Chapter 4. Strategic and Operational Management Planning

Strategic and Operational Management Planning

Conservation of trees in the urban environment can be achieved effectively through the development and implementation of a strategic urban forest management plan that standardizes policies and practices surrounding activities related to trees. In Canada, urban forest management plans tend to focus on individual tree maintenance, educational programs, and enhancing canopy cover and tree species diversity. Additional considerations for strategic and operational management may include the use of native species, the connectivity of the urban forest, climate change, community stewardship, and providing economic incentives (Ordóñez & Duinker, 2013). A paper by Kenney, van Wassenaer, & Satel (2011) identifies 25 criteria for determining the success of the urban forest, including tree habitat suitability, city staffing, and regional cooperation, as well as performance indicators and key objectives for each criterion. A comprehensive urban forest management plan that considers diverse performance indicators will help ensure a healthy, sustainable urban forest.

Canadian municipal urban forest management plans:

• City of Edmonton: 2012-2022 Urban Forest Management Plan
• Halifax Regional Municipality: 2013-2023 Urban Forest Master Plan
• Ville de Montreal, Borough Saint-Laurent: Plan de foresterie urbaine de Saint-Laurent
• City of Ottawa: Ottawa’s Urban Forest Management Plan
• City of Prince George: Sustainable Forest Management Plan
• City of Regina: 2020 State of the Urban Forest
• City of St. John’s: Urban Forest Management Master Plan
• City of Thunder Bay: Urban Forest Management Plan
• City of Toronto: Strategic Forest Management Plan
• City of Vancouver: Urban Forest Strategy
• City of Victoria: Urban Forest Master Plan

Non-Canadian online resources:

• USDA Forest Service: A Guide: Developing a Street and Park Tree Management Plan (PDF)
• USDA Forest Service: Management Tools
• USDA Forest Service: Tree Risk Assessment Management Plan (PDF)
• USDA Forest Service: Urban Forestry Manual
• Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources: A Technical Guide to Developing Urban Forest Strategic Plans & Urban Forest Management Plans

Further reading:

Kenney, W. A., van Wassenaer, P. J. E., & Satel, A. L. (2011). Criteria and Indicators for Strategic Urban Forest Planning and Management. Arboriculture & Urban Forestry, 37(3), 108-117. Retrieved from http://www.fufc.org/soap/kenney_criteria_and_indicators2011.pdf

Miller, R. W., Hauser, R. J., & Werner, L. P. (2015). Urban Forestry: Planning and Managing Urban Greenspaces (3^rd ed.). Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press, Inc.

Ordóñez, C. & Duinker, P. N. (2013). An analysis of urban forest management plans in Canada: Implications for urban forest management. Landscape and Urban Planning, 116, 36-47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2013.04.007