Urban Experimental Forest Network:

Meeting the Challenges of the First Urban Century with Unique Capabilities of the U.S. Forest Service

Project Documents

Concept

More than 80% of the United States’ population lives in urban and urbanizing areas.  Cities are increasingly environmental leaders in addressing linkages between environmental health and community well-being.  Our ability to address many of the environmental and social challenges facing us this century will depend upon novel solutions and leadership from our cities.  Over the past century, U.S. Forest Service Experimental Forests have been critical to long-term understanding and stewardship of rural ecosystems.  Working with city partners, the Forest Service’s Experimental Forest approach can play a unique, leading role in promoting urban and regional natural resource stewardship.  Such a role would include:

• Adapting and applying the U.S. Forest Service Experimental Forest approach to urban and urbanizing landscapes;

• Developing and organizing Urban Experimental Forests into a Network that will promote and coordinate research, applications, and education;

• Focusing on long term changes and linkages between ecological structure and function, ecosystem services, and human perceptions, behaviors, and institutions;

• Partnering with National Science Foundation (NSF) programs — Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network and National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) — to leverage existing infrastructure and expertise.

Current Status

Activities to develop an urban experimental forest network (UEFN) include:

• Identification of candidate cities in Phase I, including Boston, New York City, Baltimore, and Chicago for NRS; Los Angeles for PSW, and San Juan for IITF. PSW has indicated they might nominate another city as well.

• Establishment of an RJVA between NRS and Boston College’s Urban Ecology Institute to convene a group to develop a template for the urban experimental forests (UEFs) and network.

• This group includes FS representatives from NRS, PSW, and IITF, from NSF, and state and local partners associated with Boston, New York City, Baltimore, and Chicago, including both governmental agencies and NGOs.

• Invitations have been extended and accepted.  The team totals ~20 persons.

• Development of a proposed schedule of meetings and conference calls between Sept. and Nov. 2007 and completion of the draft template by December 2007.

• Dissemination and discussion of the draft at the 2nd Annual Northeastern Urban Ecology Research Organizational Network (NEURON) Meeting in January 2008. 

• Revision of the template and materials to the Deputy Chief in February 2008. 

• Distribution of the draft as a Request for Proposal (RFP) to candidate cities in May 2008. 

• Response with submission of proposals by cities in Nov. 2008.  Peer-review of proposals in January 2009.  Award of funds in March 2009.  Peer-review of proposals would be conducted in partnership with NSF.  Proposals would be merit-based and not in competition among cities.

Prospects and Vision

Long term support for the urban experimental forest network will be needed.  As a point of comparison, LTER sites are funded at ~$825,000 / year.  NSF has expressed interest in supporting this initiative.   This collaboration will need to be developed further.

Phase II could develop through the pre-identification of cities by remaining Research Stations (PNW, RMRS, SRS).  While not excluding this alternative, additional cities could also be added through a competition for a specified number of new urban experimental forests.

Forest Service involvement in this initiative could provide broader awareness of and support for the diverse programs of the FS while providing immediate and direct benefits to the majority of the U.S. population. The UEFN provides research opportunities for all of FS R&D, not just those already interested in cities.  Indeed, not only does it providethese opportunities, success will require the input of expertise across a broad spectrum of FS R&D, ranging from researchers and practitioners in silviculture and wildlife, to hydrology and meteorology, to economics and recreation.

Ultimately, the goal of this initiative is to better link the long term prospects for environmental health and community well-being in our cities and regions through research, applications, and education. The idea of an urban experimental forest network has been met with keen interest and excitement from our partner cities.  In particular, our proposed UEF network would complement their own initiatives to develop and implement long term projects to improve the quality of life of their residents while making their cities more attractive, prosperous, and sustainable over the long term.