The City of Cambridge Urban Forest Report: Healthy Forest, Healthy City is now available to view.
Urban Forest Master Plan Task Force Meeting
Thursday, February 6th 2020
6PM-8PM
King Open School Cafeteria - 850 Cambridge Street
**Please enter via the "Community Complex Entrance", door #4, Cambridge St. side, next to the Valente Library**
At this meeting, we will review potential policy strategies and changes to the Tree Protection Ordinance.
For additional information on the project, please see the UFMP website at www.cambridgema.gov/UFMP or contact Catherine Daly Woodbury, DPW Project Manager at (617) 349-4818 or cwoodbury@cambridgema.gov.
Information and Assistance:
The City of Cambridge does not discriminate on the basis of disability. The City of Cambridge will provide auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative format, and reasonable modifications in policies upon request.
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Public Comments on the UFMP Technical Report due by noon on Friday, January 17th, 2020
Copies of the UFMP Technical Report are available for viewing at all Cambridge Branch libraries.
Send comments to: Catherine Daly Woodbury, DPW Project Manager cwoodbury@cambridgema.gov.
Urban Forest Master Plan Public Meeting
Thursday, December 12, 2019
6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Putnam Ave Upper School - Please enter via 1 Magee St.
This meeting will summarize the key strategies outlined in the UFMP Technical Report to address canopy loss and growth, and next steps.
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Urban Forest Master Plan Task Force Meeting - Thursday, December 5th, 6PM-8PM
Cambridge Rindge and Latin School - Main Cafeteria 459 Broadway
The City is developing an Urban Forest Master Plan (UFMP) that will guide the development of the urban forest into the future. The UFMP will include a strategic plan to evaluate, maintain and expand the urban forest canopy enabling it to be more resilient to climate change, reduce the urban heat island effect, mitigate stormwater runoff, reduce nutrient runoff, and contribute to the community well-being. The UFMP will coordinate with the efforts of the citywide comprehensive plan (Envision Cambridge) and the Climate Change Preparedness & Resilience Plan.
The Task Force will meet to review and discuss the strategies outlined in the UFMP Technical Report to address canopy loss and canopy growth.
The Technical Report is available on this project page under “Documents” tab.
The Urban Forest Master Plan
Technical Report was posted on November 12, 2019 and is available on the "Documents" tab.
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The following email was sent to Urban Forest Task Force Members on Friday, August 23rd
Dear UFMP Task Force Members,
We hope you have been enjoying your summer.
We wanted to provide you with an update on the release of the draft UFMP. The draft has taken considerably more time to prepare than we had originally thought - there is so much information. Condensing all of the information gathered and presented over the previous year into a comprehensive document has been a challenge. We anticipate having a draft available by early October with a Task Force meeting to follow in mid-October. Another notice will be sent out with a link to the report and a meeting date.
Thank you for your continued interest in this important topic. Enjoy the rest of your summer and we hope to see you soon.
Sincerely,
Catherine
URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN TASK FORCE MEETING
Thursday, April 25th
The consultant team will present a cost/benefit analysis of their recommendations, provide information on their investigation into Cambridge's canopy loss, and present results of planting strategies on the urban heat island.
Cambridge Rindge and Latin School
459 Broadway, Main Cafeteria
For additional information on the project, please see the UFMP website at www.cambridgema.gov/UFMP or contact Catherine Daly Woodbury, DPW Project Manager at (617) 349-4818 or cwoodbury@cambridgema.gov.
Information and Assistance:
The City of Cambridge does not discriminate on the basis of disability. The City of Cambridge will provide auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative format, and reasonable modifications in policies upon request.
URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN TASK FORCE MEETING
Thursday, March 28th
The design team will present initial cost/benefit analyses of policy, practice, and design options and will discuss outreach precedents and potential programs.
Cambridge Rindge and Latin School
459 Broadway, Media Cafeteria
For additional information on the project, please see the UFMP website at www.cambridgema.gov/UFMP or contact Catherine Daly Woodbury, DPW Project Manager at (617) 349-4818 or cwoodbury@cambridgema.gov.
Information and Assistance:
The City of Cambridge does not discriminate on the basis of disability. The City of Cambridge will provide auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative format, and reasonable modifications in policies upon request.
URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN PUBLIC MEETING
Thursday, March 7th
The Morse School
40 Granite St.
6PM-8PM
Please join City Staff and our team of consultants for an update and public discussion on the development of the plan. This is the second in a series of three public meetings being held during the development of the Urban Forest Master Plan.
For additional information on the project, please see the UFMP website at www.cambridgema.gov/UFMP or contact Catherine Daly Woodbury, DPW Project Manager at (617) 349-4818 or cwoodbury@cambridgema.gov.
