Planning for and Coping with Natural Disasters
QUESTIONS? — Email us at communitytrees@idl.idaho.gov. You can also find one of our statewide Area Offices by using our Interactive Map.
Disaster Prevention – Tree Risk Management
› Urban Tree Risk Management: A Community Guide to Program Design and Implementation 
— This very comprehensive and easy to follow guide is available for free download in whole or in parts at the USDA Forest Service Northeast Area website. This guide can help your community develop and implement a tree risk management plan. It covers development of a plan, identification of tree hazards, defects and their associated risk and how to prevent and correct defects in trees. An essential guide for all communities!
› Prioritizing Risk Trees in a Community (240K PDF) — This is a very good article on tree risk management from the July 2001 issue of Tree Care Industry magazine.
› Preparing a Community Wildfire Protection Plan – A Handbook for Wildland–Urban Interface Communities (840K PDF) — This is a very good booklet on assessing, preparing and implementing a plan to reduce the risk of wildfires in the urban-wildland interface. A concise, step-by-step guide to developing a community wildfire protection plan (CWPP). From the National Association of Counties, Society of American Foresters, National Association of State Foresters and the Western Governors Association.
› Firewise Communities — This is a one-stop internet source of information on making communities and neighborhoods safe from wildfires. Packed with information, downloads, resources, educational materials, tools and much more. Sponsored by the National Wildland/Urban Interface (WUI) Wildfire Program.
› Protecting and Landscaping Homes in the Urban/Wildland Interface (1.6 MB PDF) — Wildfires are a fact of life in the Inland Northwest, but there are many things you can do to protect your community, your homes and your family. When a wildfire burns, emergency services are spread thin and your ability to create defensible space around homes and to landscape with fire resistant plants can make a huge difference in keeping your house undamaged. This publication by the University of Idaho explains the characteristics of structures and landscapes that don't burn while others do. It contains excellent explanations, graphics and ideas for making your home and neighborhood safe from wildfire.
Tree Emergency Response Planning
› Storms Over the Urban Forest, 2nd Edition — This is a comprehensive guide aimed at helping cities plan and respond to natural disasters. It contains chapters on coping with and planning for natural disasters, systems for alert, response and recovery when natural disasters occur, case studies, re-greening, working with disaster relief organizations and many good useful resources. Available on-line at no charge at the above address. USDA Forest Service, University of Illinois and the States of Florida and Illinois.
› Tree Emergency Plan Worksheet (67K PDF)— This is an essential planning tool for all communities. Completing this practical, easy to use 12-page worksheet will guide you toward the development of a good usable storm response protocol for your community. When a disaster hits, you will have created the ideal tool to deal with it. Prepared by the USDA Forest Service, City of Minneapolis and Heartwood Forestry.
› Tree Emergency Manual for Public Officials (3.6 MB PDF) — This manual is short and practical guide to managing natural disasters and the resultant tree damage. It provides the basics for planning and contains checklists of tasks should be done before, during and after an event.
› An Initial Storm Damage Assessment Protocol for Urban and Community Forests (266K PDF) — This protocol introduces a standard method to assess widespread storm damage in a simple, credible and efficient manner immediately after a storm. It helps you evaluate potential needs for staffing, contracting, equipment and more before a natural disaster strikes.
Top of Page ^Storm Recovery Media Kit
Developed as a joint effort of the National Arbor Day Foundation (NADF), USDA Forest Service and the International Society of Arboriculture, this media kit provides ready to use press releases that can be tailored for your particular situation. Nine media releases with graphics are for use at various stages after a disaster has struck.
[Documents below are in PDF format.]
› An Introductory letter (50K) and Media Kit Press Release (75K) from NADF Executive Director John Rosenow on use of this kit.
› Story A: In the Storm’s Wake (93K)
› Story B: Can These Trees Be Saved? (320K)
› Story C: Watch Our for Scam Artists Posing as Arborists (89K)
› Story D: Tree First Aid After a Storm (174K)
› Story E: Trees & Storms, Others Have Recovered (76K)
› Story F: Reducing Tree Damage in Future Storms (169K)
› Story G: The Value of Trees in a Community (201K)
› Story H: The Importance of Urban & Community Forestry (89K)
› Story I: How to Get More Information (86K)
Storm Damage Information
› Trees and Ice Storms: The Development of Ice Storm Resistant Urban Tree Populations (756K PDF) — A very good publication discussing tree susceptibility and resistance characteristics to ice damage and management of community trees to prevent damage from ice storms. University of Illinois with funding from the USDA-Forest Service.
› Understanding the Effects of Flooding on Trees (PDF) — A concise four-page bulletin on how flooding affects trees, a species tolerance list and suggestions for mitigating trees impacted by flooding. Iowa State University Extension
› Flooding and its Effects on Trees — An excellent on-line packet of information developed by the USDA-Forest Service. The packet is divided into five sections (see below).
› Section 1 addresses the interaction of soil, tree and flood characteristics and provides flood tolerance ratings for over 90 tree and shrub species.
› Section 2 focuses on the major insect and disease problems that might be expected on trees following flooding. Symptoms of stress and pest damage are provided including recommended management practices.
› Section 3 deals with management implications of flooded trees and forest stands. Information is provided on tree recovery, factors affecting management and salvage considerations.
› Section 4 provides names and addresses for state-level technical assistance pertaining to tree and forest-related flood management and recovery.
› Section 5 is a bibliography of all references used in the production of this resource packet.
› This publication is also part of the Storms Over the Urban Forest - A Community Guide to Natural Disaster Relief .
Other Disaster Related Tree Information and Links
› Treelink.org — now has a weather-related web site dedicated to information on disaster preparedness, storms, wildfire damage prevention, disaster management and much more.
› FEMA for Kids — Disasters can be very frightening — even more so when your not prepared. This site provides an enjoyable way to teach kids about disasters, what to expect and what to do when they hit. A fun yet serious way to educate kids on this important topic.
› Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) — This link will take you to the agency most responsible for assisting areas hit by disasters.
› Idaho Bureau of Homeland Security (IBHS) — This is the agency in Idaho tasked with responding to disasters. This website has a lot of good information on disaster prevention and mitigation in Idaho.
› Storm Damage Resource Center — This site is still under development but intends to be a clearing house for information on preparing for natural disasters, assessing damage, responding to the situation and re-greening. By the Northeast Area USDA Forest Service.
› The Hazard Tree Web Page — This website is a clearing house for information on hazard trees with publications, general information, links to additional information and graphics.
NOTE: Some links on this page will take you outside the State of Idaho web server.
Document links on this page are provided in Adobe Acrobat PDF format.
