City Trees is a premier publication focused on urban + community forestry. In each issue, you’ll learn how to best manage the trees in your community and more!
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/625396
24 City Trees 24 City Trees Pittsburgh city arborists get reimbursed for the administrative time to review development permits applications, review plans, and make site inspections. Photo by Michelle Sutton human nature. That means you need to: • Dramatize the current condition and explain how the failure of the urban forest would lead to the inability of the city to function at a variety of levels. Think tree loss from emerald ash borer, sudden oak death, extreme weather and the corresponding increases in liability, air pollution, flooding, and energy use. • Personalize the problem. Get a testimonial from a citizen about how the loss of trees affected her child's asthma condition, or how the loss caused property values to drop in a councilperson's district. • Put a price tag on potential storm recovery efforts and liability if there is inadequate funding for emergency and preventive tree maintenance. • Admit the need to prioritize ALL infrastructure spending, but focus on asking decision-makers to place urban forestry funding on the same level as curb repair, stormwater con- trol, and facilities maintenance. (You might have more initial success fighting for a piece of the existing pie before asking for the pie to get bigger). Who are you presenting it to? A golden rule in the ar t of communication and persuasion is "know your audience." Your piece of the general fund and capital budget pies are ultimately approved by city managers and elected officials. So you need to know what makes them tick (as well as what "ticks them off.") But before you get to the final stage of the budget battle, think about rallying some allies to your cause. Presenting a united front with traditional and non-traditional par tners can make it hard for even the craftiest politician to say no. Rally the support of non-profits for your budget requests, not just your tree planting projects. Non-profits have leaders who are proficient in educating policy-makers, engaging community support, building diverse partnerships, and being innovative fundraisers. Non-profits have the ability to move in political and social circles where urban foresters are not allowed to or are afraid to tread. Tree Pittsburgh, Greening of Detroit, Trees Forever, Trees Lafayette, and Friends of Grand Rapids Parks are a few examples of non-profits that have helped their municipal arborists get what they need financially. Think about non-traditional partners too, like your local emer- gency management agency, stormwater utility, power company,