Women in the Woods
Forestry has traditionally been a male-dominated field, but women are playing an increasingly important role in growing and sustaining forests. This year, a new program in Idaho seeks to inspire and equip women to take on more active roles in forest management.
In 2023, the Idaho Department of Lands and the University of Idaho Extension premiered a two-part, women-centric forestry educational series. The first class, “Connecting Women in Forestry,” was held in Post Falls in March of 2023. The goal of this course was to connect women forest landowners with helpful resources in an atmosphere where they are comfortable participating fully. The morning featured professional women foresters presenting on free forest management plans, cost share assistance, fire safety, buying seedlings, and more. In the afternoon, women forest landowners themselves took the floor, speaking about their experiences and helpful things they have learned along the way.
 The second part of the program, “Women in the Woods,” was held at Pine Street Woods in Sandpoint in May of 2023. This was a hands-on, outdoor class aimed at developing forestry field skills. Attendees were divided into small groups and rotated through different field stations, each taught by a professional woman forester. Topics included measuring trees and stands, thinning and pruning, planting seedlings, forest health, and more. The field day was also supported by the Kaniksu Land Trust and the Weyerhaeuser Family Foundation.
 Both classes were well attended and received positive feedback. On the field day, one participant wrote, “No walls, no ceiling, and no limit to accessible information: tools and their uses; identification of trees, and their requirements; beetles and their galleries! Stations arranged like a moveable feast along a forest trail.” Another attendee said that it was the first time she had felt comfortable asking questions and participating. Many wrote in that they appreciated the all-women format and the opportunity to network with other women.
The Idaho Department of Lands and the University of Idaho Extension plan to continue this program in 2024, although no dates have been announced yet. If you are interested in joining a mailing list to be alerted when new classes are scheduled, please contact Erika Eidson, Forest Health Specialist at the Idaho Department of Lands, eeidson@idl.idaho.gov.
Long Range Planning in Urban & Community Forestry
Urban and Community Forestry programs are instrumental in managing and enhancing the green spaces within cities. These programs play a crucial role in mitigating climate change, improving air quality, and fostering a sense of well-being among urban residents. While short-term goals and immediate actions are important, the success and sustainability of Urban and Community Forestry programs heavily rely on the implementation of long-range plans. In this article, we will explore the significance of having long-range plans in place to guide Urban and Community Forestry initiatives.
 Access to tools like the canopy planner that is part of IDL's TreePlotter subscription made available to communities for developing community tree inventories as a first step in managing their urban forest is great way for cities to strengthen their urban forest planning.
Five things to consider when developing plans for an urban and community forestry program.
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Strategic Vision: Long-range plans offer a strategic vision for Urban and Community Forestry programs. They help define the overarching goals and objectives, ensuring that all efforts are aligned towards a common purpose. These plans establish a clear roadmap for the future, allowing stakeholders to work together, invest resources wisely, and make informed decisions that support the long-term health and resilience of urban forests.
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Sustainable Resource Management: Urban and Community Forestry involves effectively managing and preserving the existing trees within the city, as well as planting new ones. Long-range plans enable municipalities and organizations to develop sustainable resource management strategies. These plans consider factors such as tree species diversity, proper maintenance practices, and the identification of suitable locations for future plantings. By ensuring judicious resource allocation, long-range plans contribute to the longevity and vitality of urban forests.
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Community Engagement: Engaging the community is fundamental to the success of Urban and Community Forestry programs. Long-range plans provide a platform for public participation and engagement. They allow residents to voice their opinions and contribute to decision-making processes pertaining to urban forestry initiatives. By involving the community, plans can reflect the values, aspirations, and priorities of the residents, fostering a sense of ownership and pride in the urban forest.
 Developing a Tree Steward Volunteer program is an excellent way to engage the public, increase awarenes, and build interest in a local urban/community forestry program
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Collaboration and Partnerships: Long-range plans facilitate collaboration among various stakeholders, including municipal authorities, nonprofits, businesses, and community organizations. This collaboration fosters partnerships that promote shared responsibility and collective action for urban forestry. By working together, these entities can leverage resources, expertise, and networks to implement more comprehensive and impactful strategies that align with the long-term goals outlined in the plan.
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Adaptive Management: It is essential for Urban and Community Forestry programs to adapt and respond to changing circumstances and challenges. Long-range plans provide a framework for adaptive management. They allow for monitoring, evaluation, and adjustments to be made based on evolving environmental conditions, technological advancements, and emerging concerns. Regularly reviewing and updating the plan ensures the program remains relevant and resilient in the face of new developments.
