Pittsburgh's Urban Forest Master Plan: A Road Map for the Effective Management of their Urban Forest

Matthew Erb Director of Urban Forestry

What is an Urban Forest Master Plan?

An Urban Forest Master Plan is a road map, providing detailed information, recommendations and resources needed to effectively and proactively manage and grow a city's tree canopy. More importantly it provides a shared vision for the future of the urban forest to inspire and engage stakeholders in the care and protection of trees.

Tree Pittsburgh
Founded 2006 by members of Pittsburgh Shade Tree Commission Mission: Protect and restore the citys urban forest through community tree planting and tree stewardship, education and advocacy. Programs include planting, tree care, Tree Tenders, demonstration projects, technical support, education.

Need for a Plan

TreeVitalize Pittsburgh plant 20,000 trees. Why 20,000? Success of inventory and management plan. Where do we go next? NYC planning efforts based on scientific analysis. How can we get UTC & i-tree ECO?

Why we needed a plan

Maximize Benefits Achieve Sustainability Minimize Safety Risks Improve Quality of Life Protect Resource Increase efficiency and cooperation

Why we needed a plan

The City

Business Owners
Residents

Utility Companies
Non Profits Allegheny County Parks

City
Pittsburgh

Planting Budget $0

Total Annual Street Tree Expenditure $816,400

New York City

Minneapolis

$8,160,000
$223,855 $180,000

$21,774,576
$9,209,041 $1,819,460

PA DCNR

Charlotte

Charleston

$109,125

$531,200

Trees for the Future

Symposium of 50 key stakeholders began planning process

To proactively address growing environmental challenges To create a coordinated vision To practice and model efficiency and cooperation To create baseline metrics and clear goals for Pittsburghs urban forest To develop long term advocates and increase civic participation

Funding
Initial ideas on plan, funding
Trees for the Future

Pgh. Shade Tree Commission Local Foundations PA Bureau of Forestry US Forest Service

The Team
Jackson Clark Partners facilitated master plan benchmark report and public surveys and meetings. University of Vermont Spatial Analysis Lab conducted Urban Tree Canopy (UTC) analysis Davey Resource Group conducted itree ECO and lead plan writing

The planning process

Steering Committee Existing reports and data Public outreach (unique component for Davey) State of the Urban Forest report The plan itself

The Process
Steering Committee Existing reports + data Public outreach

WHAT DO WE HAVE? State of the Urban Forest

Existing reports + data Benchmarks Structure, Function, and Value Public outreach

State of the Urban Forest

Structure

Mgmt

Function

Value

State of the Urban Forest

State of the Urban Forest

Atlanta, GA Toronto, Canada New York, NY Pittsburgh, PA Baltimore, MD Philadelphia, PA Washinton, DC Boston, MA Woodbridge, NJ Minneapolis, MN Syracuse, NY Morgantown, WV 0 2,000,000 4,000,000 6,000,000 8,000,000 10,000,000

State of the Urban Forest

Tree Density
140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0

State of the Urban Forest

$262,000
$70,600

$3,150,000

$3,750,000

Pollution Removal Building Energy Savings Carbon Sequestration Avoided Carbon Emissions

$2.94 in benefits for every $1 spent

WHAT DO WE WANT? Outreach Campaign

Steering Committee Public Meetings Survey Review/Comment

Steering Committee
Steering Committee Member Organizations
Tree Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Shade Tree Commission

City Forester, City of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Shade Tree Commission Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, TreeVitalize Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy Department of City Planning, City of Pittsburgh Duquesne Light The Pennsylvania State University Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh Western Pennsylvania Conservancy Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Forestry Davey Resource Group Allegheny County Sanitary Authority (ALCOSAN) Pennsylvania Environmental Council Remaking Cities Institute, Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group USDA Forest Service

Outreach Campaign
Public Meetings Survey Review/Comment

HOW DO WE GET THERE? Vision, Goals + Objectives

HOW ARE WE DOING? Vision, Goals + Objectives

Monitor Analyze Revise

Roll Out
Partnerships! Urban Forest Task Force Committees Tree Pittsburgh began 3 year strategic planning process Plan available at treepittsburgh.org

2013
Report Card to be released Trees Change Everything campaign to begin Fundraising has begun Programs adapted to recommendations Public Support and Codify