(11) Integrating Urban Forestry and Stormwater Management

Kendra Axness, University of Wisconsin-Extension Green Bay, WI
Bill Klase, University of Wisconsin-Extension Rhinelander, WI

Session: Concurrent session A1:  Addressing Challenges Through Research and Education

Many urban forestry programs in Wisconsin are losing funding and support because local decision-makers perceive urban forests as aesthetic amenities, and generally aren’t aware of the economic, social and environmental benefits of urban trees.  New federal and state stormwater management rules, which passed in 1999 and 2004 respectively, affected approximately 220 Wisconsin municipalities.  Our team saw these rules as an opportunity to strengthen urban forestry programs by raising awareness of their value for stormwater management and by building local capacity for implementation of innovative “green” stormwater management practices. This opportunity meshed with the UW-Extension Basin Initiative’s goal of promoting integrated resource management.

We are developing an educational program to assist Wisconsin communities of all sizes in strengthening urban forestry programs based on the usefulness of urban trees for managing stormwater.  Our objectives for this program are:  1) To build local officials’ and decision-makers’ support for urban forestry initiatives by raising their awareness of the benefits of urban forests, especially for stormwater management; and 2) To provide local urban foresters and stormwater engineers with tools and innovative techniques to support urban forestry as an economically efficient stormwater management practice. 

We began our program by interviewing over 40 municipal staff from around the state to better understand existing urban forestry and stormwater management programs.  These interviews revealed that stormwater engineers and urban foresters were generally not communicating, let alone integrating their programs.  Interviewees provided insights into their existing programs and shared their thoughts regarding our educational program.  We used this information to craft strategies to reach our target audiences, and to begin creating a guidebook and associated trainings. 

This presentation will focus on the program’s development and introduce the guidebook.

Kris Tiles
University of Wisconsin-Extension
326 River Dr
Wausau, WI 54403, USA
Phone: 715.261.1254
Fax: 715.261.1238
kris.tiles@ces.uwex.edu

Gail Epping Overholt
University of Wisconsin-Extension
932 South 60th St Rm 304
West Allis, WI 53214 USA
Phone: 414.290.2434
Fax: 414.290.2424
gail.overholt@ces.uwex.edu