Forest Action Plan, Georgia Forestry Commission By Susan Granbery

1. Georgia: The State of The Urban Forest
Oct. 30, 2013
Susan Granbery
Urban & Community
Forestry Coordinator
Georgia Forestry
Commission
Stone Mountain, GA

2. Georgia: The State of The Urban Forest
• Benefits of the Urban Forest
• Tree Loss and Impervious Surface
Gain
• Arbor Day Foundation Programs
• Forest Service Report (CARS) Data
• Tree Advocacy Groups
• Georgia’s Forest Action Plan
• Five Year Plan for Georgia’s
Urban and Community Forest
2013 - 2017

3. Benefits of Trees
Economic
• Trees add 3% to 15% to home values.
• Shoppers spend 9% to 12% more in
central business districts with tree
canopy.
Environmental
• Cleaner, cooler air and water
• Stormwater retention and prevention of
soil erosion
• Carbon sequestration
• Shade and reduced temperatures in the
urban heat island

4. Benefits of Trees
Ecosystem Services - worth $37 billion annually in Georgia
• food, fresh water, timber, fiber
• pollination, water absorption, climate stabilization
• recreation, aesthetics, spiritual renewal
• nutrient cycling, soil formation
Cost of Community Services
• Greenspaces increase property values of surrounding land and
can provide environmental amenities for free.

5. Benefits of Trees
Social
• There is less graffiti, vandalism and littering
in outdoor spaces with natural landscapes
• 25% fewer acts of aggression and violence
• 20% decrease in calls to police after
greening vacant lots
Health
• An increase in trees showed lower early
childhood prevalence of asthma
• Trees motivate and encourage physical
exercise
• Symptoms of ADD can be reduced through
activity in green settings

6. Green Cities: Good Health
http://depts.washington.edu/hhwb/

7. Tree Loss and Impervious Surface Gain
Between 1991 and 2005, Georgia gained 106 acres of impervious
surface a day from urban sprawl.
• Metro Atlanta makes up one half of the state’s impervious surface
gain.
Study of Georgia’s trends conducted by Dr. Liz Kramer, UGA, NARSAL

8. Atlanta: Impervious Surface
Between 1991 and 2005
• Loss of 50 acres of tree
canopy per day.
• Gain 50 acres of
impervious surface per
day.
NARSAL
• http://narsal.uga.edu/

9. Tree Loss and Impervious Surface Gain
Gainesville
• Lost 15% of tree cover and gained in impervious surfaces by 106%.

10. Tree Loss and Impervious Surface Gain
Dalton - Whitfield County
• Gained 4% in tree cover and also gained in impervious surfaces by
78%.

11. Tree City USA
Number of GA Tree City USA Communities
Number of GA Tree City USA Communities
137 139 138
131
125
118
91
73
63
50
41
25
17
1
1
1
1
1
2
3
7
10 11
76
79 81 79 81 81
96 98
101
104
107
112

12. Tree City USA Communities
In Chestatee-Chattahoochee RC&D
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Homer
Lavonia
Royston
Clarkesville
Cornelia
Gainesville
Hartwell
Dahlonega
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Clayton
Toccoa
Hiawassee,
Young Harris
Blairsville
Cleveland
Helen

13. Tree Advocacy Groups
Georgia Tree Boards and Nonprofits
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Plant trees
Work with volunteers
Raise money
Support cities, provide education
Arbor Day programs and much more

14. Tree Campus USA Schools
Schools
• Agnes Scott College
• Albany Tech
• Middle Georgia State College
• Emory University
• Georgia Tech
• Gwinnett Technical College
• The University of Georgia
• The University of West Georgia
• Valdosta State University

15. Tree Line USA
Utility Companies
• Snapping Shoals Electric
Membership Corporation
• Georgia Power
• Promotes the dual goals of safe,
reliable electric service and
abundant, healthy trees within
utility service areas.

16. Community Accomplishment Reporting
City or County key urban forestry program elements
• Arborist on staff
• Tree group
• Management plan
• Tree ordinance
Managing (all 4)
Helen
Cornelia
Gainesville
Dahlonega
Toccoa
Developing (1 to 3 elements)
Cleveland
Gillsville
Young Harris
Homer
Hartwell
Blairsville
Dawsonville
Clayton
Cumming
Sky Valley
Clarkesville
Hiawassee

17. Community Accomplishment Report Outcomes
Reported in FY 2012, of Georgia’s population,
• 43% lived in communities that were fully managing their urban and
community trees and forests, and
• 26% lived in communities that were developing programs to manage
their urban and community trees and forests
• 79 managed communities
• 236 developing communities

18. Circuit Rider Arborists
Services
Meet with community officials to promote community forestry
Providing technical expertise on tree management issues
Writing, revising or evaluating tree ordinances.
Developing effective, efficient tree boards.
Working with current and potential Tree City USA communities
Developing a management or storm mitigation plan.
Organizing Arbor Day events
Training work crews and volunteers on proper planting, pruning, etc.
Using inventory software to evaluate the economic and
environmental benefits
• Conducting regional roundtables on topics of interest to multiple
communities.
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19. Georgia Forest Action Plan
Three national priorities and strategic
objectives are:
1. Conserve working forest landscapes.
• Identify and conserve high-priority
forest ecosystems and
landscapes.
• Actively and sustainably manage
forests.
2. Protect forests from harm.
• Identify, manage and reduce
threats to forest and ecosystem
health.