Conclusion: In conclusion, long-range plans are indispensable for the success and effectiveness of Urban and Community Forestry programs. These plans provide a strategic vision, promote sustainable resource management, engage the community, foster collaboration and partnerships, and enable adaptive management. By implementing long-range plans, cities can establish a strong foundation for the future of their urban forests, ensuring enduring benefits for both current and future generations of residents.
Gerry Bates
South Idaho Community Forestry Assistant
Idaho Department of Lands
Idaho EAB Update
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Version 1.0 of the Idaho EAB Preparedness Template is finally available for download and can be found on the the IDL UCF Homepage.
Keep in mind that this is the first version of this plan, IDL UCF hopes to hold a symposium in the future and invite all stakeholders to contribute to the further development of the template.
Be aware that the current format is a wide open Microsoft word document, so it is fully editable. Initially we wanted parts of the document to be locked but that presented difficulties with the design.
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IDL's Forest Health program had wallet sized, easy reference cards made to hand out to arborists, urban foresters, pesticide applicators, landscape professionals, and the general public. The cards will help raise awareness of the pest and educate people about how to identify, what to look for, and what to do if you suspect EAB may be affecting your trees. The card can be kept in wallets, or in fleet vehicles where they can be easily accessed.
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Side one of the EAB card shows how to identify an ash leaf, a visual of the serpentine galleries that are made by feeding larvae, and an actual size example of the "D" shaped hole created by EAB when it exits a tree. It also shows the actual size of the adult beetle and larvae. |
Side two shows the symptoms to look for in an EAB infested ash tree. It also has contact information and a QR code that can be used to open up the IDL EAB reporting site. |
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To request some of these cards for yourself or your company please reach out to: mperkins@idl.idaho.gov or foresthealth@idl.idaho.gov
Tree Campus Healthcare in Idaho
By now, I hope we all know to some degree, that tree canopy is a critical component of community health infrastructure. Let’s face it, urban tree cover is shrinking, and its health benefits are not often fully recognized or appreciated by the general public or the people in our communities who are involved in the planning and development of city infrastructure.
The Arbor Day Foundation Tree Campus Healthcare program (part of the Tree City USA program) recognizes health institutions that make a mission-aligned impact on community wellness through tree education, investment, and community engagement.
The program aims to connect inpatient healthcare facilities of all sizes with local community forestry programs with the goal of improving human health outcomes, as well as the extent and condition of the community forest.
The Tree Campus Healthcare program’s vision is that healthcare providers, their patients, employees, and neighbors all enjoy the benefits of a healthier lifestyle and engages them in activities with the trees in our urban forests.
A healthcare facility must fulfill five standards to achieve recognition as a Tree Campus Healthcare Facility.
Standard 1: Advisory Committee
Establish an Advisory Committee with at least three members, from among the following groups: healthcare providers, facility or grounds managers, administrators, patient advocates, residents, and community forestry advocates or officials.
Standard 2: Facility Tree Care Plan
Adopt tree care policies that govern management practices, both for staff and contractors. For facilities with little or no space for trees on their own property due to site restrictions, facilities may adopt the street, boulevard, or park trees near or adjacent to the campus.
Standard 3: Community Forestry Project
Lead one or more community forestry projects during the year, including tree planting, tree maintenance, tree inventory, tree monitoring, or other practices in the community. Activities may occur on private or public property and involve either employees or volunteers, so long as community residents benefit from the project.
Standard 4: Celebrate & Educate
Sponsor at least one celebration event—such as Arbor Day—or an awareness campaign that highlights the connection between trees, nature, and human health.
Standard 5: Financial Investment
Suggested annual financial investment towards implementation of the facility tree care plan, tree projects, education events, and community outreach by the facility is $2 per employee (Full-Time Equivalent), either as cash or in-kind contribution, or in combination.
Tree Campus Healthcare Example - St. Luke's Boise Medical Center
In a highly successful collaboration between the city of Boise, St. Luke's Boise Medical Center Hospital, Idaho Department of Lands, the Treasure Valley Canopy Network and volunteers from many other facets of the community came together to inventory trees on the campus of the downtown Boise hospital.
 In a "Train the Trainer" event, hosted at the IDL downtown office, UCF Program Manager and South Idaho Community Assistant trained volunteers on how to use the statewide TreePlotter program to collect on information on and inventory trees in the field.
 On a separate event over the course of a few days, volunteers were able to collect information on and add more than 400 trees to the tree inventory. There is hope to eventually continue building on the St. Luke's Tree Inventory and map trees at other St. Luke's locations in the Treasure Valley, and perhaps even statewide.
 The overall vision of the partnership is to advance public awareness and partnerships around the links between trees in the the urban forest and human health. Working together the group aims to build healthy environments across the St.Luke's hospital network and invest in community partnerships and community health to benefit patients and local residents.
