Urban Forestry Management Plan

The City recognizes the value of trees and is a proud Tree City USA community; recognized nationally for our citizen-based effort to sustain our urban forest. We understand trees not only beautify an area, but also provide shade, reduce levels of noise and dust, increase property values, reduce stormwater runoff, produce oxygen, absorb carbon dioxide, improve wellbeing, and provide habitat for wildlife.

While the citizens of Bellingham have long valued urban forests, the City has not had an overarching strategic plan to help guide management and stewardship efforts.

The intent is to create such a strategic plan in keeping with City’s Comprehensive Plan: 

“The City’s urban forest should be managed in a way that optimizes the environmental, economic and social benefits it provides. An urban forestry management plan is the best tool for maintaining a healthy and desirable urban forest.” – City of Bellingham Comprehensive Plan (2016, p. 12).

Bellingham’s Urban Forestry Management Plan (UFMP) will provide:

• Baseline information on the current state of Bellingham’s urban forest
• A long-term vision for our urban forest
• Shared community values and goals
• Short, medium, and long-term strategies and actions to reach our community vision

Project Scope Overview

The development of the UFMP will be a phased approach.

• Phase 1 – Assessment. Tasks:
  • Tree Canopy Assessment
  • Street Tree Inventory
  • Canopy Change Analysis
  • Forest Structure Analysis
  • Wildlife Corridor Analysis
  • Wildland-Urban Interface Analysis
• Phase 2 – Goals Establishment. Tasks:
  • Community Values, Goals, and Objectives
• Phase 3 – Plan Development. Tasks:
  • Review Current Practices
  • Prioritize Forest/Tree Management Actions
  • Plan Development

All phases include community outreach. More detail about each phase is provided below.