The vision of this project is to create an open source, web-based, integrated, community input, multi-agency, urban forest mapping and data management tool that also functions as a community tree education resource.

Since 1981, Friends of the Urban Forest (FUF) volunteers have planted over 40,000 trees in San Francisco. Every single tree planted has been catalogued in the antiquated FUF database. Approximately 50,000 additional trees have been planted and tracked by the city in a separate database. With so much separate data, data management became increasingly difficult. There was no way to share information with the different urban forestry groups or the public, much less get the community involved in the urban forestry planning process.

This is all changing, thanks to a unique and significant partnership effort between Friends of the Urban Forest, the City and County of San Francisco, and Autodesk. While it is uncommon for a non-profit, a government agency and a corporation to partner, this team is working together and leveraging new technology – MapGuide Open Source- to create a free tool which will enhance the environment.

This unique team has created an Urban Forest Map, which digitally pinpoints the location of each tree, maintains tree data in a consistent database, offers web access to the tree data, and allows for community input and feedback – key for maintenance and planting efforts. Functioning as a Wiki, the community can get involved by posting photos and stories about their own trees. It allows community members to easily access urban forest information, such as: projections for canopy cover, CO2 reduction, storm water runoff reduction, energy savings, reduction in urban heat island effect, as well as other environmental benefits. Citizens can now take this well-defined economic and environmental benefit data to build political support for policy changes in favor of urban forestry.

WHAT WE NEED:

Autodesk provided all of the funding to build the technology and assist with media and PR. The City of San Francisco provided some of the data management expertise and has committed to hosting the database on a city server. Friends of the Urban Forest provided the concept, database design, and the leadership and will provide the volunteers and man-power to conduct the on-the-ground inventory and maintain the data. The needed resources are financial support to pay for staff salary and equipment during the on-the-ground inventory period.

Location