National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council Seeks Input

The National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council (NUCFAC) has requested the help of ASLA members who have knowledge of the effects of catastrophic storms on urban forests. The Council will use this information to develop a set of recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture on a national strategy to mitigate the effects of these storms.
 
On June 6, 2007 NUCFAC hosted a public forum in Biloxi, Mississippi at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum and Convention Center. “We gathered more than 40 experts and ordinary citizens from around the country to share ideas, best practices and first-person accounts about flooding in New Jersey, Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf region, ice storms in the Midwest, high winds in Washington State, devastating wildfires in Georgia and California, and other storm events," said Joe Wilson, NUCFAC Council Chair. 

Although the public forum event has passed, NUCFAC is still seeking input, and has requested help from ASLA members and others who may have expert knowledge on this topic. There are two ways to provide information:

1. Email Neil.Letson@forestry.alabama.gov. Responses to the following questions would be helpful:
   
   1. What storm event did you experience related to the urban forest: ice storm, hurricane, tornado, other.  If other, what kind?
   2. What specific experience would you like to share related to catastrophic events and urban trees?
   3. What have you, your constituency or your community learned from a catastrophic disaster in terms of: planning, recovery, response, mitigation
   4. What would improve planning, response, and recovery in the future?
   5. What solutions, suggestions, or recommendations would you make to the Secretary of Agriculture?
2. Go to the NUCFAC website, http://www.treelink.org/nucfac/. Under the horizontal bar there is a moving message about the "Public Forum Biloxi Mississippi June 6, 2007 Mississippi Coliseum and Convention Center." Click on that link, which will take you a page with information about the meeting. Click on the box that reads "3 Ways to Attend", and follow instructions. NOTE: while the public meeting has passed, NUCFAC is continuing to accept input via this website. You may also submit photos for the online photo gallery here.

Deadline for comments is August 1, 2007.