the challenges of the 

COST SHARE GRANTS IN ACTION 

From 2016-2021, the USDA Forest Service funded 22 projects through the competitive National Challenge Cost Share Grant 

Program. The diagram below shows the grants alignment with the 7 goals and 25 strategies in the Action Plan.

Goal 6. Funding

Goal 5. Management

Goal 1. Planning 

Goal 7. Education and 

Awareness 

Human Health 

Goal 3. Diversity, Equity

and Leadership 

Strategy

B

46% (10 grants) 

align with Goal 1 

46% (10 grants) 

align with Goal 2 

36% (8 grants) 

align with Goal 5 

23% (5 grants) 

align with Goal 2 

23% (5 grants) align with Goal 7 

22

grants 40% Strategy A

80% Strategy B

29% Strategy C

62% Strategy D

50% Strategy A

20% Strategy B

60% Strategy C

90% Strategy D

46% Strategy A

36% Strategy C

46% Strategy B

27% Strategy D

18% Strategy E

Strategy

33%

C

11% Strategy

A 

78%

Strategy A 50%

Strategy B 0%

Strategy C 75%

Strategy D 0%

Strategy A 40%

Strategy B 60%

Strategy A 60%

Strategy B 40%

Strategy C 20%

Goal 2.

50% (11 grants) align with Goal 4. Environmental Health Goal 3 

41% (9 grants) align with Goal 4 

NATIONAL URBAN AND COMMUNITY 

FORESTRY ADVISORY COUNCIL 

The National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council 

(NUCFAC) is a Congressionally designated advisory council to the 

Secretary of Agriculture, created by the 1990 Farm Bill to bring 

togetherthe wide variety of perspectives on the present health and 

future preservation of America’s forests. NUCFAC is the steward 

of the Ten-Year Urban Forestry Action Plan, and uses the Plan 

to develop annual grant categories and make recommendations 

through the competitive National Urban Forestry Challenge Cost 

Share Grant Program.

Below is a list of NUCFAC members who assisted in the 

development of the Ten-Year Urban Forestry Action Plan:

In Memoriam 

Kamran Adbollah 

Academic Institutions with 

Expertise in Urban and 

Community Forestry Activities 

Sara Davis 

County Government 

Lance Davisson 

Member representing a 

community with a population 

more than 50,000 with experience 

and is active in urban and 

community forestry 

Karen Firehock 

Academic Institutions with 

Expertise in Urban and 

Community Forestry Activities 

Steve Goetz 

Professional Renewable Natural 

Resource or Arboriculture Society 

William Hubbard 

USDA Extension Service 

Scott Josiah 

State Forestry Agency 

Liam Kavanagh 

National Nonproft Forestry and 

Conservation Citizen Organization 

Lisa Ortega 

City/Town Government 

In Memoriam 

Paul Revell 

State Government 

Claire Robinson 

National Nonproft Forestry and 

Conservation Citizen Organization 

Robert Ruano 

Member representing a 

community with a population less 

than 50,000 with experience and 

is active in urban and community 

forestry 

Eli Suzukovich III, PhD 

Forest Products, Nursery, or 

Related Industries 

Walt Warriner 

Urban Forestry, Landscape, and 

Design Consultants 

BY THE 

NUMBERS 

22 

National Challenge Cost 

Share Grants 

50% 

National Challenge 

Cost Share Grants 

related to Research 

$4,534,992 

U.S. Forest Service 

Investment in National 

Challenge Cost Share Grants 

$9,722,109 

Total Investment, 

including applicant match, 

in National Challenge Cost 

Share Grants 

Photo Credit: Miranda Hutton Photo Credit: Miranda Hutton Photo Credit: Willimyn Brown 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GRANT SPOTLIGHTS 

From 2016-2021, the Forest Service and NUCFAC stewarded 22 grants in support of the Ten-Year Urban Forestry Action 

Plan. Four grants are highlighted below to demonstrate the breadth and depth of the National Challenge Cost Share 

Grant Program in addressing key priorities. 

