Urban and Community Forestry

The Urban Forestry Program offers grants of over $1 million dollars a year to plant trees and over $2.5 million for related projects in urban communities throughout California. Four Urban Forestry Field Specialists provide expert urban forestry support to communities, non-profit groups and other municipal governments to create and maintain sustainable urban forest.

The mission of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection's Urban Forestry Program is to develop a regional and statewide cooperative effort to advance the development of sustainable urban and community forests. Trees provide energy conservation, reduction of storm-water runoff, extend the life of surface streets, improve local air, soil and water quality, reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide, provide wildlife habitat and increase property values. They give us shady sidewalks and parks, and improve the quality of life in our urban environments.

This mission is accomplished in cooperation with many groups including: California ReLeaf, a non-profit organization that coordinates grants to local groups, urban forestry researchers and educators including the USFS Center for Urban Forest Research located in Davis and the Urban Forestry Ecosystem Institute at California Polytechnic in San Luis Obispo, the California Urban Forest Council, power and utility companies, municipal arborists and professional organizations. Together they discuss trends, address concerns, develop suggestions for consideration by CAL FIRE management, and provide support and information to their local communities on urban forestry issues.

California's State Urban Forestry Program also works with our Fire Prevention Program in advocating fire-safe landscaping for homeowners and communities. Landscape design, tree selection and especially maintenance are critical elements in reducing the spread of fire and the risk to adjacent buildings. Even well-designed landscapes can become hazardous if not properly maintained. The program encourages compliance with the 100-foot defensible space requirement for communities in the urban wildland interface areas (PRC 4291) and offers suggestions for types of trees, landscape designs and pruning methods to assist homeowners in meeting that standard.