Getting started>Initial questions>When?
When?
Two different questions are included under the "When?" heading.
The first is related to the scope of the plan. What is the time frame that the plan will cover? Because trees are relatively long lived and tree growth can be relatively slow, overall planning horizons of at least 20 to 50 years are reasonable with respect to the overall plan goals. More detailed operational plans may have much shorter planning horizons (typically 5 to 10 years). It is important to consider these shorter plans within the context of broader, longer-term strategic goals and objectives.
Plans are normally reviewed and updated on a much shorter time frame than their nominal planning horizon. You should not expect that a 50 year plan will remain in place and static for the next half century.
The second "when" question relates to the development of the plan itself: when will the plan be completed and ready for implementation? Especially for city and county plans, the timetable for plan development may need to be spread out. This allows time for data collection and input from staff members that have other competing priorities. Scheduling of meetings and hearings may also have long lead times that need to be considered in developing the timeline.
Work plan
| Example worksheet for the timeframe for developing the plan - add lines to this template as needed to include additional tasks or subtasks. | ||
| Tasks | Target start date | Target completion date |
| Authorization and scoping | ||
| Initial meeting(s) to gather input and assign responsibilities | ||
| Establish data collection parameters and protocols | ||
| Data collection | ||
| Data analysis and synthesis | ||
| Data presentation / initial goal setting meeting(s) | ||
| Goals and objectives - development / approval | ||
| Research / select actions and tools | ||
| Establish monitoring protocols | ||
| Compile draft plan | ||
| In-house review of draft plan | ||
| Public presentation of draft plan | ||
| Edit draft, compile/format final draft | ||
| Develop implementation plan | ||
| Final plan approval | ||
| Begin implementation / monitoring | ||
Outline
What planning horizons will be addressed in the UFMP itself?
| What is the duration of the plan (year start - year end). Note that this is not necessarily the length of time to the next review and update of the plan. |
| Indicate the target planning horizon(s) for the plan in years. If different short-term and long-term intervals apply to different plan components, this can be noted. |