20. Georgia Forest Action Plan
3. Enhance public benefits from trees and forests.
• Protect and enhance water quality and quantity.
• Improve air quality and conserve energy.
• Assist communities in planning for and reducing wildfire risks.
• Maintain and enhance the economic benefits and values of
trees and forests.
• Protect, conserve and enhance wildlife and fish habitat.
• Connect people to trees and forests.
• Manage and restore trees and forests to mitigate and adapt to
global climate change.

21. Georgia Forest Action Plan – Urban Forestry
GFC’s Strategies
• GFC will initiate updated tree canopy loss and impervious
surface studies and help build local capacity to manage tree
canopy.
• The Georgia Urban Forest Council and GFC will utilize grant
and corporate funds to plant trees in communities.
• GFC will help Identify and promote greenspace connectivity
using an integrated green infrastructure management
system.
Areas of focus include metropolitan Atlanta, north Georgia and the
coast. Focus on high-profile projects in these areas.

22. New Initiatives
• Focus on Small Landowners – GFC is creating an online forest
management tool for small landowners that own parcels less than
10 acres.
• America’s Great Outdoors – National Initiative to reconnect
Americans with the nation’s lands, waters and natural and cultural
treasures.
• Urban Waters Federal Partnership – 11 federal agencies
dedicated to restoring the health of urban waters
• Urban Agriculture and Agroforestry – People’s Garden Program,
Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food

23. Vibrant Cities & Urban Forests
Key Themes
• Equity
• Knowledge and research for decision making and evaluation
• Collaborative and integrated planning for natural resources at a
metropolitan regional scale
• Engagement, education and awareness to action
• Building capacity
• Realignment of resources
• Standard and best practices

24. National U&CF Program
Goals
• Mitigate and adapt to climate change
• Protect and improve air and water quality
• Conserve energy
• Reduce the impacts of land use change, fragmentation, and
urbanization on forest landscapes
• Improve community health and well-being
• Build urban forest resilience and mitigate the impacts of
invasive pests and catastrophic events.

25. Southern States Regional U&CF Program
Goals
• Conduct larger statewide significant projects.
• Address urban forestry issues and opportunities in major
metropolitan areas.
• Implement goals and objectives outlined in state forest action plans.
• Focused on developing their communities’ capacity to manage the
urban forest.
• Tree planting (site specific) demonstration projects are allowable

26. Southern Forest Futures Project Findings
• The spread of plant, insect, and disease pests could severely affect
native species, forest productivity, and wildlife.
• More than 1,000 plant and wildlife species of conservation concern
could be threatened by urbanization, climate change, and invasive
species.
Challenges
• Forest Fragmentation/Urbanization
• Water Quality
• Air Quality
• Economics
• Carbon Sequestration

27. Five Year Plan for Georgia’s Urban and Community Forest
Goals
1. Promote Tree Canopy through Green
Infrastructure
2. Increase advocacy for community
forests
3. Promote the Development and
Enforcement of Local Tree
Ordinances
4. Promote sustainable community
forestry by training professionals to
implement BMPs

28. Goal 1 – Promote Tree Canopy through Green
Infrastructure
Objectives
1. Develop green infrastructure policy and design criteria for model
urban forest
2. Conduct 6 regional canopy studies
3. Increase capacity of local governments to increase canopy in
critical areas
4. Promote the use of pervious surfaces

29. Goal 2 – Increase Advocacy for Community Forests
Objectives
1. Update the urban forest communication plan
highlighting benefits and values of community
forests
2. Develop 5-Year Plan for annual Arbor Day
celebrations
3. Reach urban legislators with “State of the
Urban Forest Report”
4. Broaden reach of Georgia ReLeaf.
5. Expand Childern’s Forest Network, Tree
Campus USA and other partnerships
6. Reach out to community gardens and urban
farm programs.

30. Goal 3 – Promote the Development and Enforcement of
Local Tree Ordinances
Objectives
1. Assist 25 communities per year with tree ordinances that connect
to land use planning and transportation
2. Provide self-survey tool for evaluating current ordinances
3. Increase the use of websites and educational resources by
citizens, developers and local officials

31. Goal 4 – Promote sustainable community forestry by
training professionals to implement BMPs
Objectives
1. Partner with other agencies to
offer online webinars
2. Develop capacity among
Spanish language population in
BMP materials
3. Provide cutting edge training for
urban forest professionals
4. Build Georgia Urban Forest
Council capacity by networking
with one new partner group per
year.

32. It’s Your Urban Forest – Learn It, Grow It, Maintain It, Enjoy It!
Georgia Forestry Commission
6835 James B. Rivers/Memorial Dr.
Stone Mountain, GA 30083
678-476-6227
GaTrees.org
@GaTrees
@Treegirl
Susan Granbery
U&CF Coordinator
Sustainable Community Forestry Program Blog
gfccommunityforestry.wordpress.com
Georgia Forestry
Commission
Stone Mountain, GA
678-476-6227