City Trees

4 CityTREES President's Message Earl Eutsler Executive Director's Message Leslie Berckes There's no better time to be in the tree business. Yes, with that statement, I am often referring to the massive influx of money that urban foresters in the United States are experiencing and the HUGE tree canopy goals that nations across the world are setting. This time, I'm referring to the work happening in our profession to develop and redevelop urban forestry credentials. The Society of Municipal Arborists (SMA) is a professional affiliate of the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA). Together, we work on our shared goal of supporting the people who make tree planting and care decisions each day. To that end, SMA is working closely with ISA on the ISA Certified Arborist Municipal Specialist® creden- tial job task analysis, which will start this fall 2023. As part of the job task analysis process, ISA will seek input from practitioners across the profession to ensure that this credential meets the needs of practitioners, stakeholders, and the public at large in regards to urban forestry. Changes big or small, or not at all, may be made depending on the results of the input received. At the same time, the Society of American Foresters is working on a new credential aimed at the urban forester. The process for creating this credential has started and is anticipated to open for applications by the end of 2023 at the latest. So, what does this mean for you, the person on the ground working hard to plant and care for trees? Confusion? Excitement? Thoughts about how many more credentials and memberships can you possibly hold? If any of those thoughts are going through your head, I get it! The SMA Board of Directors and I know that two credentials in the profession could make things unclear for you. However, we also know that well-established professions (think doctor, lawyer, architect) have rigorous credentialing processes that provide self-regulation. Seeing this happen in our industry means that our profession is truly taking off. SMA promises to keep you, our members, up to date and to eliminate as much confusion as possible. To the right, you can read our organization's statement regarding the development of the two credentials and our stance on what the profession needs as it continues to mature. We're here for you and on your side in your effort to plant more trees! Spring is always special in my home- town of Washington, DC. As our city's iconic cherry trees reach peak bloom, thousands of visitors travel here to experience this annual spectacle. This year, peak cherry blossom season coincided with the U.S. Forest Service's announcement of the upcoming $1.5 billion USD funding opportunity for urban and community forestry (UCF) thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). This IRA funding for UCF provides an unprecedented level of resource to communities across the United States, with an aim of increasing tree cover and urban forest access in our cities and towns, particularly in disadvantaged communities. Considering that more than four out of five residents in the U.S. live within an urban area, this UCF funding has the potential to positively impact a majority of U.S. residents. In many ways this moment shares parallels with other trans- formational periods from our past, such as creation of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) during the Great Depression. Much of the work performed by the CCC nearly 100 years ago, including forest stewardship and trail creation, persists today. The UCF funding provided by the IRA presents a similar oppor- tunity to set into motion positive change that will support human health and well-being for decades to come. But for these resources to reach our most overburdened and under-re- sourced neighborhoods, we as a community of practice must come together to collaborate and innovate. The membership of SMA is uniquely positioned to provide leadership at this important moment in history. We understand the critical role trees in cities play in sustaining our communities. For this reason, the SMA is exploring opportunities with our allied partners to facilitate the full life cycle of grant administration, particularly for disadvantaged communities. Our members are dis- tributed across population centers and have existing relationships with trusted community leaders. SMA Members are therefore poised to help leverage these resources to connect with com- munities where opportunities to mitigate climate change, reduce flooding, improve air quality, and cool neighborhoods are greatest. The SMA Board of Directors and Executive Director Leslie Berckes will share additional updates on ways we plan to bolster the capacity of our members and meet the needs of the communities we all serve. In the meantime, I hope you are enjoying all that spring—or whichever season in your corner of the world—has to offer!

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