Our vision is that California’s communities are cleaner, healthier
and more prosperous through collaborative action and investments in
urban forests and urban greening.
Who we are:
We are a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting urban forestry to improve communities. We achieve this through programs to improve air quality, conserve and protect water, improve quality of life and contribute beauty to California. These initiatives include:
· advocacy and support for public policy and government action that supports holistic ecosystems and encourages the development of policies and practices to sustain such systems;
· creation of educational materials that offer research, professional expertise and contemporary knowledge to empower California residents to participate actively in urban forestation;
· development and support for successful local, regional and state-wide urban forestry programs, projects and organizations.
We coordinate educational workshops, host an annual conference, run a certified urban forestry program, support seven regional councils, and manage the United Voices for Healthier Communities programs.
Our governance structure:
CaUFC is governed by a Board of Directors. The Board directs the organization and supports fundraising efforts to sustain our work. In October 2010 we changed our governance structure to include a Policy Council: a broad coalition of public, private and non-profit organizations relevant to urban greening that develop our ongoing vision and annual strategic priorities. Regional councils contribute to CaUFC governance through the Policy Council.
Expected Outcomes and Measures of Success:
With the input of our diverse Policy Council we strive to achieve the following outcomes:
- Grow public awareness and support for urban forestry and urban greening.
- Grow federal, state and local investment in urban forestry and urban greening.
- Change policy at the federal, state and local level that positively affect the health of urban forests and advance our vision.
- Improve the health and sustainability of urban forests in California.
- Grow the Policy Council and the regional councils.
Strategic priorities for 2013:
- Education/Outreach: Invest From the Ground Up Phase 2; Leadership Training
- Policy Council - New name, structure, membership composition, growth, goals and potential metrics, financial contributions towards advocacy
- Industry Issues - Wage classification; Tree care and maintenance; Unlicensed contractors; Green solutions in landscape architecture community
- Advocacy Policy & Funding - National: Farm Bill, Appropriations, Research/Value of Trees. State: Urban Forest CAR Protocols, CEQU Protocols, Cap and trade revenue allocation, 2014 Water bond, Clean Energy & Jobs Act Implementation. Regional: Urban Forest Management Plans, Sustainable Communities Strategies (SB 375), General Plan Updates.
We look forward to growing healthy California communities!
