The Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments, Davey Resource Group, Centerline Strategies, and the National Association of Regional Councils collaborated to develop an innovative, online resource titled Integrating Trees Into Stormwater Management Design and Policy – A Guide for Local Decision Makers. This created an amazing website of resources that can be found here.
The value of trees goes well beyond their aesthetic appeal and even their air quality and energy saving benefits. They provide important stormwater management services that are often overlooked. This online interactive tool will enable community planners, engineers and policy makers to capitalize on trees when investing or reinvesting in their stormwater systems by unleashing new and innovative approaches for realizing the full capacity of trees as a component of our communities’ infrastructure systems and improving regional resiliency.
Davey drew upon its vast knowledge and understanding of community forest resources and tree benefit analysis to inform the Guide and assure that it is based on accurate, current, and defensible science. We brought knowledge and experience from our work with many municipal clients on similar issues to the Guide.
The project team relied on Davey to identify local and regional level policies and programs that integrate trees and forests into stormwater management plans and evaluate them in terms of efficacy, successes and challenges, best practices, and lessons learned. Davey also contributed by researching successful and applicable ordinances, policies, guidelines, best management practices, and regulations that encourage the use of trees as green infrastructure in community stormwater management.
Davey supported the project’s national advisory committee by providing technical and scientific expertise, participating in public meetings, and performing outreach. Davey’s relationships with and leadership of national and regional professional organizations such as the International Society of Arboriculture, Society of Municipal Foresters, National Arbor Day Foundation, American Forests, American Planning Association, and the American Public Works Association was leveraged to ensure that the project’s outcomes met industry standards.
The project was funded through a U.S. Forest Service National Urban and Community Forestry Challenge Cost-Share Grant Program. The project was designed to address the U. S. Forest Service’s priority of using green infrastructure to manage and mitigate stormwater to improve water quality.
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