Urban Forest Management Plan

Project Summary
Full Proposal Link
Estimated Amount to be requested from the CSF: $63,760

Letter of Intent:

Define the campus environmental problem that you are attempting to solve:
There has not been a comprehensive assessment of the urban forest on the UW Seattle campus, and the Landscape Grounds Operations office does not have the resources to conduct one. Without the information that such an assessment would provide, the campus arborist and Landscape Grounds Operations team cannot effectively manage the tree collection. Problems resulting from the current lack of information include the following:
• Loss in tree diversity
• Inadequate protection and/or compensation for valuable trees lost to campus construction projects
• Inability to address all hazard trees before they fail
• Insufficient information for students who study campus trees
• Outdated public outreach materials related to the campus landscape
• Inefficient use of funds for piecemeal assessments that are inconsistently conducted for individual building projects

Describe your proposed solution to this problem:
1. Conduct a forest resources assessment. Hire a private contractor to assess condition (including hazard assessment), verify location, determine level of significance (according to UW rating system of extraordinary/exemplary/significant established by UW landscape architect, Kristine Kenney), and produce digital photographic records for every tree on campus. Sara Shores, campus arborist, has recently completed a tree inventory database with associated GIS mapping for all trees on campus. This inventory would be used as a guide and would considerably reduce the amount and cost of labor that would otherwise be necessary.
2. Develop a strategic plan for management of the UW urban forest. Use information obtained through the assessment to plan for increasing overall canopy cover, promoting safety, improving air and water quality, building diversity of species, and developing greater aesthetic and educational value.                      3. Create/Update educational outreach opportunities directly related to trees on campus. Develop student capstone projects surrounding the forest resources assessment and the development of the strategic plan. Update the Brockman Tree Tour by replacing signage with improved materials that allow for modifications such as tree growth, updated cultural references, and the addition or removal of trees from the tour. Develop web resources for public outreach that would include information and mapping for native trees, memorial trees, and extraordinary/exemplary/significant trees on campus.

What form and amount of student leadership will your project involve?                                                                                                               Professional leadership will rest primarily with staff, who will design and manage multiple opportunities for student involvement:

• Students can be directly involved by assisting with the forest resources assessment and the strategic plan – through capstone projects, internships for credit, or work study positions.
• Students in the College of Forest Resources are involved regularly in the
Brockman Tree Tour, both as tour guides and tour participants. Students could be involved in the updating of materials for this tour as well as the development of tour materials for the native trees, memorial trees, and extraordinary/exemplary/significant trees on campus.
What type and amount of outreach and education will your project involve?
• Students would have access to a data set that did not previously exist which could be used to research the contributions of the urban forest on the UW Seattle campus related to carbon sequestration, energy savings, and the mitigation of air pollution and stormwater management. The outreach resulting from such research would almost certainly involve public presentations locally and at professional conferences.
• The improved information would be useful for courses within the College of the Environment and the College of Built Environments, some of which focus on tree identification, landscape design, and landscape plant science and sustainable management.
• An improved website presence would provide public access to campus landscape information for students and members of the public with professional and personal interest in trees.
• Tours and tour brochures would provide an outreach opportunity to communicate the significance of the tree collection on the UW Seattle campus and the importance of preserving and protecting that collection. Students could conduct theses tours as part of their education.
 
What amount of funds do you anticipate your project will require from the CSF?
Hazard Tree Assessment-$20,000
Management Plan-6 month intern-$5,000
Condition/Location Rating-$20,000
Tree Designation-$1,000
Inventory Data Update-8 month intern-$12,960 Brockman Tree Tour -New signs, brochures, updated website $3,350 Fundraising Supplies -$300 Native Tree Tour Supplies and Brochures -$300 UW Tree Calendar-Photography Class? Photography and Supplies- $750 Memorial Tree Website Supplies- $100
TOTAL $ =63,760
Primary Contact First & Last Name: Kristine Kenney