Arboriculture & Urban Forestry 38(6): November 2012 organizations keen to be involved in community-based environ- mental projects, promoting a green and public-spirited image. The majority of LAs, 72%, did not have a structured frame- work, such as a district-wide tree forum or committee, dedicat- ed to helping plan and co-ordinate the activities of the various groups that had an interest in how the trees in their district were being managed. Although 18% of LAs indicated that a group had been established, the results suggest that in many cases there was scope to extend the type and number of groups represented. Involving the community in managing the trees in a LA’s district is essential in securing public support for the LA’s tree program and influencing the way privately owned trees are man- aged. A balanced approached should be based on three key ele- ments: education, consultation, and practical participation (Britt and Johnston 2008). An aspect of community involvement where the LAs were performing particularly well was the advance noti- fication to residents of major tree management activities, which by their nature can often be contentious and highly emotive. An- other encouraging feature of the results was the extent that LAs routinely consult with the community, using formal consulta- tion frameworks, when new tree management policies and plans were being prepared. LAs were also involved in a wide range of community-based tree-related events and activities, such as tree planting schemes, distributing free or subsidized trees, and providing technical advice to residents. Although these types of activities are undoubtedly useful, other forms of involvement seem to be used only sparingly, such as school-related activi- ties and public festivals. Although these results were encourag- ing, concerns raised in the SWOT analysis indicated that more needs to be done. LA officers highlighted a lack of political and public support as being a significant threat to the develop- ment and maintenance of an extensive and vibrant urban forest. An area that can be particularly influential in shaping pub- lic opinion, perception, and attitude is the coverage given to tree-related matters by the local media. Clearly, the potential for negative coverage to undermine public support for the LA’s tree program makes it important for LAs, as much as pos- sible, to be proactive in presenting positive news about tree related events and activities to the media. Although it is en- couraging that 64% of LAs stated that they either received fre- quent (on average once a fortnight) or moderate (on average once every two months) media coverage, there is considerable scope for LAs to improve their performance in this area with only 28% stating their media coverage was usually positive. RECOMMENDATIONS Local authorities face a number of challenges when trying to de- velop a planned, systematic and integrated approach to managing the trees in their district. These challenges can be categorized into four closely related areas (Britt and Johnston 2008; Schwab 2009): • Creating stable and adequate funding • Developing a vision that encapsulates the multitude of en- vironmental, economic and social benefits that trees can provide • Communicating the vision to the community and elected officials • Developing a range of objectives, strategies, plans, and regulatory tools to deliver the vision 251 Developing a National Framework The considerable variation identified in the LAs’ performance in many aspects of tree management highlights the need to promote and develop a more consistent approach to LA tree manage- ment in New Zealand. Although LAs are ultimately responsible for identifying their tree management objectives and develop- ing strategies and management plans to achieve them, consider- ation should be given to developing a national strategy and set of performance standards to support the development of LA tree management across New Zealand. Studies in the UK have shown the development of performance benchmarks in key aspects of tree management to be very useful in helping raise the standards of performance (Johnston and Ruston 1999; Britt and Johnston 2008). The establishment of a centrally-funded National Urban Forestry Unit made a significant contribution to the development of LA tree management in the UK by providing a comprehensive advisory service and publishing a wealth of practical information (Johnston 2000). Since this unit played a key role in promoting improved standards of LA tree management in the UK, a similar unit has the potential to be equally successful in New Zealand. Specialist Tree Management Skills The availability of specialist skills is fundamental to the contin- ued development of LA tree management in New Zealand. It is essential that other associated and allied professions involved in the planning and management of urban areas and green space rec- ognize that managing the trees in a LA’s district requires special- ist expertise. Although the practical aspects of tree management are quite rightly a key component of the arboriculture courses available in New Zealand, it is important that the specialist skills associated with developing a planned, systematic, and integrated approach to LA tree management are not neglected in the design and delivery of relevant courses/programs. LAs can help this pro- cess by prioritizing the need for specialist tree management skills throughout the recruitment and continuing professional develop- ment process. A range of specialist programs up to honors degree level is now available online and provides an excellent opportu- nity for LAs to support the continuing professional development of officers involved in a tree management role. It is recognized that in many of the smaller rural LAs, employing a specialist tree officer may not be a practical option. In these cases con- sideration should be given to establishing a ‘shared post’ jointly funded with other LAs in the region or contracting services from a larger, adjacent LA. In some regions with only a few major settlements, for example Northland, the establishment of a re- gional tree officer may prove to be the most cost-effective option. Canopy Goals Measuring the percentage of a district covered by trees is an es- sential prerequisite for setting strategic objectives, developing a comprehensive tree strategy, and monitoring changes in the ex- tent and distribution of the urban forest. This information can, typically, be obtained from relatively inexpensive methods like aerial photography and may already be available within LAs or from other government agencies. LAs should work toward mea- suring levels of canopy cover and establishing specific canopy goals. It is important that canopy goals are set in consultation with the community and reflect the district’s unique combination of geographical, climatic, social, and economic factors. Schwab ©2012 International Society of Arboriculture
November 2012
| Title Name |
Pages |
Delete |
Url |
| Empty |
Ai generated response may be inaccurate.
Search Text Block
Page #page_num
#doc_title
Hi $receivername|$receiveremail,
$sendername|$senderemail wrote these comments for you:
$message
$sendername|$senderemail would like for you to view the following digital edition.
Please click on the page below to be directed to the digital edition:
$thumbnail$pagenum
$link$pagenum
Your form submission was a success.
Downloading PDF
Generating your PDF, please wait...
This process might take longer please wait
