Desktop AnalysisUsed To:• Identify areas that meet

certain criteria (e.g. contig forest 50 acres+, id gaps as well, or set lower value in urban area)

• Identify representative sample points

• Select tracts to assess - typically three representative points with at least two points per 100 acres.

• Identify ownership and property boundaries

Possible UTC areas in Baltimore

DNR, 2006 http://intranet.lternet.edu/archives/documents/other/balttreereport.pdf

Step 2. Field Assessment Potential field

assessments include:• Neighborhood

assessment

• Institutional assessment

• Upland contiguous forest assessment

• Street tree survey

Neighborhood Assessment (NSA)

Assess neighborhood restoration opportunities

Street tree potential

Existing street trees

Institutional Site Assessment

Upland Contiguous Forest Assessment/ Forest Tract

AssessmentDeveloped by CWP to: Collect data at a minimum of two random, representative points Assess the forest structure and quality to determine its conservation or restoration status

For each tract, evaluate the following information: Size and radius (need 300 feet to create interior forest)

Complexity (species composition, vertical structure)

Age (maturity, size)

Disruptions (e.g., deer browsing, overuse of forest, clearing, timber harvesting, some species are stressed, etc.)

Invasive species present (often dominate edges)

Presence of steep slopes, RTE species, wetlands

Upland Contiguous Forest Assessment

Individual Tree InventoryEvaluation of individual street or park trees: Size, location

Health

Species

Constraints

Examples: USDA Forest Service www.umass.edu/urbantree

ACRT

Davey TreeSummary http://www.isa-arbor.com/publications/arbNews/pdfs/Aug06-feature.pdf

Step 3. Prioritization

• What goal are you trying to achieve? - Protect contiguous forest or remaining forest

patches

- Increase the urban tree canopy (UTC)

• How is that goal best achieved? - Purchase of development rights, acquisition, better

management

- Target key neighborhoods, schools or other institutions for tree canopy increases

 

Table 7

  

Table B-1. Example Scoring Parameters for Forest Area Ranking

Parameter MeasureScoring Categories*(points)

(10-8) (7-4) (3-0)

Environmental significance

Environmental importance of the area for maintaining biological diversity. Evaluates the presence of RTE species, mature contiguous forest, heron rookeries

Many of these areas; high quality

(12-15)

Some of these areas(7-11)

Few of these areas; or of lower quality

(<7)

Development pressure

Potential for development based on zoning, location (PDA, transportation corridor), ownership, and/or local comprehensive plan.

Very recent development or expected in the

near future

future development

possiblenot likely

Protective district

Whether the area is included within some special protection district (river overlay, critical area, conservation easement, etc)

no current protection;

disturbance likely

partially protected; potential for disturbance

sufficient protection;disturbance

unlikely

RTE species Presence of RTE speciesconfirmed

sightings or historic record

high potential due to presence of

habitatlow potential

Invasive species potential

Potential for invasive species to colonize due to extensive disturbance

no invasivesinvasive

encroachment likely

invasives present

Land ownership/ cost

Ease of protection based on ownershipowned by county,

land trust, or public institution

private ownership in relatively large

tracts

private ownership slated for development

* Environmental significance is an overall general ranking and is on a 0-15 point scale, remaining parameters on 10pt scaleTable B-2. Example Conservation Area Priority Scoring

Rank

IDEnvironmental

significanceDevelopmen

t pressureProtection RTE

Invasive species potential

Land ownership

TotalScore

1 C2 18 7 9 9 8 7 58

2 C3 15 7 7 8 7 7 51

3 C1 14 7 6 8 8 7 50

Powhatan Creek Priority Conservation Areas

51

Tools for Conserving and Enhancing Forests

• Conservation Easements

• Forest conservation and tree protection regulations

• Land acquisition

• Purchase or transfer of development rights

• Shading and canopy requirements

• Urban forestry management plans

Summary

• Plenty of ecological and health reasons to protect and increase tree cover

• Get out and survey your community

• Prioritize sites

• Start protecting and planting trees!