Meet CaUFC’s Newest Board Member

Travis Evans is an ISA Certified Arborist, Utility Specialist, and a TCIA CTSP.  With over 20 years in the tree care industry spending time in the residential, commercial, and utility sectors, Travis is a Market Manager with The Davey Tree Expert Co., where he oversees operations in the Bay Area, focusing on sustainable business practices, maintaining client relationships, compliance, and managing a team of managers.

Now Available! Report on the Economic Contributions of Urban and Community Forestry to California

California ReLeaf partnered with a national team of researchers from North Carolina State University, Cal Poly, and Virginia Tech to conduct a research study on the economic contributions of Urban and Community Forestry (U&CF) to California in 2021. This study was funded through a grant from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE)’s Urban and Community Forestry Program.

See California ReLeaf’s resources to help your community celebrate Arbor Week this year.

This practical, applied program guides arborists through the process of strategically planning, specifying, and implementing an objective-based pruning approach. It will make you a better arborist by showing you how to incorporate industry standards and ISA BMPs with current research and practice. The PPQ is the culmination of the commitment of the Florida Chapter ISA Pruning Credential Committee who are passionate about making trees more compatible with urban and suburban environments.

This 3-day course and exam is open to interested parties who meet the prerequisites (see Tree Risk Assessment Qualification Application Guide) and is limited to 20 arborists (first-come/first-served). The qualification consists of a 2-day educational course followed by a 1/2 day assessment that includes both a written and field component. It is required that you attend the course and successfully complete the assessment in order to receive this qualification.

Tree Care for Birds is hosting a workshop on the Wildlife Best Management Practices. Arborists have a unique connection with nature and wildlife in the urban forest. This six-hour workshop will focus on the best practices to act responsibly around wildlife and to navigate wildlife laws in California. This workshop includes an outdoor portion where participants will assess habitat value and search for signs of nesting wildlife as well as appreciate common wildlife species and habitat in an urban forest. By the end of the day, participants should have all the skills they need to be a Wildlife Trained Arborist.

En California las aves son protegidas por varias leyes, pero es información poco compartida.  Por esta razón, Tree Care for Birds (TC4B), creó un manual para ayudar a navegar responsablemente las leyes que impactan el trabajo de los arbolistas. Tener el conocimiento de prácticas apropiadas puede ser un reto. Por ello las organizaciones TC4B y Arboleros (comités de Western Chapter ISA) están impartiendo un taller que propone mejores prácticas para el manejo de árboles que están alineadas con la protección de aves y animales silvestres. 

Tree Care for Birds is hosting a workshop on the Wildlife Best Management Practices. Arborists have a unique connection with nature and wildlife in the urban forest. This six-hour workshop will focus on the best practices to act responsibly around wildlife and to navigate wildlife laws in California. This workshop includes an outdoor portion where participants will assess habitat value and search for signs of nesting wildlife as well as appreciate common wildlife species and habitat in an urban forest. By the end of the day, participants should have all the skills they need to be a Wildlife Trained Arborist.

This 3-day course and exam is open to interested parties who meet the prerequisites (see Tree Risk Assessment Qualification Application Guide) and is limited to 20 arborists (first-come/first-served). The qualification consists of a 2-day educational course followed by a 1/2 day assessment that includes both a written and field component. It is required that you attend the course and successfully complete the assessment in order to receive this qualification

WESTERN CHAPTER INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF ARBORICULTURE 

WCISA 91st Annual Conference and Trade Show

April 22-25, 2025 - Tucson, AZ

Full schedule will be available early 2025.

Registration will open mid-January.

SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENTREPENEURS

Environmental Justice Thriving Communities  Region 9 Grantmaking Program

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced that its 11 Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmakers, which serve as pass-through entities nationwide, are now accepting applications.

 

The EPA’s passthrough Grantmaker for California (Region 9) is Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs (SEE). They are now accepting applications on a rolling basis for the EPA’s Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Program (EJ TCGM). 

 

Unprecedented funding for Urban and Community Forestry is making an impact on our community canopy throughout the United States. With the US Forest Service committed to funding $1.5 billion dollars in tree projects, communities are poised to plant and care for more trees than ever before. However, there continues to be a lack of continuing funding for arboriculture education at all levels. 

