Chesapeake Bay Watershed Tree Canopy Funding and Policy Roundtable

March 13-14, 2023

The Chesapeake Bay Watershed Tree Canopy Funding and Policy Roundtable convened 125 local and state leaders from across the Chesapeake Bay Watershed to address challenges and opportunities in advancing tree canopy goals.  Held March 13-14, 2023, the event centered around the themes of equity, climate resilience, and tree loss.  Through presentations and interactive discussions, speakers and participants shared data, tools, and approaches to strengthen tree canopy outcomes. The goal of the event was to help local and state governments pinpoint funding, policy, and programmatic solution pathways that will expand urban tree canopy in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

Findings from the Roundtable are being distilled into a suite of strategies to help inform the development of Tree Canopy Action Plans in each Bay state and DC. Outcomes of the Roundtable process will be presented in a publicly accessible webinar in late summer 2023, and key project recommendations will be presented to Chesapeake Bay Program leadership and other interested parties. Presentation slides, recordings, resource links, and other event materials are available below.  For more information about the event, please please contact Brandy Espinola (bespinol@umd.edu) or Kristel Sheesley (sheesley@umd.edu).  

For urban tree canopy resources, best practices, case stories, and connections, please join the Chesapeake Tree Canopy Network, an online resource hub and    community of practice created to support the Tree Canopy Outcome and Strategy adopted in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement

Event Materials

 Agenda

Background info, speaker bios, participant list

Recorded presentations (COMING SOON)

Presentations: Day One

INTRODUCTION | Chesapeake Bay Watershed tree goals and progress

     Julie Mawhorter, USDA Forest Service slides

KEYNOTE | City of trees: Then, now, and in the future

     Earl Eutsler, District of Columbia Department of Transportation slides

PANEL | Branching out: Leveraging climate goals to achieve tree canopy outcomes

     Rachel Lamb, Maryland Department of the Environment slides

     Mark McPherson, City Forest Credits slides

     Beth Krumrine, Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control slides

     Molly Hassett, New York Department of Environmental Conservation slides

FEATURED TOOL | Climate Health Action Guide, Vibrant Cities Lab

PANEL | Stemming the loss: Policy solutions for tree canopy protection

     Karen Firehock, Green Infrastructure Center slides

     Marian Honeczy, Maryland Department of Natural Resources Forest Service slides

     Vincent Verweij, Arlington County Parks and Natural Resources slides

     Katie Lautar, Baltimore Greenspace slides

FEATURED TOOL | Chesapeake Bay Watershed County Tree Cover Status & Change Factsheets

Presentations: Day Two

KEYNOTE  |  Mitigating urban heat threats through a community-driven framework

     Jeremy Hoffman, Virginia Science Museum and Sheri Shannon, Southside ReLeaf slides

PANEL  |  Rooted in equity: Ensuring tree canopy benefits for all 

     Erica Smith Fichman, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation slides

     Brenda Richardson, Anacostia Parks and Community Collaborative slides

     Ruby Stemmle, ecoLatinos slides

PANEL  |  No leaf unturned: Local strategies to drive action

     Frank Rodgers, Cacapon Institute

     Cody Kiefer, City of Lancaster, PA slides

     Ryan Alston, Baltimore Tree Trust slides

FEATURED TOOL | Tree Equity Score

 

Sponsors and Partners

The Chesapeake Bay Watershed Tree Canopy Funding and Policy Roundtable project is funded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Goal Implementation Team (GIT) Funding Program. 

 

  EPA logo     CBP logo     EFC logo     CBT logo     US Forest Service Logo

     

Semester / Year
2022 - Present

Team Members

Program / Center Affiliation