We are hopeful that this project with St. Luke's Boise Medical Center can become recognized as an Arbor Day Foundation Tree Campus USA Healthcare Organization.
Tree Tips:
Trees that provide wildlife habitat are an important part of every urban forest too
Trees in our urban forests serve as critical habitat for many species of animals. Urban forests can often be sparse, or spread-out and unconnected, which only increases the need for wildlife habitat in our communities. Many species of migrating birds depend on the trees in our urban forests on their travels, not to mention those who live among us full time.
Much of the working arborist community has taken on the task of helping the public and clients recognize the importance of habitat, opening the discussion about the responsibilities we have as canopy caretakers.
Brian French, arborist extraordinaire at Arboriculture International has gone to great lengths to raise awareness about the need for habitat trees among our urban forests, and gives lectures on the subject all over the Pacific Northwest, and beyond.
Take a moment to visit their website and explore all of the interesting projects they have been involved in. Arboriculture International Wildlife Work
 Often, trees or parts of trees that offer the most habitat are condemned as 'Defects'. Trees offer a diversity of habitat features that can only be found in and among 'Old Trees'. The illustration above shows some such features. Illustration: Brian French
Here in the Treasure Valley, some of the local urban forest programs are embracing lesser-known, "outside-of-the-box" concepts, experimenting with them and making them more common. The public's exposure makes the concepts more acceptable and helps everyone work together to find the best ways to manage our natural resources for people and creatures alike.
The City of Nampa has been experimenting with these concepts and has intentionally created a Wildlife Habitat Tree in the natural area along the Stoddard Pathway. This section of greenbelt is about two miles long, stretching from East Iowa Avenue to about half of a mile south of East Locust Lane. Parking is available at Maple Wood Park located on Greenhurst Road.
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The Stoddard Pathway was created when a local railway was abandoned and the property was deeded to the City of Nampa.
The trail was an undeveloped dirt path in the 90's that had little use, but with financial allocations from Nampa and funding through Idaho Department of Lands, it has evolved into a nice, paved pathway with natural grasses and beautiful trees. The pine tree seen here was killed by beetles and remains in place as a Wildlife Habitat Tree.
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A closer view of the crevices, notches, and perches created by the city arborists as they worked to mitigate the hazards associated with the dead tree. photo credit J. Taylor Nampa City Parks and Recreation.
Nampa is committed to growing and enhancing its community, including preserving and protecting wildlife. The city recognizes that balance is important for a healthy ecosystem in the urban environment. Within Nampa’s pathways and natural areas, trees that reach the end of their life cycle may be selected as Wildlife Habitat Trees.
In the forest, standing dead trees, also known as snags, and dying trees are known to benefit hundreds of species. In our urban forests, these trees can also play a critical role providing ecological niches (microhabitats) such as cavities, bark pockets, large dead branches, cracks, sap runs etc. These microhabitats are used by a number of animals, plants, and fungi as a place to live, forage, and breed.
Before it becomes necessary to remove a tree from the urban forest, it would be good to encourage this kind of thought.
Calendar of Events
Regional
PNW ISA - Events
North Idaho
Spokane Conservation District – Tree School Friday, July 28th Events, Workshops, and Meetings
Kaniksu Land Trust/ Pine Street Woods - Events
Post Falls, ID - University of Idaho Forestry Shortcourse - multiple dates. More information here.
Central Idaho
Moscow, ID - University of Idaho Master Gardener class schedules
Lewiston, ID - Lewis Clark State College Arboretum Tree Tour
Southwest Idaho
Boise, ID - Boise City of Trees Challenge ongoing, learn more here
Boise, ID - Boise Tree Captains ongoing series learn more here
Boise, ID - Parks and Recreation Activity Guide here
Boise, ID - Idaho Botanical Gardens events calendar
Boise, ID - INLA Horticulture Expo January 17-19 register here
Nampa, ID - 2024 Horticulture Workshops register here
Southeast Idaho
Wood River Valley - Sawtooth Botanical Gardens events calendar
Various cities - Idaho Power Shade Tree Program Fall enrollment is open for the following counties: Blaine, Camas, Cassia, Gooding, Jerome, Lincoln, Minidoka, and Twin Falls. Follow this link to learn more Idaho Power Shade Trees.
Other great resources:
For those of you who just cannot get enough about Arboriculture, this is a fantastic podcast you should check out. Completely Arbortrary
https://www.treestuff.com/webinars
Sherrill Tree "Tree U" (Online Arborist Training Courses)
Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA) Education and Training
USDA Forest Service Urban Forest Connections Webinar Series
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