Community Forestry Training |
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| What is the community forest? It is all of
the trees and other vegetation in and around a town, community or city.
Traditionally it has referred to tree-lined streets, but a community
forest also includes trees in home landscapes, school yards, parks,
cemeteries, vacant lots, utility rights-of-way, adjacent woodlands and
anywhere else trees and associated vegetation can grow in and around a
community of any size. Shrubs, flowers, vines, ground covers, grass, and
a variety of wild plants and animals also are part of the community
forest. Streets, sidewalks, buildings, utilities, soil, topography and,
most importantly, people are an integral part of the community forest. The Kansas Forest Service, in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service, established the Kansas Community Forestry Program in 1972. A Community Forestry Program is a systematic approach to managing the forest and tree resource within a community. The program targets the need for tree planting and proper management of established trees within the city easement area, park areas as well as other naturalized areas under the cities management and control. This program, with the support of communities across the state, has grown with involvement and participation of most major Kansas communities and county seats. The backbone of this program is the voluntarily involvement and participation of city officials, mayors, city councils, arborists, tree boards and other volunteers across the state.
The measure of the success
and sustainability of community forestry programs is the
Tree City USA
Program. This national program, coordinated by the National Arbor Day
Foundation, assists in the recognition and promotion of communities
establishing a well rounded community forestry program. During the past program year, one
hundred communities were certified as a Tree City USA. The combined
volunteer efforts of over 550 individuals serving on local tree boards,
with support and assistance of their local District and Community
Foresters, coordinated the planting of over 34,000 trees, pruned over
86,000 trees and removed an additional 10,400 trees which were dead,
dying, or represented hazards. These 140 communities represent over 65%
of the population of Kansas and spent over $10.3 million in managing and
protecting the community forest resource of the state. Kansas Forest Service’s program priorities are:
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