Community Forestry & Arboriculture

Alaskan Websites

• Localplants.org – Local Alaskan plants clearinghouse. The site is for people interested in producing or purchasing plants in Alaska, reducing invasive species, and supporting local business.
• Alaskaplants.org - Information about trees, shrubs, and vines known to be growing successfully in Alaska landscapes. The site helps you use the right plant in the right place and develop landscapes that fit into our native environs. The text is an extensive revision of the 1996 UAF Cooperative Extension publication, Landscape Plants for Alaska: A list of trees, shrubs, vines, and groundcovers for Alaskan Landscapes.
• The USDA Forest Service Hazard Tree Management in Alaska website provides basic information about hazard trees.
• The University of Alaska Cooperative Extension Service offers hundreds of publications and works with farmers, gardeners, and the public to provide landscaping advice and promote sustainable living.
• Municipality of Anchorage Watershed Management Services Rain Gardens website provides information about how you can use trees and other plants to reduce storm water runoff and keep pollutants from entering waterways by building a rain garden.
• The Committee for Noxious and Invasive Plants Management raises awareness of the problems caused by non-native invasive plants in Alaska.
• The Alaska Pioneer Fruit Growers Association shares experiences of successful fruit growing in Alaska.

National Websites

• The Pacific Northwest Chapter of International Society of Arboriculture promotes proper tree care in the Northwest.
• The International Society of Arboriculture is a worldwide professional organization with a wealth of information related to tree care and a directory of certified arborists.
• The Society of Municipal Arborists promotes and improves the practice of professional municipal arboriculture and aims to raise public appreciation for the importance of urban trees and landscapes.
• Tree Care Industry Association develops safety and education programs, standards of tree care practice, and management information for arboriculture firms worldwide.
• The USDA Forest Service administers federal funds to state community forestry programs and is the national partner in providing assistance to communities.
• The National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council provides advice and supports urban and community forestry at a national level and administers an annual federally-funded grant program.
• The Alliance for Community Trees is dedicated to improving cities, towns and metropolitan areas through information sharing, training, technical assistance, policy and program development, and advocacy.
• The National Arbor Day Foundation aims to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees through education and programs like Tree City USA, Tree Line USA, and Tree Campus USA.
• American Forests is the nation's oldest nonprofit citizens' conservation organization and a world leader in planting trees for environmental restoration, the science and practice of urban forestry, and communicator of the benefits of trees and forests.
• The Center for Watershed Protection is a non-profit corporation that provides technical tools for protecting streams, lakes and rivers.
• Community Trees “Trees don’t cost. They pay.” Learn about the economic, social, and environmental benefits that trees provide.

Research and Education

• "Stem Girdling Roots: The Underground Epidemic Killing Our Trees," by researchers at the University of Minnesota and the USDA Forest Service, about the cause, prevention and mitigation of stem-girdling roots.(2011) .
• Human Dimensions of Urban Forestry and Urban Greening features research on peoples' perceptions and behaviors regarding nature in cities.
• Green Cities: Good Health contains research demonstrating how nature in cities improves human health and wellbeing.
• TreeLink Portal for information, research, and technology, educational materials, how-to guides, bibliographies, reference lists, discussion forums, list of national and local resources, interactive tools for tree identification and selection.
• Urban Natural Resources Institute provides monthly online educational presentations on timely topics and current research.
• The USDA Forest Service Center for Urban Forest Research provides reliable scientific evidence that urban forests add real value to communities and are assets that pay us back.
• The Morton Arboretum conducts leading research on tree health and tree improvement with special emphasis on roots and the below-ground environment.
• Washington State University Extension contains fact sheets, case studies, and research that expose horticultural myths.
• The University of Florida Extension includes information and PowerPoint presentations on many aspects of urban trees and forestry suitable for all regions and climates
• Online seminars for municipal arborists with articles and tests for continuing education credits.

Other Resources

• American Standard for Nursery Stock (ANSI Z60.1-2004)
• Northern Trees helps guide you through the process of tree selection and provides a list of possible trees for your project.
• The USDA PLANTS Database
• Cornell University Urban Horticulture Institute and Woody Plants Database
• Oregon State University Landscape Plants: Images, Identification, and Information
• Raising Forest Tree Seedlings at Home: Simple Methods for Growing Conifers of the Pacific Northwest from Seeds
• Illinois Green Industry Association guidelines for growing, installing, and maintaining healthy trees; photos and specifications based on most current research on tree roots and planting depth.
• Reforestation, Nurseries and Genetics Resources supplies the very latest information about the art and science of raising seedlings.