12 City Trees
You may have seen presentations about
Urban Forestry 2020 (UF2020) last November at the
SMA Annual Conference in Indianapolis or read about
the project in the
May June 2016 issue of City Trees.
Perhaps you completed a survey for us (if so, thank
you!). Urban Forestry 2020 is a multi-year collaborative
project to analyze the status of the urban forestry pro-
fession in the United States and recommend strategies
for moving it forward.
For the past few years, this research and networking
project, par tially funded by a U.S. Forest Service grant
through the National Urban and Community Forestry
Advisory Council (NUCFAC), has been intensively study-
ing the professionalization of urban forestry. UF2020
has conducted national surveys of undergraduate stu-
dents, practicing urban foresters, and members of
allied professions such as planning and landscape
architecture and has conducted an analysis of the job
market for those specializing in urban forestry.
How is the SMA Involved?
The UF2020 Steering Committee was selected from
leaders around the country within urban forestry and
associated fields such as stormwater engineering,
urban planning, and landscape architecture. It includes
SMA Executive Director Jerri LaHaie and ISA Executive
Director Jim Skiera (for a full list of steering committee
members, see the project website at
urbanforestry.frec.
vt.edu/2020).
This committee has been serving in an advisory capac-
The Future of the Urban Forestry Profession:
Next Steps for Urban Forestry 2020
by Susan D. Day, Associate Professor at Virginia Tech and Project Leader for UF2020
What does an urban forester bring to the table? Urban foresters and allies must communicate this to the public.
