Walla Walla, Washington- Urban Forestry Management Plan

In 1982 a citizen group, calling itself ReLeaf Walla Walla, formed with the purpose of addressing Walla Walla’s street trees and to determine what could be done to prevent the loss of so many old trees and preserve the priceless canopy they provided. This group began to inventory all the trees in an effort to record them and to introduce ordinances protecting street trees. The ad hoc tree committee drafted a street tree ordinance, which was adopted by the city council in July 2000. The ordinance provided for the creation of an Urban Forestry Advisory Commission (UFAC) with membership comprising volunteer citizens. In addition the UFAC wrote an ordinance pertaining to heritage trees on both public and private property. This has been an effective means for private homeowners to protect their special trees from topping and otherwise detrimental practices. The UFAC also was given the task of producing an urban forest management plan (UFMP) to govern the urban forest under the jurisdiction of the city of Walla Walla. The UFMP presented the following program goals:

• Maintain, preserve, conserve, and improve existing urban canopy in Walla Walla;
• Remain a “Tree City USA”;
• Preserve and protect native, significant and historical treescapes; and
• Coordinate all construction activities related to trees with the urban forestry program.

The UFMP also contained management and maintenance recommendations that addressed the urban forestry funding program; reduction of high risk trees and community outreach/education.