www.urban-forestry.com 9
You Get What You Pay For
All of us, whether public or private
sector, are plenty used to lean times by now.
Living through historic economic events (good
or bad) changes us in subtle ways. Entire gen-
erations can be affected.
Few if any of the people who read City Trees
have escaped the effects of this recession, but
I hope that most of us feel like we've become
a little wiser as a result. (On the flip side, if as
they say, "Ignorance is bliss," then there are
still plenty of ecstatic people out there.)
Regardless of your political leanings, economic
cycles and the laws of physics apply to us all.
Doing "more with less" is absolutely possible if
there are innovations to be made or inefficien
-
cies to be eliminated. But if you are already
innovative, productive, and efficient after years
of experience in the trenches, then doing less
with less may be the inevitable
outcome of lean times.
That is of course public sec-
tor heresy, as we humans by
nature want something for
nothing. Urban forestry pro-
fessionals: There is no free
lunch! (By now you're won-
dering, yikes, just how many
clichés can this guy squeeze
into this article??)
Anything of real value comes
with a price, and the cost of
accomplishing things of real
value is an investment. The
Urban Forest Foundation (UFF)
is an excellent way for each of
us to invest in our profession's
future. The UFF is a 501(c)3
non-profit that partners with
the SMA to invest in the people who practice
urban forestry. Programs like the Municipal
Arborist Exchange and the Municipal Forestry
Institute change lives and careers.
The payback from our investments in these
programs and in our fellow professionals will
compound in ways that are impossible to pre
-
dict. Our interdisciplinary vocation is uniquely
positioned to improve our communities and
our planet now and for future generations. I
know you agree, or you would have stopped
reading at the second cliché. Take the next
step today, and make your tax deductible con
-
tribution to the UFF. It's easy to do online at
www.urban-forestry.com. Thanks for doing your
part to build a better tomorrow.
—Steve Cothrel, Superintendent of Parks and Forestry,
Upper Arlington, Ohio
