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
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.
