City Of Pittsburgh Strengthens Urban Forest With Master Plan

City Of Pittsburgh, PA

Davey Resource Group partnered with several Pittsburgh, PA entities to develop a plan that preserves and expands the city’s urban forest.

Project Narrative:

DRG developed Pittsburgh’s State of the Urban Forest and Urban Forest Master Plan in collaboration with Tree Pittsburgh (an urban forestry nonprofit organization), the City of Pittsburgh, and other partners. DRG continues to be an engaged partner in preserving and expanding the city’s urban forest.

To serve as the foundation for the master plan, DRG developed the “2012 State of the Urban Forest.” We used Pittsburgh’s existing street tree inventory, collected data for 200 i-Tree eco plots, and conducted a complete street trees inventory using i-Tree Eco protocols.

Meeting Urban Forest Goals

The resulting report helped calculate the benefits of existing street trees, and compared those benefits with the cost of maintenance. Additionally, spatial analysis and mapping of the urban forest illustrated areas where urban tree canopy was deficient and/or in need of protection.

“DRG has consistently been an engaged and trusted resource in helping us achieve our urban forestry goals to this day.”

-Danielle Crumrine, Executive Director; Tree Pittsburgh

DRG and project partners then established goals and recommendations based on the five keystones of urban forest management—connect, engage, manage, plan, and protect. These recommendations formed the basis of the master plan, which outlines the next 20 years of work that will ensure that Pittsburgh’s urban forest is a vital and well-managed asset.

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