City Trees

www.urban-forestry.com 23 People also tend to remember us for our highly contentious public tree removal protests back in 1997, where eleven protesters were pepper sprayed by police while sitting up in the trees. We've grown a lot as a community and as a munic- ipal organization since that time. I'm very proud to say that we've made significant changes and now have very positive relationships with both the local tree advocates and the development com- munity. We've got some amazing trees here, but we're losing canopy cover for a variety of reasons. In terms of the future, Eugene is gearing up to host the 2021 World Track and Field Championships. This event has never been held in the U.S., and it has never been hosted by a city with fewer than one million people. This is a tall order; we've definitely got our work cut out for us! Our agency is working diligently to use strate- gic investments in trees and green infrastruc- ture to make this event as successful as possible and to maximize our return on investment. How long have you been involved in SMA and in what capacities? SA: I first become involved with SMA in 2016 when I attended MFI in West Virginia. As soon as I learned about all the great things that SMA does, I instantly knew I needed to play a more active role in the organization. That spring, I applied to have our workgroup host an SMA intern; what a great experience that was for everyone involved! It was so reward- ing that we chose to host another SMA intern the following summer as well. If it were possi- ble, my team said they'd love to host an SMA intern every year from here on out. It requires a bit of work, but the payoff is really worth it. Late last year, I was honored to join the SMA Board of Directors. I am very excited about supporting this amazing organization and helping to advance its various programs. Over the next year, I look for- ward to helping with the planning efforts for this year's annual SMA conference—in Irvine, California November 5-6, 2018—and also helping out with the SMA Accreditation Committee. Although I'm a relative newcomer to the organi- zation, SMA has already had a very pronounced impact on my professional development and on Eugene's urban forestry program. I espe- cially appreciate the instant sense of commu- nity and support that SMA provides thanks to its "hive mind." It's the quintessential profes- sional network made up of some of the sharp- est and most dedicated people on the planet. What aspects of urban forestry interest/excite you most? SA: As someone with a background in both the humanities and the biological sciences, I really enjoy the educational and public engagement side of urban forestry (the nexus of people and trees). The longer I'm at this, the more I appreciate the importance of trees and green infrastructure for human and global well-being. It seems like we are on the cusp of a major revolution where people might finally comprehend that we can achieve far more by working with nature, rather than against it. Over the last several years, I've >>

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