When someone mentions an "urban forester," I picture
a municipal or consulting arborist who is the "arborist
of record" for the town: the person responsible for
determining whether a tree presents excessive risk
that needs to be addressed. More precisely, though,
that person stewards populations of urban trees on a
forest scale. Managing for species and age diversity,
resilience to storms, equitable distribution of aes-
thetic and environmental benefits, and other forest
population dynamics is what separates the urban
forester from arborists and other professionals.
By that definition, however, there are often several
urban foresters operating in the same area: munic-
ipal foresters, utility foresters, urban natural area
managers, community foresters, and watershed
stewards are urban foresters who may have overlap-
ping management areas. Each one of these has to
be a skilled juggler, coordinating with multiple stake-
holders, managing conflicting priorities, and dealing
with unexpected circumstances. The skilled urban
forester will navigate this maze while prioritizing the
needs of the people and trees in their communities.
Overlapping management areas can lead to tension
and conflict between natural resource managers.
How we navigate these conflicts has a lasting
impact on the urban forests we manage and the
communities of people living in them. >>
B EYO N D S I LO S : B EYO N D S I LO S :
Urban forests such as that of Branch Brook Park in Newark,
New Jersey span landscapes, borders, watersheds, and
public to private spaces, bringing together multiple urban
foresters and stakeholders for planning and management.
How Urban Foresters
with C ompeting Priorities
C an C ollaborate in
S hared S p aces
Story and photos by Kieran Hunt
Municipal Manager, A splundh Technical Ser vices
urban-forestry.com 19