ECOTRUST 

Growing the Tribal Forestry Workforce in the Pacifc NW & Beyond 

Working with tribal partners, Ecotrust is exploring opportunities for tribal community

forestry and green infrastructure development projects, and associated workforce 

development programs. These areas include the Pacific Northwest, South, and Eastern 

regions of the country and potentially in the Midwest and Southwest. This work includes a 

gap and opportunity assessment to gather shared knowledge of the successes, challenges, 

and current landscape of opportunities to design and implement tribal community forestry

and green infrastructure programs. As many Native Americans live in off-reservation 

communities, Ecotrust is focusing on connecting Native youth and underemployed 

adults with tribal green infrastructure and community forestry leaders, educational and 

employment opportunities, and resources. Photo Credit: Sean Gutierrez 

CLEMSON UNIVERSITY + KAISER PERMANENTE 

Urban Forestry’s Return on Investment: 

Tying Residential Nature to Health Care Expenditures 

Dozens of studies involving millions of people document the connection between urban 

and community forests and human health: in greener places, people are healthier. Recent 

work from a partnership between Clemson University and Kaiser Permanante quantifies the 

impacts of the urban forest on health care expenditures and calculates how much people 

spend on health care in areas with well-developed urban and community forests compared 

to areas without these forests – where the greatest health disparities lie. This research has 

demonstrated that urban greening is a potentially low-cost, effective way of substantially

reducing health care expenditures. Photo Credit: Myron Fields 

GIVING GROVE 

Addressing Food Insecurity through a 

Collaborative National Urban Orchard Network 

Giving Grove aims to create a network of major metropolitan areas utilizing urban 

orchards to improve health and wellness in underserved neighborhoods while using green 

infrastructure to strengthen resiliency of urban communities. A reliable, hyper-local free 

food supply improves the health and well-being of residents in these neighborhoods, many

of whom experience chronic food insecurity. Expansion of the network will be supported 

in part by approximately 116 neighborhood-based, trained volunteers who will care for the 

trees via the organization’s holistic urban orcharding processes. Photo Credit: Willimyn Brown 

SUSTAINBLE RESOURCES INSTITUTE 

Creating Full Circle Forestry Management through the 

Urban Wood Network 

The Urban Wood Network (UWN) works to ensure urban trees can live on after they are 

removed due to death, disease, pests, development or other circumstances, by utilizing their

wood to its highest use to maximize economic, environmental and societal benefits for

urban communities across the nation. UWN creates full circle urban forestry management 

by working cooperatively from arborist to consumer. Utilizing dead trees to alleviate cost 

burdens on municipalities allowing realized savings to be used to enhance urban forest 

management to ensure healthy, diverse, and resilient urban forests. Photo Credit: 

US Forest Service 

KEY OPPORTUNITIES 

Building on fve years of progress, the following 

areas represent key opportunities for continuing 

implementation of the Action Plan through 2026. 

• Collaborate with Regional Coordinators to share 

the Action Plan and identify opportunities for

implementation in their regions. 

• Collaborate with State Foresters to identify opportunities 

to utilize the Action Plan as a guidance document for

the State Forest Action Plans with the goal of creating 

synergy across national and state-level priorities.

• Increase engagement and collaboration with tribal 

partners and island communities through the National 

Challenge Cost Share Grant and other Urban and 

Community Forestry programs or initiatives. 

• Consider creating a designated staff member or new hire 

to encourage and increase awareness of NUCFAC grants 

and support those in the application process, especially

considering those whose native language is not English. 

• Partner with USFS Research Stations to explore 

opportunities for aligning research initiatives with the 

Action Plan. 

• Prioritize Goal 1 “Integrate urban and community forestry

into all scales of planning,” by exploring opportunities to 

connect with regional and local municipal governments 

and implementing recommended actions. 

• Rebrand and/or reintroduce existing resources and create 

additional resources for municipalities/regions focused 

on inclusion of trees in all community comprehensive 

or master plans and develop benchmarking for

sustainability goals. Resources could include case studies, 

sample metrics and long-range planning documents, and 

trainings. (Goal 1, Strategy A, Action 3) 

• Collaborate with partners to explore national priorities of

environmental and climate justice and to understand and 

connect urban forestry needs at the grassroots level, with 

emphasis on underrepresented demographic groups. 

(Goal 3, Strategy E, Action 2) 

• Develop resilient urban tree species to address impacts 

of climate change.

