Management of Urban Forests in the United States

Many definitions of urban forestry have been proposed and written, but the one I like best was developed by the Society of American Foresters’ Urban Forestry Working Group: “Urban forestry is a specialized branch of forestry that has as its objective the cultivation and management of trees for their present and potential contribution to the physiological, sociological, and economic well-being of urban society.” Education of the public about tree values is implied. It broadly includes other aspects such as municipal watersheds, wildlife habitats, recreation, landscape design, recycling, and even wood fiber. Quality of life is the sum of all things that make life enjoyable, comfortable, and meaningful, including physical, mental, economic, psychological, aesthetic, and recreational benefits. It is much easier just to assume quality than to enumerate the many aspects of quality and how urban forestry contributes to them.