Information and Assistance:
The City of Cambridge does not discriminate on the basis of disability. The City of Cambridge will provide auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative format, and reasonable modifications in policies upon request.
URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN TASK FORCE MEETING
Thursday, February 28th
At this meeting the consultant team will present forestry practice recommendations for tree planting and management and design options for planting strategies at the city scale and street scale.
Cambridge Rindge and Latin School
459 Broadway, Media Cafeteria
For additional information on the project, please see the UFMP website at
www.cambridgema.gov/UFMP or contact Catherine Daly Woodbury, DPW Project Manager at (617) 349-4818 or
cwoodbury@cambridgema.gov.
Information and Assistance:
The City of Cambridge does not discriminate on the basis of disability. The City of Cambridge will provide auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative format, and reasonable modifications in policies upon request.
URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN TASK FORCE MEETING
Thursday, January 31st
At this meeting, we will continue to discuss the policy options and discuss results from the UFMP Survey and Forestry Practices
Cambridge Rindge and Latin School
459 Broadway, Media Cafeteria
For additional information on the project, please see the UFMP website at www.cambridgema.gov/UFMP or contact Catherine Daly Woodbury, DPW Project Manager at (617) 349-4818 or cwoodbury@cambridgema.gov.
Information and Assistance:
The City of Cambridge does not discriminate on the basis of disability. The City of Cambridge will provide auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative format, and reasonable modifications in policies upon request.
URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN TASK FORCE MEETING
Thursday, December 20th
At this meeting, we will begin to discuss practices related to managing and maintaining the urban forest.
Cambridge Rindge and Latin School
459 Broadway, Media Cafeteria
For additional information on the project, please see the UFMP website at www.cambridgema.gov/UFMP or contact Catherine Daly Woodbury, DPW Project Manager at (617) 349-4818 or cwoodbury@cambridgema.gov.
Information and Assistance:
The City of Cambridge does not discriminate on the basis of disability. The City of Cambridge will provide auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative format, and reasonable modifications in policies upon request.
URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN TASK FORCE MEETING
Thursday, November 29th
The consultant team will present a summary of the soils testing results and discuss correlations between soils conditions and tree health. The team will also discuss current climate modeling efforts and also present an initial set of potential strategies to decrease canopy loss and increase canopy cover.
Cambridge Rindge and Latin School
459 Broadway, Media Cafeteria
For additional information on the project, please see the UFMP website at www.cambridgema.gov/UFMP or contact Catherine Daly Woodbury, DPW Project Manager at (617) 349-4818 or cwoodbury@cambridgema.gov.
Information and Assistance:
The City of Cambridge does not discriminate on the basis of disability. The City of Cambridge will provide auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative format, and reasonable modifications in policies upon request.
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Notice: October 25th Task Force Meeting has been CANCELLED.
At the start of the UFMP process the City had just completed a new LiDAR flyover of the City in April 2018. This raw data was shared with the UFMP consultants in order that the UFMP process could move ahead in a timely and transparent manner. The QA/QC review of the 2018 LiDAR data has been substantially completed by the City’s GIS Department and their consultants at the University of Vermont (UVM). The final draft LiDAR data has undergone several iterations of point reclassifications since the initial release of the data to the UFMP’s consultants. Although we do not anticipate that the UFMP’s draft analyses performed to date will change significantly we have been advised by our GIS Department and UVM that the updated LiDAR data could have an impact on the analysis.
Prior to completing the modelling of the climate change impacts and beginning our discussion of potential planning approaches we will be confirming the accuracy of the underlying data and our analyses by reviewing the changes between the initial LiDAR data and the final draft. We are cancelling the October meeting so that we can sort through any data issues before proceeding further in the planning process and to validate our findings. We will be back in November with a full analysis, at which time we also hope to have identified some of the root causes of canopy loss which we observed at the September meeting.
The presentation from the September 27th Task Force Meeting can be found under the "Documents" tab.
URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN PUBLIC MEETING
Wednesday, October 3rd
The Peabody School - Auditorium
70 Rindge Ave.
6PM-8PM
The Urban Forest Master Plan (UFMP) will guide the development of the urban forest into the future and will include a strategic plan to evaluate, maintain and expand the urban forest canopy while being more resilient to climate change, reducing the urban heat island effect, mitigating stormwater runoff, reducing nutrient runoff, and contributing to community well-being. Please join us and our consultants for an update and discussion on the development of the Urban Forest Master Plan.
For additional information on the project, please see the UFMP website at www.cambridgema.gov/UFMP or contact Catherine Daly Woodbury, DPW Project Manager at (617) 349-4818 or cwoodbury@cambridgema.gov.
