The Sustainable Urban Forests Coalition (SUFC) held its 15th annual meeting last week at the University of Virginia Darden Sands Family Grounds in Arlington, Virginia. SUFC’s mission is to convene and mobilize diverse member networks to foster thriving healthy urban and community forests nationwide.
SUFC members and attendees of the annual meeting were inspired by novel presentations, some of which were given by SUFC 2020 Networking Initiative collaborators:
- Natural Areas Conservancy: building national support for urban forested natural areas
- National Recreation and Park Association: policy action needed to promote urban forested natural areas
- University of British Columbia’s Urban Forestry in Action Lab: ways to harness technology, such as computer vision and artificial intelligence, to assess urban forests
- University of Maryland’s Environmental Finance Center: ways to standardize the return on investment for urban and community forestry resources
The meeting also allowed time for last year’s Networking Initiative Collaborators to provide updates on their projects:
- Encouraging Residential Tree Stewardship Behaviors: A Randomized Evaluation of Engagement Strategies with a Yard Tree Giveaway Program | Dexter Locke, National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center
- Rebuilding Communities through an Urban Wood and Land Restoration Economy | Sarah Hines, USDA Forest Service
- City Forest Credits: 2020 Updates and Impact Certification | Liz Johnston, City Forest Credits
Part of the day’s agenda also included updates from Emily Domenech, senior policy advisor to Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), and Will Layden, legislative assistant to Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) on the global 1 Trillion Tree initiative. Following the business meeting, a reception was held at the US Botanic Garden where John Phipps, the deputy chief of USDA Forest Service State and Private Forestry programs, delivered the keynote address (pictured above).
Interested in attending next year’s meeting? Get involved with the NASF Urban and Community Forestry Committee by reaching out to staff member Keith Wood.