This new, free resource was designed to help communities conserve tree canopy during construction. Making Your Community Forest-Friendly is a 3-part publication that describes the components of a “forest-friendly” community, provides a fillable PDF worksheet for evaluating existing local regulations, and highlights additional ideas for making a community forest-friendly, beyond regulatory changes.
Making Your Community Forest-Friendly: A Worksheet for Review of Municipal Codes and Ordinances
This new publication was designed to help communities review and revise their development regulations so future projects conserve valuable trees and woodlands and encourage new plantings. It provides a set of questions to help determine whether existing local codes require, allow or prohibit “forest-friendly” development practices. The fillable online worksheet can be used by municipal staff, non-governmental organizations, and others to identify specific approaches to improve codes. The document also provides additional resources, ideas and guidance for developing a community forestry program.
This publication was developed with input from subject matter experts including foresters, planners, transportation engineers, home builders, and fire administration representatives. The practices aim to maximize tree cover protection without compromising other goals, such as public safety, visibility, access and economic value. Making Your Community Forest-Friendly was developed by the Center for Watershed Protection, with funding from the USDA Forest Service.
For questions about this resource, contact Karen Cappiella at [email protected].