Protecting community trees costs less than replanting and growing new trees. A storm mitigation plan keeps citizens safe and protects valuable urban forest canopy in the event of a natural disaster.
Planning
Both communities and arborists need to plan ahead for storms. An effective storm plan will help to minimize a storm’s impacts on your community forest.
GFC can help communities develop a plan for avoiding or mitigating storm damage to trees.
GFC can also help arborists:
- learn to assess a community’s current storm readiness
- prepare, respond, and recover from a storm
- understanding the arborist’s role in the process
What is a storm plan?
Storm Plans serve as a guide for:
- assessing current storm readiness
- summarizing your community’s current forest management program
- providing a storm mitigation checklist
Developing a storm plan.
When starting a plan, it is important to:
- Have effective tree management in place, including ongoing pruning and removal of trees at risk according to ANSI standards
- Have contracts in place in advance (hotline system, pre-determined debris storage areas, hiring specifications for tree care companies to include certified arborists)
- Be prepared to conduct an immediate assessment of the damage and what can be done. What tools do you have and what tools do you need to fix it? What is the process? Urban Forest Strike Teams may be able to help.
- Understand eligible costs and how to seek reimbursement from FEMA.
- Review and become familiar with the county plan and your EMA director.
- Communication with your partners is critical.
Considerations after a storm.
- In the post-event recovery period, Georgia ReLeaf opportunities and disaster assistance programs may be available. You will need to plan ahead to ensure you have met criteria when the time comes.
- New opportunities for economic and environmental use of woody debris may also be available.
Helpful Resources
Find sample emergency response plans, Do’s & Don’ts on managing damaged storm trees and more.
| Title | Description | Document Type |
|---|---|---|
| 3. Community Tree Planting and Establishment Guidelines | This Document is intended to aid homeowners and local government staff in planting and directing the establishment and maintenance of community trees. | |
| 5. How to Plant Trees – A Homeowner’s Guide | “How do I plant a tree?” This is a common question, and tree planting and establishment guidelines have changed considerably over the past 20 years. Learning how to plant a tree and following proper practices when planting trees can lead to long term benefits from well established plants. | |
| Arbor Day | Resources and ideas for local celebrations. | Page on GFC Website |
| Ask the Arborist | Online assistance for homeowner’s questions about the trees in your yard. | Page on GFC Website |
| Athens Community Tree Council | External Website | |
| Coastal Arborist Association | The Coastal Arborist Association (CAA) was founded in 2015 to provide education, training, and fellowship to arborists in the coastal region of Georgia and South Carolina. | External Website |
| Coastal Bryan Tree Foundation | Tree advocacy group. | External Website |
| Cobb Trees | Tree advocacy group. | External Website |
| Community Forestry Assistance Program | GFC’s Sustainable Community Forestry Program (SCFP) provides technical support to cities, counties, elementary schools, college campuses, home owners and nonprofit organizations. | Page on GFC Website |
| Community Forestry Friend Program Application | The Georgia Forestry Commission (GFC) is rewarding communities and campuses implementing | |
| eLearn Urban Forestry (eXtension Campus) | eLearn Urban Forestry is a distance-learning program for beginning urban foresters and allied professionals. These include foresters, natural resource planners, landscape architects, city officials and public works employees. (ISA credit and certificate of completion available) | External Website |
| eLearn Urban Forestry (Southern Regional Extension Forestry) | eLearn Urban Forestry is a distance-learning program for beginning urban foresters and allied professionals. These include foresters, natural resource planners, landscape architects, city officials and public works employees. (ISA credit not available) | External Website |
| Emergency Response Plan for Community Officials | An effective storm plan will help to minimize a storm’s impacts on your community forest. This Emergency Response Plan developed in Columbus, GA is a good example. | |
| Georgia ReLeaf Program | Georgia ReLeaf efforts to help south Georgia communities replace tree canopy lost to severe storms and other communities planting trees for veterans. | External Website |
| Georgia Tree Council | Tree advocacy group who works to sustain Georgia’s green legacy by partnering with individuals, organizations, and communities in raising awareness toward improving and maintaining Georgia’s community forests. | External Website |
| GFC UC&F Species Selection List | Recommended Tree Species Selections for Urban and Community Forest Sustainability | |
| Hazards of the Forest | Foresters and others who work outside and those who enjoy being in the outdoors are often confronted with hazards that can cause sickness, injury, or death. This booklet provides a brief description of those hazards to help you avoid an unpleasant encounter. | |
| Healthy Trees, Healthy Lives Research | Take care of the forest, and it will take care of you. As research is being conducted and becoming available, findings reinforce what much of the urban forestry community already knows — that trees have a positive impact on human health. Check out research on why Healthy Trees make Healthy Lives. | External Website |
| Homeowner’s Role in Maintaining the Urban Forest | Download this guide to get tips on maintaining trees, selecting an arborist and a homeowner tree survey checklist. | |
| Managing Storm Damaged Trees: Do’s and Don’ts | Check out this resource for the Do’s and Don’ts on how to manage damaged trees from a storm. Includes: how to hire a professional for clean up, chainsaw safety, pruning and maintenance for damaged trees and more. | |
| Marietta TreeKeepers | Tree advocacy group. | External Website |
| Native Trees of Georgia Book | Book showing illustrations of trees native to Georgia. | |
| Savannah Tree Foundation | Tree advocacy group. | External Website |
| Save Energy – Plant Trees! | This video provides insights into the value of planting trees. | Video |
| Storm Damaged Trees – Pruning Decision Guide | Right after a hurricane, communities and homeowners need to decide what to do with storm-damaged trees. Although damaged trees may seem to be dying, some trees can be restored, others will need to be removed, and still others will not require any special treatment and can be left alone. | |
| Storm Mitigation Template | Community Forest Storm Mitigation Plan for Georgia Communities Template | |
| Storm Mitigation Workbook | Community Forest Storm Mitigation Planning for Georgia Communities Workbook | |
| Tree City USA, Tree Campus Higher Education® and Tree Line USA Programs | Celebrating communities all across America that are creating healthier and more abundant community forests. | Page on GFC Website |
| Trees Atlanta | Tree advocacy group. | External Website |
| Trees Columbus | Tree advocacy group. | External Website |
| U&CF Area Map 2024 Aug | ||
| Urban Forest Strike Team | This video outlines the work of GFC’s Urban Forest Strike Team, which helps communities deal with the aftermath of severe storms. | Video |
| Urban Forest Sustainability and Management Review – Checklist | The Urban Forest Sustainability & Management Review System is designed to provide a framework for comprehensively evaluating urban forest management programs. This review system (the checklist and the process) can be used for municipal or county urban forest management programs, or to evaluate college or corporate campus management programs | External Website |