• What We Can Do For You!



• Why You Should Create a CF Program in Your City



• Idaho Community Forestry Program Data Summary



• Community Forestry Mission Statement



• Community Forestry Tool Box Kits

• Provide information and training on applying for community forestry cost-share grants.
  
  
• Work with your community to attain and maintain Tree City USA status.  If your community is already a Tree City, help with earning the “Tree City USA Growth Award.”
  
  
• Assist your community in developing a shade tree committee or advisory board, and help them develop their goals and be effective and informed tree program leaders for their community.
  
  
• Help new and existing shade tree committees assess their community forest to determine program needs and develop program work plans.
  
  
• Support (in a variety of ways) your community’s efforts to instruct your city council about the benefits of trees and the need for a community forestry program.
  
  
• Provide information on why it is both hazardous and expensive to top trees, and how to properly prune trees.
  
  
• Advise you when you need to hire a reputable, certified arborist for controversial or hazard tree issues.
  
  
• Provide ideas for involving volunteers in local projects; training is also available for project leaders and volunteers.
  
  
• Suggest different and fun ways to celebrate Arbor Day that involve the entire community.
  
  
• Recommend ways to resolve and avoid tree-sign, tree-sidewalk, and tree-utility line conflicts.
  
  
• Provide community forestry-related curricula to teachers through the Arbor Day Poster Contest each spring.
  
  
• Put you in touch with leaders in other communities that are working with the same tree issues you are.
  
  
• Provide information and perspective on tree ordinances from other cities in Idaho.  (We can also send you a model tree ordinance for small communities.)
  
  
• Offer suggestions for funding your community forestry program.
  
  
• Notify you about upcoming community forestry related events and opportunities.
  
  
• Help mediate tree-related community conflicts.

Why Should You Create a Community Forestry Program
in Your City?

• Enables cities to conduct a tree inventory that maps out current tree status and determines
  long-term goals.
  
  
• A forestry program will enable your city to develop a comprehensive tree management plan to address planting and ongoing care needs unique to your area.
  
  
• Specific methods would be identified, such as watering, pruning and disease/insect control, to enhance the viability of your tree infrastructure.
  
  
• Healthier, increased tree longevity due to appropriate species planting for climate
  and site conditions.
  
  
• Increased public safety resulting from hazard tree identification and remediation.
  
  
• Cost-effective risk reduction of public, personal property or city infrastructure damage.
  
  
• Financial and human resources organized to support tree preservation and care.
  
  
• Help qualify your city to become a Tree City USA city.
  
  
• Increased public awareness of importance of trees to community health, beyond esthetics.
  
  
• Educate community leaders and residents regarding energy conservation benefits of trees and appropriate fire prevention steps for development in urban/wildland interfaces.
  
  
• Increased value of street, park and yard trees encourages businesses to locate in your
  community.
  
  
• A process to work with developers on tree retention and care during construction phase
  to reduce tree impact.
  
  
• Availability of professional expertise to assure all facets of tree health and benefits are
  considered when official decisions regarding development, property rehabilitation and
  green space maintenance are made.

Community Forestry In Idaho

Everyone agrees that trees add to the beauty of a city, increase property values and are generally nice things to have around, but how can they really help to solve some of Idaho’s emerging urban and community issues? Tree canopies in a city like Boise can reduce water runoff by 17% saving about a quarter million dollars in water control costs. Recently expansion of some Idaho industries has been held up because of various carbon emissions. A community forest can store 2.6 tons of carbon per acre per year. These are just two examples from pages of research based data that dramatically illustrate the value of community forestry programs.

Mission Statement

The Community Forestry Program will provide technology transfer and financial assistance to develop awareness and understanding of the value of sound urban/community forestry management among community citizens and leaders. Assistance is provided to Idaho communities to establish and enhance sustainable urban and community forestry management programs on public and private lands.

Vision Statement

Community forestry is a fast growing concept in Idaho that has created a demand for financial and technical assistance that far exceeds the Idaho Department of Lands’ current program. Idaho Department of Lands has partnered with several agencies to increase our ability to meet these demands. While successful, these activities have also increased requests from communities for assistance. Especially those Idaho communities with a population density of less than ten thousand.

Idaho’s rapidly developing populated areas often necessitate the removal of trees and other natural resources. Providing educational and financial assistance to preserve trees where plausible and replant them where desirable to maintain Idaho’s quality of life is a challenging task. We will meet the challenge by combining a greater public awareness program with assistance and incentives to encourage city governmental participation and involvement. We will partner with public and private agencies and utilize technology transfer techniques to create a network of informed communities and knowledgeable local volunteers.

Partnerships with the Idaho Transportation Department have added to our ability to provide financial incentives to communities. However, the Data Summary tables clearly show that there is more to do. Continuing restlessness about urban forestry priorities in the Federal Government could have negative impacts on Idaho’s program.

Financial Assistance

UCF Grants, funded by the USDA Forest Service, are available to eligible Idaho communities on a competitive basis. The purpose of the grant program is to educate, stimulate interest in, and assist with the development of effective community forestry programs in communities throughout Idaho. The grants support activities that lead to the development of new community forestry programs or enhance existing programs.

Community Transportation Enhancement Grants (CTE)

CTE Grants are funded by Idaho Department of Transportation from ISTEA funds. These funds are intended to landscape and enhance transportation corridors and facilities. The grants support activities that reduce the impact of highways, airports, railroads and other transportation facilities on residents and visitors to Idaho cities. These funds were provided on a trial basis in 1999. Demand and performance will determine future funding.

Arbor Day Grants are funded by with funds from the Idaho Community Forestry Trust Account in the Idaho Department of Lands. These $150 grants are intended to encourage communities to celebrate Arbor Day in a big way. The funds can be used to buy trees or anything else that will make Arbor Day a memorable event and something to look forward to in the future.

Technical Assistance

The Community Forestry Program in the Idaho Department of Lands also promotes high quality management of the community forest resources in Idaho. Service visits, workshops, interactive television and print media are methods of technology transfer we use to reach city personnel and the general public. Once again, strong partnerships are the keys to success.

Community Forestry Assistants (CFA)

There are areas of the state that are difficult to service out of the program’s administrative office in Coeur d’Alene. In 1998, Idaho Department of Lands partnered with three RC&D Councils in Southwest Idaho and four RC&D Councils in Southeast Idaho to fund two part-time people to provide direct technical assistance to cities in their counties. These positions are funded by IDL but are not staffed by state employees. They are contracted positions through our RC&D partners. In 2001, a third CFA was added. This additional CFA provides the Community Forestry message to two different RC&Ds in the northern portion of the state. We intend to continue to expand these kinds of partnerships with the RC&D Councils, if sufficient funding is received through the state's budget process.

Print Media Partners

The Association of Idaho Cities, the Idaho Nursery Association and the Idaho Rural Partnership have given the Community Forestry Program full access to their newsletters. Articles appear in almost every issue.