| As public and private groups around the country--spurred on by the deforestation of our cities--gear up for a major tree planting effort between now and the turn of the century, many planners are seeking examples of successful planting programs to give them ideas about how best to proceed. An extensive survey of 13 acknowledged successful street tree planting programs was undertaken to illuminate a shared framework for fruitful action, including organizational structure and funding strategies. Street tree programs were targeted because these trees planted in the public right-of-way are truly community trees. Both governmental and privately run programs were part of the survey. A major finding is that many cities are moving toward a partnership between private organizations and city forestry programs to fund the planting and maintenance of trees. While the surveyed programs have proved fairly adept at matching trees with existing planting sites, there is almost a complete lack of master planning of the vegetative resource and no thought given to altering prevailing modes of urban development to make more room for trees. |