As canopy increases, trees will need care. To meet that need, education about trees at all levels needs to increase. With this in mind and over a century of institutional knowledge, The Davey Tree Expert Company began the process of endowing a fund to address this funding gap for years to come. Launched in 2024, The Davey Tree Expert Company Community Arboriculture Education Grant Program (The Davey Fund) is a permanently restricted endowment fund of Tree Research and Education Endowment (TREE) Fund created to support community-based arboricultural education in the United States. 

Applications are now open and will be accepted through March 15, 2025. To apply, applicants will need to create or log in to the online application portal.

SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY INITIATIVE

Urban Forest Improvement Grant Program

Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) recently announced a new funding opportunity called the Urban Forest Improvement Grant Program.  SFI’s Urban Forest Improvement Grant Program is designed to help organizations benchmark their urban or community forests against the SFI Urban and Community Forest Sustainability Standard. These grants support the assessment of current management practices, offering valuable insights into how sustainably these forests are managed, as well as a roadmap of opportunities for improvement.

The application process is open on a rolling basis until 11:59 PM Eastern Time on May 30, 2027, or until all funds are awarded.

Watsonville Wetlands Watch, based in Watsonville, is hiring a Conservation Director

 

Friends of the Urban Forest, based in San Francisco, is hiring a Green Teens Manager and a Community Engagement Manager

 

Our City Forest, based in San Jose, is hiring a

Major Gifts Officer and a Climate Corps Service Member (September 2025 – August 2026)

 

TreePeople, based in Los Angeles, is hiring:

CAL FIRE is hiring a Seed Bank Manager (Senior Environmental Scientist) based out of Davis, CA

The Great Basin Institute, in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service, is seeking Forestry Technicians in the Sierra Nevada region.  

Sustainable Urban Forest Coalition (SUFC) has drafted a transition memo (.pdf) for the Trump Administration transition team, highlighting the value and economic benefits provided by investments in urban and community forestry programs. Although the sign on period has closed, SUFC welcomes you to use the memo as an advocacy resource.

Our friends at American Forests drafted a messaging guidance doc to help our community communicate the importance of urban forestry during this freeze of federal funding. The purpose of this document is to provide awardees of federal funds and partner organizations messaging guidance to build awareness around the importance of urban trees for addressing extreme heat, flooding and air pollution, creating jobs and economic opportunities, and improving mental and physical health across the United States. Review the document below and utilize this resource to also tell your personal story on why this funding and this work is critical to the resilience of your community.  Review the UCF Messaging Guidance doc (docs.google.com)

The directive in section 7 of the Executive Order entitled Unleashing American Energy requires agencies to immediately pause disbursement of funds appropriated under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (Public Law 117-169) or the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-58).  This pause only applies to funds supporting programs, projects, or activities that may be implicated by the policy established in Section 2 of the order. This interpretation is consistent with section 7’s heading (“Terminating the Green New Deal”) and its reference to the “law and the policy outlined in section 2 of the order.”

Palm Springs is taking a bold step towards preserving its urban forest. The city's Sustainability Commission is considering a new tree protection ordinance that could significantly impact how we manage our green spaces.

Key points of the proposed tree ordinance:

This initiative aims to address climate challenges while recognizing trees as valuable city infrastructure. 

The commission will vote in February, with potential City Council consideration in March. It's encouraging to see local governments taking proactive steps to enhance urban ecosystems and combat climate change.

The Britton Fund Board of Directors has published a crucial guide to help homeowners and property managers properly care for fire-damaged trees, ensuring their restoration and preserving the essential environmental benefits they provide.

 

The guide, titled “Trees Damaged by Fire: What Not to Do and What to Do,” produced by The Britton Fund, Inc. offers expert advice on how to approach fire-damaged trees. Surviving trees play a key role in the recovery process, from improving air quality and reducing heat to preventing soil erosion. Understanding how to nurture these trees will help maintain their health and value long into the future.

Certified Urban and Community Forester Credential

Society of American Forester's partnership with the California Urban Forests Council sprouted the future of this credential for professionals across the map. Together we had a vision for professionals in the urban and community forestry space, and now we are making strides to offer this certification to the workforce. The "Certified Urban and Community Forester" credential promotes the holistic nature of urban and community forestry that's focused on resource conservation across the canopy intersected with the complex and dynamic infrastructure and stakeholder ecosystem. Learn More on the Society of American Foresters website and in this article, Certified Urban and Community Forester Credential Aims to Elevate the Profession and Grow SAF by Eric Wiseman, PhD.