In March 2023, 125 local and state leaders from across the Chesapeake Bay Watershed gathered at the two-day, virtual Chesapeake Bay Watershed Tree Canopy Funding and Policy Roundtable to discuss challenges and opportunities in advancing tree canopy goals. Centered around the themes of equity, climate resilience, and tree loss, this event featured expert presentations as well as facilitated discussions with the aim of helping local and state leaders identify funding, policy, and programmatic solutions to achieve state and regional tree goals.
The Roundtable event was informed by a series of strategy sessions in each Bay state and the District of Columbia. The goal of the yearlong project was to accelerate equitable, climate-resilient tree canopy implementation across the watershed. The Project Team and Steering Committee distilled findings from the Roundtable into a set of ten recommendations for the Chesapeake Bay Program partnership to consider in its near-term priorities and actions (see Report and Report Brief, below). In addition, Tree Canopy Action Plans were developed for each Bay state and DC, in collaboration with individuals from each respective jurisdiction who participated in strategies sessions before, during, and after the event. These plans highlight the tree canopy priorities that emerged through this process (see Jurisdiction Action Plans, below). Event material and final project material are available below. For more information about the event, 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.
Final Project Material
Chesapeake Bay Tree Canopy Roundtable - Report and Recommendations
Chesapeake Bay Tree Canopy Roundtable - Report Appendix
Chesapeake Bay Tree Canopy Roundtable - Recommendations Brief
Jurisdiction Action Plans:
Roundtable Outcomes Webinar (1/30/24): slides and recording
Roundtable Event Materials
Background information and speaker bios
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.
