Urban and Community Forestry Program

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

• Managing a cost-share federal grant program available to municipalities, local governments, non-profits, schools, and educational groups.

Technical and Educational Assistance

• Community forest inventories, management plans, and tree ordinances
• Grant project development and implementation
• Achieving Tree City USA, Tree Campus USA, and Tree Line USA designations
• Workshops for green industry professionals and Tree Wardens
• RI Arborist licensing

Partnerships and Community Support

• Collaborating with the RI Tree Council to offer resources on tree planting and maintenance, species selection, and the essential benefits trees provide.
• Working with the University of RI to provide opportunities for community design assistance to RI communities and non-profits

Forest Fast Break: Urban Forests