Public Education is one of the primary objectives
clearly stated in the Committee’s mission statement. Responding to the "tree" concerns within the
city of Dallas, a working solution was to educate others in not only
fulfilling this function but also to provide training as well. Some of
the ways, among others, we have chosen to advance our mission and goals
include the following:
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Sponsor and/or attend targeted events where our concepts and ideas
reach the right audiences;
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Partner with all local media using programming to reach "those that
need to hear".
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Champion and support smart legislation, city agendas, research,
industry methods/technology and local grass-roots endeavors
that further progressive agendas.
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Extend
speaking engagements and participate in forums.
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Provide this web site to disseminate committee news and activities.
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City-wide Education
In part, some Committee members are appointed by the Mayor,
however a much larger portion is comprised of all volunteers
many of which serve on a critical area team. These teams
include:
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Public
Relations and Media
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Wood Waste and
Recycling
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Citizen
Foresters
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Tree Planting
and Transplanting
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Tree/Forest
Management
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Forest Surveys,
Inventory and Tracking
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Land Planning,
Development and City Codes
The
Committee welcomes your participation as a leader, planner or
expert advisor. Working teams need your help now to
plan and implement educational and training
programs for hands-on skill/knowledge transfer.
Here is Brief Intro to
Urban Forestry
in Dallas. |
Home
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Our Sponsors and Donors
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Public Education
Planting Trees
Caring for Trees
Volunteer Your Services
Inventory and Monitor
Awards and Recognition
Meeting Minutes
Current Agenda
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The Greening of Dallas
Read the Dallas Morning News story,
Seeding the Value of
Dallas, detailing the fundraising campaign of the Dallas
Urban Forest Advisory committee for the "Greening of Dallas".
The council is a non-profit organization that deals with urban
forestry issues in the Dallas area. Steve Houser, the
committee's former chairman, is president of a local, expert tree care
company.
One of the many goals established by the committee is to
establish citywide standards for planting trees, caring for them
and training city workers. Another goal is to encourage
developers to build around trees and citizens to seek the advice
of the Dallas urban forester and the Urban Forest Advisory
Committee.
Invariably in public policy development there are a few bumps
in the road along the way and careful deliberations from
multiple parties appear to the public as stonewalling. Our
communities facing extreme budget shortfalls see parklands and
trees low on the priority list. The following Dallas Morning
News stories "Southwest
Dallas Residents Say Tree Preservation Ordinance Not Enforced"
and "City's Tree
Policy Isn't Necessarily Green". A few citizens wrote the
DMN editor with
their comments. This Just In ...
What is that tree species? One very easy way to find out
is to make a visit to the Texas Forest Service latest
educational web offering, Texas Tree IDs. How much carbon did
you say a mature forest can absorb? Find out at the
Alliance for Community Trees web site. Here is a recent Boston Globe article regarding “urban
stress” and how to mitigate the psychological damage of
the metropolis.
Can
trees help asthma
sufferers by relieving their symptoms?
The USDA
Forest Service, Center for Watershed Protection website
now includes new resource guides, some of which include
urban forest related issues. This
NPR
article includes a report on the ratio of trees per
person worldwide. The Texas Forest Service and the Cross Timbers
Urban Forestry Council offered a
Big Tree Tour across central Texas
Nov 14th.
More Info and photos should be posted soon at the
Cross Timbers Urban Forestry Council
web site. The US Forest Service, Center for Urban Forest Research,
recently received approval of their Urban Forest Project
Reporting Protocol by the California Climate Action
Registries, Board of Directors. The protocol provides
guidance regarding greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions by urban
tree planting projects which are registered with the Climate
Action Reserve. Click on the following links for more info:
Project Protocols for Urban Forestry and a
Protocols Summary.
WFAA Channel 8 News provides the following poignant
coverage of our activities in Dallas. Click on the link to
view this
outstanding news video by Mr. David Schechter, Senior
Reporter.
Blazing heat, choking pollution and skyrocketing electric
bills. What's one way to combat all these problems at once?
Plant trees.
Ten of Tarrant's finest trees are rated as state champions.
You can view photos, physical details, and how they relate
to other trees of the same species in our region at
Texas
Tree Trails. Our trees need to be protected not just
from damage or disease but also from those ill mannered,
evil doers that would do them harm as this
NBC5i DFW Community Story
relates! Chief Arborist, Mr. Phil Erwin created a Google
Group to
provide an
Open
Discussion Forum on the topic of urban forestry.
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FYI: Important Meetings, Links and News
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The American
Planners Association in close collaboration with
other forest related entities recently produced a state
of the art best management practices document for urban
forestry. It provides sound guidance for local and
regional urban forestry planning in the future. |
| The
USDA Forest Service, Center for Watershed Protection
website now includes new resource guides, some of
which include urban forest related issues. See
especially the Urban Reforestation Site Assessment and
the Urban Tree Selection guides. |
Vision
North Texas Alternative Futures workshop scheduled
Registration is now open for the Vision North Texas
Alternative Futures workshop, which will be held
June 12, 2009 from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m., prior to
NCTCOG's General Assembly meeting. Join elected
officials and other public sector leaders as Vision
North Texas continues discussion to shape a common
vision for our region’s future. This is a great
opportunity to reconnect with the work of Vision North
Texas or to get involved for the first time in this
exciting partnership. To register for this free workshop
or for more information, visit www.visionnorthtexas.org |
| Community Tree Leadership Forum
Resource Materials |
Download a considerable amount of worthy and useful
material from the Arbor Day Foundation. |
| Huge EPA Resource for Heat Island Effect
Documentation, Data, Reports and Presentations |
If you are interested in urban heat
islands and the offsetting effects that trees provide,
visit this EPA Newsroom Web
Site. |
| The Greening of America |
Ambitious
Tree-Planting Programs Are Sprouting Up Nationwide says
the Washington Post |
| Read detailed project
documentation; view maps and videos; find associated
nature links; sign up for the newsletter |
www.trinityrivercorridor.org |
Previous Educational Resources
Older Educational Items, Stories and Links
Have Been Archived. Find them on the
Public Education
Archive Page. Committee members
are frequently active participants in educational presentation
in many high profile Dallas Festivals and Events. The
Committee
Education Archive Page highlights a few from past
events. |
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