The sustainability non-profit is attempting to scale the first widely accepted
certification standard for urban and community forestry.
According to the US Forest Service, there are more than 140 million acres
of
forest
situated within “urban” areas across the country. That’s a lot of trees
maintained and nurtured under a mix of public and private entities that all have
a different set of demands compared to the traditional ways we think about
remote, park-like forests.
As Paul Johnson, VP of Urban and
Community Forestry and Career Pathways at the Sustainable Forest
Initiative (SFI), told
Sustainable Brands®, “Unless you live in one of the country’s ten largest
communities, you probably don’t think you live in an ‘urban’ area; and that
creates a challenge when it comes to both ‘urban’ and ‘community’ forestry.”
Johnson led a multi-year effort that culminated in the launch of SFI’s Urban
and Community Forest Sustainability
Standard (UCFSS) last
summer. The new certification is a prime example of how the non-profit works
with partners in both the US and Canada to protect the trees and plant
life that enrich our most populated areas.
Although SFI has been
challenged
regarding its standards, the organization remains focused on working to achieve
meaningful
progress
related to forest-focused collaboration. Johnson explains that the new standard
went through a rigorous, community-based conception process with a range of
partial or full certification opportunities.
“Our task group had a strong goal on making this as accessible as possible,” he
says.
The UCFSS details 16 objectives and four thematic certification
options meant to encompass
all of the challenges, opportunities and nuances of protecting and embracing
urban forestry.
Greenery in populated
areas
can help filter the air, improve
residents’ mental and physical
health
and more. However, rorest management within city boundaries takes on additional
complexities compared to more traditional, rural wooded areas; urban forests
must deal with ongoing climate challenges in addition to the tug-of-water with
population density and the changing needs of suburban and inner-city
communities.
A preservation effort loaded with potential benefits
The UCFSS was developed with guiding principles that support the notion that
exposure to trees and greenery is good for overall
health. Urban and
community forests and trees are vital for community wellbeing and resilience and
can help support broader care and understanding of green infrastructure.
Johnson explains that while SFI was updating other forest-management standards,
a big question came up around how urban and community forests are maintained.
SFI then created a task force, which put out a survey that returned 600
responses and thus began the journey towards creating the UCFSS.
SFI collaborated with groups including International Society of
Arboriculture, Arbor Day Foundation, American Forests, Tree Canada
and the Urban and Community Forestry Society to bring the standard to life
in a way that would work for urban areas across both the US and Canada. Johnson
adds that the two countries share similarities in urban forest programming,
which helped in creating an overarching framework.
Access and opportunity for all
“This was intentionally designed so that anyone can use it — with no minimum
acreage, hectare or stem requirement,” Johnson says.
The UCFSS has thematic certifications and a full lineup of objectives so that
interested organizations can figure out which pathway works best for them.
Groups can either partially certify in one of the four thematic areas, or work
towards a full UCFSS certification. There are a handful of certification bodies
that an organization would work with to achieve either and applications are just
opening up for 2024.
Johnson notes that as much as 80 percent of urban and community forests are
privately owned; so, it was paramount that the UCFSS could be used by anyone,
and for a variety of purposes.
For example, if an organization is primarily focused on combating climate
change, it could choose to focus on thematic option two (Environmental and
Conservation Leadership) or three (Climate and Disaster Resilience). That’s
not an exhaustive list; but it shows the range and variety of utilizing the
standard to push an organization’s own goals forward.
“We ran eight pilot assessments and did lots of pre-launch work to understand
potential impact,” Johnson says.
While SFI will continue to make updates and adjustments to the Standard, Johnson
envisions it as something new that organizations can regularly highlight within
the context of an ESG or sustainability report. He adds there are “several”
organizations already working through at least a portion of the certification
program; and SFI aims to have hundreds of certificates awarded within five
years.
Published Feb 28, 2024 2pm EST / 11am PST / 7pm GMT / 8pm CET
Geoff is a freelance journalist and copywriter focused on making the world a better place through compelling copy. He covers everything from apparel to travel while helping brands worldwide craft their messaging. In addition to Sustainable Brands, he's currently a contributor at Penta, AskMen.com, Field Mag and many others. You can check out more of his work at geoffnudelman.com.
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