It’s no small feat to develop an urban forest plan.

It takes a committed core of leaders, plenty of community partners, and significant financial and political momentum. However, having an urban forest plan for your trees helps ensures your management decisions today lead to sustainable, maximally beneficial outcomes in the decades to come.

So where does a community begin?

As the consultants for dozens of plans for cities, counties, and nonprofits, we’ve assembled this guide of best practices and considerations for getting an urban forest plan off the ground. Whether you’re in a small town looking to develop a plan to support a new program or you’re part of a robust urban forestry program in a large city, this guide can help jump-start your planning process in four steps:

1) Defining Why Your Community Needs an Urban Forest Plan

The first step is all about gathering information. The end goal is to establish specific reasons your urban forest will benefit from a plan, with a particular focus on what will be compelling to city council and community members.

2) Assembling The Right Team

Getting an urban forest plan written and approved requires a core team of government staff and leaders. Making sure that plan is effective, inclusive, and has buy-in requires broad support from community, business, and nonprofit partners.

3) Identifying Funding

Possible funding sources for an urban forest plan include the general fund, grants, and community fundraising. The process begins with forming an cost estimate, then piecing together sources to meet the mark, a step that can be assisted by an outside consultant.

4) Starting the Process

With the who, why, and how (to fund) figured out, you are just about ready to start. Here are some final tips on timing, roles, and housekeeping to get going on the right foot.

To access the full document, fill out the form and download the guide, So You Think You’re Ready for a Management Plan.