Urban Forest Strike Team - VA Training

The U&CF State Coordinators from Virginia and North Carolina partnered with the U.S. Forest Service to develop a quick-response team of professional arborists to assess urban trees for hazards after a natural disaster. Twenty state foresters from around the Southeast were trained in 2007 in Kinston, NC and another 30 arborists were trained in the rapid assessment methodology in 2008 in New Kent, VA.

Following a natural disaster, communities are overwhelmed with trying to restore services to its citizens.  If a city has a professional arborist on staff, usually, he or she does not have the necessary personnel to adequately and quickly assess the city's trees for hazards and debris.  Many times, trees are removed unnecessarily or pruned inadequately.  The Urban Forest Strike Team are specially trained professional arborists that can be dispatched to affected communities to quickly and professionally assess urban trees for hazards and debris.  The reports generated by the team can be used as an interim management plan for the city to regain and/or enhance its urban forest.  The reports can also be used to help negotiate financial assistance through the FEMA Public Assistance Program if the area is declared a federal disaster area.

Attachments and Links

Click here to view photos from the training workshop