Executive Director’s Report October 2020
Forest Service Regional Update – No update.
Forest Service Funding – Paperwork has been submitted for the July 2021-June 2022 – $195,000. Same as three year running.
Forest Service Research – The FS is asking for feedback regarding what we think is important. Please feel free to respond! Here is the text of an email I received:
“Dear Stakeholder:
As a federal research organization funded by taxpayer dollars, Forest Service Research and Development (R&D) must be responsive to the needs of consumers of our products and services. As one of our valued customers, we are committed to providing you with the information, technology, and service you would expect from a research organization working at the forefront to improve the health and use of our Nation’s forests and grasslands.
To help us continue to meet your needs and improve the level of our service, we ask you to please complete the attached survey. The survey, conducted every three years, is being managed and fielded by the CFI Group, a world leader in customer satisfaction measurement. Your responses will help pinpoint problems and identify ways in which we can improve our products and services and provide valuable feedback in guiding the future of R&D programs. This modest investment of your time will greatly help us as we strive to serve you better.
Click the following link to access and start the survey”
Cal Fire – Good news! Late last year we submitted to grants to the CAL FIRE Urban and Community Forestry program – one was funded; one was not because of limited dollars available. Of the approximately $4M that CAL FIRE received from previous Bond Measures unspent dollars – our second grant for $1.5M for City Forst Renewal 2.0 received the go-ahead. We are waiting for the paperwork now. YAY!
As I said previously, due to COVID-19’s negative impacts on the State budget no Cap and Trade dollars were allocated AT ALL – anywhere, for the current budget. However, carbon auction sales did increase in August and it is assumed that after the December auction the State will have a significant amount of Cap & Trade dollars to decide what to do with, most likely early in the new year. Backfilling the COVID impacted budget will be a big part of that (illegal, who knows?) and CAL FIRE, and the fires will get more. We are working out our strategy with Pacific Policy Group now and looking for Legislators who will become advocates for U&CF to carry the request for additional funds, for all the right reasons.
CUFAC – (California Urban Forest Advisory Committee – to CAL FIRE)– met 10/28/2020 – finalizing the new strategic plan and working with U&CF staff for deliverables and applicability.
State Policy & Advocacy – Working on our various approaches – I, along with Pacific Policy Group have a Zoom call with the Governor’s office next week based on Newsom’s Executive Order – Innovative Strategies to Use California Land to Fight Climate Change, Conserve Biodiversity and Boost Climate Resilience (linked here). Two items we will focus on 1) Forests, 2) Urban Green Spaces. This is exciting. It has been hard to break into the new administration, but Amanda Hansen has these exact responsibilities and urban forestry and greening are part of the deliverables. Stay tuned! Through all of this we are looking for legislative champions to help carry our message and funding request. I have reached out to CA ReLeaf regarding us joining forces, at least to a certain extent, on our advocacy work, so we have similar messaging and funding requests. We will be meeting again on this soon.
Program Updates
NEW – CIRCLE 4.0 (Cap & Trade Funding) –
More preliminary planning meetings have been held including with Project Learning Tree, Treetures, marketing folks at Taylor guitar, and Matt Ritter at Cal Poly SLO.
Cool Parks Program –
We tentatively have plantings coming back online in October 2020; to be confirmed as we get closer and COVID-19 impacts are being assessed. We have till 2022 on this grant so there is a lot of flexibility to meet obligations. Meanwhile, we are planning for the future. We are working on protocols for planting events and additional safety materials and procedures now.
City Forest Renewal. This project is moving forward as COVID19 is less impactful. These are the cities we have begun work in or are in the planning stages with. We are addressing the removal of dead, dying, and diseased trees due to the ISHB. The cities will replant 2-for-1 for each removal. Each city is also reviewing its policies and ordinances as we succeed updates and changes.
The Intersection Between Wildland Urban Interface and Urban Forestry – Daniel Jackman is the project manager through Davey Resource Group. I have received two reports regarding the research underway, and we recently had a planning call. Waiting to hear now with the next steps from that call. As well, The Center for Urban Natural Resources Sustainability’s new researcher, Francisco Escobedo, is beginning research into this topic too, bringing more resources to the table. We will be looking at combining efforts. We have a call on the topic on 11/30/20.
Working with CA Dept. of Food and Agriculture – Tasha Newman, from Pacific Policy Group, has been in touch with David Pegos from CDFA. She and I are having a call with John Kabashima next week, getting an update on the two previous expenditures of $5M, the success of what’s happened, what still needs to be done, and whether we will be advocating for more funds for ISHB (Invasive Shot Hole Borer).
Regional Councils – each council is on its own schedule regarding events and five of the seven are generally very active. However, due to COVID-19 impacts things have been dialed way back. Most of the efforts are via GOTOMEETIMG or some version of this outreach tool. It would be fabulous to have the councils submit a monthly report to support our reporting to the Forest Service – here’s the link; we can try again! https://caufc.org/regional-council-report/
Webinars – We are happy to entertain ideas. If you have one reach out. Otherwise, Deb and I are brainstorming, one, for example, will be on Advocacy. REMEMBER REGIONAL COUNCILS – if you work with us locally addressing municipal policies we can fund your council for an additional $1,000! I’ll have a list soon of the first ones we will be offering in January – March 2021.
Other
Financial Documents – no update.
Outreach –
We are working on materials as an outgrowth of our webinar with Ming Kuo This is so excited! If you haven’t seen the webinar, you must! https://caufc.org/growing-human-health-equity/
Deb and I have also talked with Matthew Browning, the other key researcher on the Kaiser study, and we are looking at creating additional materials for him as we. Deb and I have received the study (proprietary) and are combing it for important facts to share.
Two of the three strategy Committees have met and reviewed their tactics. Committee 3 still needs to schedule. I will have a flowchart completed in time for our next call on October 15th capturing all of the ideas together.
The Partners in Community Forestry Conference is virtual this year and next week. This is an opportunity that you may not have had previously due to travel time and costs, for example. So check out their agenda.
Board of Directors Trainings – on our call next week we will discuss dates, timeframes, and topics for three board training, January, February, and March 2021.
Please be well; stay healthy and strong!
Nancy Hughes