Implementing Comprehensive Urban Forest Management Plans: Lessons from Washington State

Abstract

Urban forest management plans (UFMPs) are developed by many communities in order to provide a common vision for urban forest health and sustainability, establish goals, and coordinate actions toward achieving them. This multiple-case study used document analysis and semi-structured interviews with staff in six cities to investigate how UFMPs have been implemented in Washington State. Results indicate that staff actively use UFMP documents to guide and justify action, solve disputes, and promote awareness of urban forestry issues within city bureaucracies and to the community at large. Positive and negative social impacts of implementation efforts influence the political standing of urban forestry programs, suggesting that the political and social skill of city staff, their superiors, and community advocates are key factors in the success of implementation. In some cases, informal implementation strategies focus on associating urban forestry activities with community identity, public safety, and storm water management. In others, implementation is highly dependent on regulatory mandates specified by local ordinance.