• Explore new opportunities to support use of urban 

forests for increasing community food resilience and 

access to local foods. (Goal 4, Strategy C) 

• Expand, refine, and customize technology tools for

different regions, such as for the unique conditions of

coastal and tropical areas. Prioritize robust technology

that provides accessible data for a range of foresters, 

decision-makers, and community members. (Goal 5, 

Strategy C, Action 4) 

• Support and collaborate with USFS Science and 

Technology Delivery team, Extension, American 

Forests, and others to expand their research to tech 

transfer program. (Goal 5, Strategy D, Action 1) 

• Hold annual briefings for the USFS Chief and USDA

Secretary & Undersecretary of Natural Resources and 

Environment (NRE) on the progress and value of urban 

and community forestry and the need for increased 

funding. (Goal 6, Strategy A, Action 1) 

• Conduct intentional outreach to elected officials at the 

municipal and state levels to increase urban forestry

funding and to maintain a dedicated source of urban 

forestry funding.(Goal 6, Strategy A, Action 2) 

• Convene Federal agencies to foster inter-agency links 

and connections, and to develop a plan for urban 

forestry coordination and collaboration among federal 

EMERGING ISSUES 

Urban forests are a frontline protector against 

climate change, and new efforts will be 

required to expand and better integrate green 

infrastructure to mitigate impacts like extreme 

heat and urban wildfres. 

• Expand workforce development efforts to engage 

more community members in urban forestry

reforestation. 

• Collaborate with public health networks to address 

extreme heat impacts through improved integration in 

state and regional planning and other measures. 

• Amplify Urban and Community Forestry’s (UCF) role in 

the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) to increase equity

and awareness in urban wildfire response.

LOOKING AHEAD 

Opportunities for Action 2022 - 2026 
 

Related USFS Activities 

STILLMEADOW PEACE PARK 

Improving Social, Environmental, & Economic 

Wellbeing by Partnering with Faith-based Leaders 

Stillmeadow Peace Park & Forest is an innovative model partnership 

with faith-based leaders working to encourage environmental, 

economic, and social wellbeing in communities through urban 

forest stewardship. In collaboration with Stillmeadow Community

Fellowship Church, USDA Forest Service’s Research and 

Development branch is supporting the development of best 

practices, standards, and models to support healthy forests and 

local communities threatened by forest stressors through a shared 

stewardship model. 

The Park & Forest is 10 acres of forest land and a stream owned 

by Stillmeadow Community Fellowship Church in the heart of

southwest Baltimore. Programming includes: 1) an organic apiary, 

community gardens, and orchard, 2) trails and meditation areas 

to address the recreational, mental, and physical health of the 

community; and 3) community-based research and citizen sciencebased activities with children, youth, and adults to improve forest 

and watershed health by investigating park biota and hydrology in 

urban settings. 

Photo Credit: Morgan Grove 

Photo Credit: Asia Jones 

SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY AND A&M 

Creating a Diverse Workforce 

through Urban Forestry Education 

In 1992 Southern University and Agricultural & Mechanical 

College (A&M), a Historically Black College & University

(HBCU), established the nation’s first Bachelor of Science 

in Urban Forestry degree program with support from 

the USDA Forest Service. That continued partnership 

supported the establishment of Master of Science and 

Ph.D. Urban Forestry degree programs, and in 2020 the 

Department achieved the significant milestone of becoming 

the first Urban Forestry Bachelor’s Degree program 

accredited by the Society of American Foresters (SAF). The 

partnership with USFS includes an internship component 

with numerous partners including recently the Wisconsin 

Department of Natural Resources. “This partnership 

between the Wisconsin DNR and Southern University

reflects the USDA Forest Service’s mission to promote 

diversity and inclusion by creating a diverse workforce 

as we seek to grow the next generation of conservation 

stewards that reflect our society,” said Beattra Wilson, 

Assistant Director of Cooperative Forestry. 

Photo Credit: Michael Leff 

VIBRANT CITIES LAB 

Merging the Latest Research with Best 

Practices for Green Infrastructure 

Vibrant Cities Lab is a joint project of the U.S. Forest 

Service, American Forests and the National Association 

of Regional Councils, merging the latest research with 

best practices for implementing green infrastructure 

projects in communities across the country. It aims 

to help city managers, policymakers, and advocates 

build thriving urban forest programs and increase 

awareness of the diverse benefits that trees can 

provide. Its tools includes: i-Tree, a state-of-the-art, 

peer-reviewed software suite from the USDA Forest 

Service that provides urban and rural forestry analysis 

and benefits assessment tools, and STEW-MAP, that 

surveys civic groups who work to conserve, manage, 

monitor, transform, educate on and/or advocate for the 

environment across a defined city, region, or landscape. 

STAY IN TOUCH! 

@ForestService

Email | SM.FS.nucfac@usda.gov

Website | https://www.fs.usda.gov/

managing-land/urban-forests/ucf/nucfac

This report and its fndings were produced by the Institute for Engagement and Negotation at the University of Virginia. 

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.