The Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law this Tuesday and it includes $360 billion to address climate change. $5 billion is earmarked for forestry projects, with $1.5 billion going to the U.S. Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry (UCF) grants! For context, that is 47 times the total amount allocated by UCF grants in all of 2021. Also included in the law are billions of dollars for the Department of Transportation Neighborhood Access and Equity grants and the EPA Environmental and Climate Justice block grants, both of which can be used to fund urban forest initiatives.
It is hard to overstate what this could mean for urban forestry programs around the country. This is game-changing and we at PlanIT Geo can't wait to contribute our momentum to this renewed push for forestry as a climate solution. For further details on the Act check out this breakdown from American Forests.
How do dense, natural stands of trees fit into urban forest management? This blog, guest written by Brittany Wienke, formerly with the Natural Areas Conservancy, demystifies urban forested natural areas and details the growing role of silviculture for the parts of the urban forest that look and feel like the woods.
PlanIT Geo was featured on CBS Colorado last week along with our client Lakewood, Colorado! We were thrilled to be able to bring more public awareness to the value of urban trees, the threats they face, and the solutions we've developed to support urban forest management around the world.
There are challenges to managing a healthy urban forest that are shared around the world, including pests, storm damage, and development. This webinar will bring together different perspectives to compare how unique objectives, methods, and technology are employed around the world to tackle urban forestry’s biggest challenges.
In this webinar Ian Hanou and Russell Horsey MICFor will host two highly respected urban forestry professionals, David Syvier, Program Manager at the US Forest Service, and Cecil Konijnendijk, co-founder of Nature Based Solutions Institute and Global Urban Forester, to discuss urban forest management in their regions and compare with others around the world.
We are now offering Single Sign On functionality in TreePlotter INVENTORY and TreePlotter CANOPY products. Single Sign On allows for an internal IT department to retain control of their overall user list and their user’s passwords. Reach out to your account manager to learn more or to get Single Sign On functionality added to your application today!
Park Asset Management Made Easy
We developed this guide to show how to capture data on green asset locations, conditions, and work histories, and how to use that information to operate more efficiently, better protect public safety, and offer a superior overall experience for park visitors.
"In the Puget Sound region, Tacoma has fewer trees than any other city and some of the hottest neighborhoods. It also has some of the most aggressive goals to change that and to do so equitably." Check out how Tacoma created an ambitious, data-driven plan to get to 30% urban tree canopy by 2030, with a clear focus on the areas most in need. Creative public engagement, including a "pop-up forest", are helping keep community and government priorities aligned.
PlanIT Geo has worked extensively with Tacoma to study their urban forest, develop ambitious goals, and devise equally ambitious plans for how to get there. Use the links to explore different steps in the process.
