Official State of Rhode Island website

State of Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management
A sidewalk lined city street with trees providing shade along the roadway

Urban and Community Forestry Program

Urban and community forests are the trees, plants, and natural ecosystems found where people live, work, and travel—from rural roadways and neighborhoods to small towns and major cities.

About Urban Forestry

While the goals of traditional forest management and urban forestry may be similar: to grow, harvest, and replant trees that are suitable for their location, the outcomes from that management are very different. 

  • Traditional forestry focuses on producing materials such as timber, wood products, and paper from forest-grown trees.
  • Urban forestry focuses on cultivating long-lived, structurally sound trees that enhance the places where people and infrastructure coexist. These trees provide shade, clean air and water, reduce stormwater runoff, enhance wildlife habitat, and support many other community benefits.

How DEM Supports Urban and Community Forestry

The Urban and Community Forestry Program helps communities grow and maintain healthy, resilient trees and green spaces through:

  • Grant Funding and Administration
  • Technical and Educational Assistance
  • Partnerships and Community Support

Learn more about what we do below.

 

Find out who is involved in urban forestry and related resiliency efforts in the communities of Rhode Island and what they are doing.

Urban and Community Forestry Program

Lou Allard, Program Coordinator
235 Promenade Street, Suite 394
Providence, RI 02908-5767
Email: robert.e.allard@dem.ri.gov
Phone: (401) 537-4067

A newly planted tree with mulch surrounding it within a sidewalk area on a busy urban street

U&C Forestry Grants

Tree Equity RI Grants

Community Design Assistance

A tree covered city area with a sign that says "Tree City USA, 10 Years, Arbor Day Foundation"

Tree City USA

A professional arborist with a chainsaw on a tree

RI Arborist Info & Licenses

Two State employees wearing high-viz vests walk a urban street to survey tree coverage

Forest Management for Communities

A tree-lined neighborhood street lined that has cut branches on the edges of the road near a forestry truck and wood chipper

Tree Care & Maintenance

Storm damage showing a fallen tree covering a roadway

Trees & Storms

Parking lot with planted trees incorporated into the design

Trees as Green Infrastructure

City park footpath with trees and dappled shadow of morning sunlight in Providence Rhode Island

Trees for Climate & Health

Forest Fast Break: Urban Forests

Forest Fast Break: Urban Forest Benefits