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Assess historical context
A review of the history of the urban forest is an important part of the plan. History can help explain the current status of the urban forest, how the urban forest is managed, and community values about trees.
The urban forest manager or other personnel know the events and practices that have influenced the urban forest during their tenure. When these key people leave, this valuable information can easily be lost. Capturing this information in the plan preserves this institutional knowledge.
Brief references to the history of the urban forest may be included in the Introduction to the plan. Frequently the justification for the plan will draw on events that happened in the past. If an extensive description of the historical context is needed for your plan, it should be placed in the Status of the urban forest section. A review of the history of the urban forest can explain how it arrived at its current composition and condition. In general, management plan goals will involve changing or maintaining various components of the urban forest. Past experience can provide useful insight into how such goals may be achieved.
In locations where native trees are a significant component of the urban forest, it may be helpful to include what is known about the native forest. Changes in the native forest as the site became developed may be discussed. Even in locations where the native vegetation has been eliminated it may be useful to understand what previously occupied the site.
Example
This example is taken from the Introduction of an eight page management plan for street trees.
This Strategic Plan is provided as a tool to be used for garnering public support, cooperation and funding in the reforestation of Atwater. The devastation of the 1998 Ice Storm has presented a serious challenge to the fiscal and physical resources of the community, but the development of this planning document will provide the opportunity for full recovery in a reasonable and realistic time frame.
The entire introduction to the Urban Forest Management Plan for the City of Walla Walla, WA, is titled "A History of Walla Walla’s Trees". The beginning of this section is quoted here:
The stately old trees lining the streets of Walla Walla shade the equally old and stately homes, which today we take for granted and, at times, carelessly dispose of, are here because of foresight, hard work and financial sacrifice by early Walla Walla residents. Pioneer Park, once a pasture for cows, was considered a wasteland at one time. However, farsighted citizens saw it as an ideal park site and in 1902 the tract was set aside for a park. A Park and Civic Arts Club formed to raise necessary funds for parks and trees to beautify the city streets. With only 17 members at the start, it soon grew to 500 members. In November 1908 “Pioneer Park” was named and opened to the public and in 1909 the bandstand was built and the slender saplings which are now the huge London Plane Trees (Sycamores) surrounding it were planted. After that, for several years, hundreds of trees came from the Blue Mountains, from Seattle, and even from the U.S. Botanical Gardens in Washington D.C. Most of today’s large trees were planted during the first decade of that century and thanks to those who had such foresight; Walla Walla became known throughout this arid region as a city of trees.
As early as 1973 Walla Walla citizens were involved in actions intended to beautify our city streets. A City Beautification Committee introduced an ordinance and regulations to accomplish this task. These regulations dealt primarily with parking strips along the streets. However, by the mid- to late 1970s,...
In other plans, the history of the urban forest is discussed primarily in the description of the current state of the urban forest. In this example from the City of Portland, OR, the native vegetation of the city is discussed:
Native Vegetation. At the time of European settlement, heavy forests covered most of the region. Stands of Douglas fir, western hemlock, and western red cedar dominated the landscape. Deciduous bigleaf maple and red alder were intermixed. Wetlands and flood plains along the river supported Oregon ash, willows, and black cottonwood. Oregon white oak and Pacific madrone grew in drier uplands. Understory upland vegetation included vine maple, western hazel, oceanspray, snowberry, thimbleberry, Oregon grape, salal, red huckleberry, ferns and forbs. Wetland species included elderberry, Douglas spirea, dogwood, sedges and rushes.
As early settlers cleared the forest to build the city, the result was acres of stumps — and Portland’s nickname of “Stump Town.” Although most native trees and vegetation were removed, some native conifers still stand in small groups and as single specimens in parks and lawns. Native vegetation is being restored in many areas.
The City of Davis Community Forest Management Plan contains an extensive history section.
CHAPTER II.
Context: Existing Conditions
This chapter establishes the context for the Community Forest Management Plan, with a look at the history of tree management in Davis; followed by an overview of existing City laws, policies and standards, departments and organizations dedicated to the stewardship of trees, and a review of current staffing, program resources and levels of service; and concluding with a summary of the state of the community forest.
A. An Illustrated History of Tree Management in Davis....
Planning questions
- How has site history affected the development and condition of the current urban forest?
- Is conservation of existing native trees a factor to consider in the plan?
- Based on how the urban forest has developed over time (e.g., over use of certain species), what future mananagment issues can be anticipated?
Work plan
| Fill in the form below to record how you plan to incorporate the history of the urban forest into the management plan: | ||
| Collected/written up by | Target completion date | |
| Brief summary for introduction | ||
| Tree resource | ||
| Management framework | ||
| Community values | ||
| Other-specify | ||
Outline
Add historical content to the outline in following areas:
Introduction
Trees, management, or community
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