American Forests

Ending the week feeling energized by all the great conversations and in-person meetings at this year’s Partners in Community Forestry Conference in Chicago. From meeting my team in person for the first time and watching them shine, to leading the conference’s first-ever student/emerging professionals session, the energy of my colleagues at American Forests and hundreds of other professionals advancing #TreeEquity gives me hope and confidence that together as partners, we will tackle the challenges that lie ahead. Tia Washington, MPA, MNM Hannah Gregory Joshua Simon Jerome Foster II

It wood have been have been worth the trip to #COP29 just to join USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and DOI Deputy Secretary Laura Daniel-Davis for this great panel assessing the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act on climate-smart forestry & agriculture. The key message was this: America is showing the 🌎 the most holistic approach ever seen to engaging all lands, all hands, all practices in nature-based solutions across natural landscapes and cities alike. In #Forests4Climate we are doing this with a comprehensive approach that includes stepping up forest practices that increase carbon sequestration alongside others that reduce carbon losses by improving forest health and reducing risk of wildfire. We are doing this more expansively than ever before thanks to policies from the IRA like the USDA Forest Service Forest Landowner Support Program that provides nimble incentives to help private landowners and Indigenous actors to undertake climate-smart forestry practices. This was leveraged in the IRA with Wood Innovation Grant funding to help identify new products that can be generated from this needed forest management. We can’t and won’t turn back because these and the many other IRA investments in forests are showing what is possible in terms of climate gains and massive co-benefits—including lots and lots of jobs—that come from this. Special thanks on this occasion to Secretary Vilsack for a legendary run leading USDA, one that has made this federal department and the whole U.S. Government a world leader in climate-smart forestry and agriculture. The White House U.S. Department of the Interior Sean Babington American Forests Marilyn Hershey COP29 Azerbaijan

Old-growth forests are essential for biodiversity, climate resilience, and cultural heritage. We support the USDA Forest Service's proposal to enhance protections for these ecosystems, incorporating Indigenous knowledge and aligning with wildfire resilience strategies. At American Forests, we're committed to adaptive stewardship to keep our forests strong. Learn more in American Forests Magazine: https://lnkd.in/emXBxztN 

Last Month, Greater NY-based Nestlé Nespresso SA employees visited the Greenbelt Native Plant Center (GNPC) on Staten Island to learn about and participate in the work Nespresso supports through American Forests. Volunteers toured the facility, met an intern whose role is funded by Nespresso's support, learned how to clean seeds in preparation for propagation, and repotted over 100 trees for future plantings.  GNPC, part of NYC Parks, is a 13-acre greenhouse, nursery and seed bank complex that focuses on the cultivation and preservation of native plant species specifically adapted to the local ecosystems of New York City. The center supports habitat restoration projects across the city by providing native plants that are essential for maintaining biodiversity, restoring natural habitats and supporting healthy ecosystems.   The work at GNPC is representative of the power of partnerships in revitalizing urban forests – thank you to Nespresso, NYC Department of Parks & Recreation, and Natural Areas Conservancy for supporting CUNY conservation science students cultivate their careers as well as healthy trees.  

The impacts of wildfire & climate on forests, seed collection & seedling production, nurseries, forest genetics, assisted migration, reforestation, cross-boundary public-private-NGO partnerships... Rarely do any of these issues make national news. So, we're thrilled to have all of them covered in this new story on CBS' Eye on America! All across the Western U.S. American Forests' Resilient Forests team is mobilizing these kinds of partnerships from the ground on up with the support of the REPLANT Act, and the knowledge, vision, resources, and passion of dedicated people coming together to work across boundaries to heal communities and lands. Check out the CBS story: https://lnkd.in/d9NRPTeJ Learn more about the people and the strategy behind this project: https://lnkd.in/gTEfPxkr Gwyneth Myer, Brian Morris, PhD, Austin Rose, Jad Daley, Galen Smith, Travis Erickson

