Responsibilities: Develop, keep current, and help facilitate a plan to develop, conserve and care for the urban forest resources of the city.

Qualifications: Resident of the city with an interest in and knowledge of trees and related resources and their relationship to the human and physical environment of the city.

Activities:

• Develop and/or review annually and update as necessary a comprehensive community forestry plan.
• Assess the community urban forest situation using some type of inventory to determine short- and long-range program goals and objectives.
• Review, in cooperation with the city forester, annual plans for the city’s urban forestry program.
• Advise the mayor, city council, and various departments on matters concerning trees and related resources.
• Inform residents on matters concerning the betterment of trees and related resources in cooperation with the city forester.
• Coordinate or conduct special projects for the betterment of the urban forest. Such projects should be included in annual plans.
• Keep abreast of current trends and issues in urban forestry through appropriate training and developmeny.

Examples of tasks, roles and responsibilities for a tree board member:

• Strategic planning: SWOT Analysis — What are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to the city’s urban forestry programs? This external scan will provide a snapshot of the city’s current urban forestry condition and can be used as a catalyst to provide a long- range plan.
• Adopting an urban forestry management plan.
• Requesting appropriations from city council to fund urban forestry projects.
• Hiring an arborist.