Can you believe it? It has been a tremendous week in #Chicago at the Partners in Community Forestry 2024 conference. Thank you to Dan Lambe with Arbor Day Foundation for the challenge to Believe. To find hope, nurture optimism, and foster passion in these unprecedented and uncertain times. But how? How do we push through uncertainty? By not just beleiving, but rooting those beliefs in facts so that we can confidently take action. Here are some of the many unbelievable facts from this week: 0. The number of seats left in the opening session, and in many of the plenary sessions. It is unbelievable, and quite possibly one of the greatest signs of success for our field, that we still need a bigger room. So many new faces this year! If you are one of those people - welcome! You are going to do amazing work to carry our field to even greater heights. 842. The number of proposals that the USDA Forest Service received last year for planting, managing, and caring for trees in disadvantaged communities in every state across the country. Although not all were awarded, these cities, plus hundreds of others working through their state Urban & Community Forestry programs, demonstrate an unbelievable desire to build more equitable and just urban forestry programs. We must continue to protect and inspire long-term, sustainable #Funding through collective impact and #advocacy (including new tools from Arbor Day Foundation, PlanIT Geo™, and others to share progress). 26. Low-income communities on average have 26% less canopy cover and are 6F degrees hotter, and regardless of income, communities of color have 38% less tree canopy and are up to 13F degrees warmer. These inequities are unbelievable, but there is hope. It is humbling to hear all of the ways that cities across the country are committing to and advancing #TreeEquity. From mapping Tree Equity and taking action in Tucson, AZ with support from Mayor Regina Romero to the Urban Forestry Equity Collective’s research in Los Angeles led by City Plants to our host city of Chicago’s staff and mayoral leadership intergrating Tree Equity into city-wide sustainability and public health initiatives, cities and #Mayors area leading the movement. It is for these unbelievable facts that I beleive. I believe not just in the future of urban forestry, but in the urban forestry of the future. Where collectively, as a field, we address Tree Equity head-on by working with disadvantaged communities to close the canopy gap, while changing the systems and structures that led to the canopy gap in the first place. We are here to help. I’d be honored to introduce you to any of my colleagues here at American Forests to assist you on your journey. The future is now. Together, let’s achieve the unbelievable. Jad Daley Benita Hussain Ian Leahy Vikram Krishnamurthy Lida Aljabar, AICP Alana Tucker, AICP Chris David Joel O. Pannell

This is huge! I can't begin to say how incredible it was to see CBS Evening News highlight the resilient reforestation work American Forests is leading with the USDA Forest Service and partners. South Central Oregon is made up of small rural communities that have seen severe wildfires multiple years in a row. Here, wildfire has impacted public health, economies, wildlife and recreation. Working closely with a mix of federal, state, Tribal and private landowners, we're implementing a restoration plan that is focused on creating future forests with greater resilience to fire and climate change impacts. It's a collaborative endeavor that's serving as a national model for how to approach restoration across the American West! Check out the CBS story: https://lnkd.in/d9NRPTeJ Learn more about the people and thought behind this incredible project: https://lnkd.in/gTEfPxkr Many thanks to The Abbi Agency Benjamin Engel, CPPR for helping draw national attention to this critical story!

We’ve had an awesome time at this year's Partners in Community Forestry Conference hosted by Arbor Day Foundation! The conference brought together passionate people, communities and leaders to exchange ideas, discover new strategies and shape the future of urban forestry. We are inspired to see our friends and partners working toward #TreeEquity in cities across the country. Until next time! #PCF2024 Benita Hussain | Alana Tucker, AICP | Lida Aljabar, AICP | Vikram Krishnamurthy | Tanner Haid | Ian Leahy | Joel O. Pannell | Jerome Foster II | Chris David | Alexis Gomez | Tia Washington, MPA, MNM | Becky Schwartz | Alaina Belton | Joshua Simon | Danielle Watson | Hannah Gregory

🌲 Exciting news! Yesterday, CBS aired a special segment on American Forests' restoration work in South Central Oregon.   This region has been hit hard by large, severe wildfires in recent years. Through a novel restoration plan, we’re collaborating with USDA Forest Service, Collins Pine Co, and a mix of partners to restore forests with greater resilience to fire and climate change impacts.   South Central Oregon’s Fremont-Winema National Forest is one of the many national forests across the U.S. that American Forests and the Forest Service are working to restore through the REPLANT Act.   Check out the inspiring story featuring our very own Brian Kittler who highlights the critical importance of climate-resilient reforestation: https://lnkd.in/d9NRPTeJ 

Excited to share how J.M. Kaplan Fund and American Forests are working together to advance nature-based solutions to climate change! This impactful foundation supports grassroots and large-scale initiatives alike, ensuring natural climate solutions grow for future resilience. Read about their inspiring partnership in American Forests Magazine: https://lnkd.in/eqRbhBtf