Information and Assistance:
The City of Cambridge does not discriminate on the basis of disability. The City of Cambridge will provide auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative format, and reasonable modifications in policies upon request.
URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN TASK FORCE MEETING
Thursday, September 27th
The consultant team will present findings from the research data and engage in a discussion with Task Force members regarding possible mitigation strategies.
Cambridge Rindge and Latin School
459 Broadway, Media Cafeteria
Thursday, September 27th
6:00 – 8:00pm
For additional information on the project, please see the UFMP website at www.cambridgema.gov/UFMP or contact Catherine Daly Woodbury, DPW Project Manager at (617) 349-4818 or cwoodbury@cambridgema.gov.
Information and Assistance:
The City of Cambridge does not discriminate on the basis of disability. The City of Cambridge will provide auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative format, and reasonable modifications in policies upon request.
URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN TASK FORCE MEETING
Thursday, August 30th
The design team will review results of Bartlett’s 5% representative sample tree inventory, initial observations from F2 Environmental’s soils sampling, and the climate modeling process (how parameters are set and how these are informed by findings from the CCVA and by other sources) which will aid in decision-making.
Cambridge Rindge and Latin School
459 Broadway, Media Cafeteria
Thursday, August 30th
6:00 – 8:00pm
For additional information on the project, please see the UFMP website at www.cambridgema.gov/UFMP or contact Catherine Daly Woodbury, DPW Project Manager at (617) 349-4818 or cwoodbury@cambridgema.gov.
Information and Assistance:
The City of Cambridge does not discriminate on the basis of disability. The City of Cambridge will provide auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative format, and reasonable modifications in policies upon request.
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URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN TASK FORCE MEETING
Thursday, July 26th
The design team will present analytical research on the current condition of the canopy and discuss with the Task Force how to establish defensible and measurable goals for the master plan. Task Force meetings are open to the public.
Cambridge Rindge and Latin School
459 Broadway, Media Cafeteria
6:00 – 8:00pm
For additional information on the project, please see the UFMP website at www.cambridgema.gov/UFMP or contact Catherine Daly Woodbury, DPW Project Manager at (617) 349-4818 or cwoodbury@cambridgema.gov.
Information and Assistance:
The City of Cambridge does not discriminate on the basis of disability. The City of Cambridge will provide auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative format, and reasonable modifications in policies upon request.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN TASK FORCE MEETING
Thursday, June 28th
The City is developing an Urban Forest Master Plan (UFMP) that will guide the development of the urban forest into the future. The UFMP will include a strategic plan to evaluate, maintain and expand the urban forest canopy enabling it to be more resilient to climate change, reduce the urban heat island effect, mitigate stormwater runoff, reduce nutrient runoff, and contribute to the community well-being. The UFMP will coordinate with the efforts of the citywide comprehensive plan (Envision Cambridge) and the Climate Change Preparedness & Resilience Plan.
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An UFMP Task Force has been selected to advise and provide guidance and feedback to a project team charged with developing the UFMP. Task Force meetings are open to the public.
Cambridge Rindge and Latin School
459 Broadway, Media Cafeteria
Thursday, June 28th
6:00 – 8:00pm
For additional information on the project, please see the UFMP website at www.cambridgema.gov/UFMP or contact Catherine Daly Woodbury, DPW Project Manager at (617) 349-4818 or cwoodbury@cambridgema.gov
Information and Assistance:
The City of Cambridge does not discriminate on the basis of disability. The City of Cambridge will provide auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative format, and reasonable modifications in policies upon request.
City staff and consultants will provide an introduction of the project and a brief overview of the UFMP purpose, scope, schedule and team at its first meeting on June 12
th:
Cambridge Rindge and Latin School
459 Broadway, Media Cafeteria
Tuesday, June 12th
6:00 – 8:00pm
An eighteen member task force has been appointed that will work with city staff and Reed Hilderbrand, primary consultant, on the development of an Urban Forest Master Plan. The following is a very brief and very simplified overview of each of the Task Force members:
- Barbara Murphy-Warrington: Owns and cares for a 12 acre old growth forest employing long-term sustainability methods, attorney and resident in Cambridgeport
- Michael Johnston: Executive Director at Cambridge Housing Authority, Cambridge Housing Authority Representative
- Maggie Booz: Co-chair, Cambridge Committee on Public Planting (CPP), CPP member since 2008, architect, resident of Strawberry Hill neighborhood
- Louise Weed: Former member of Committee on Public Planting, current Plant and Garden Club member, resident of Neighborhood 9 (Avon Hill)
- Caitlin McDonough MacKenzie: PhD. Plant biologist, post doc fellow at U.ME, studied plant ecology and the ecological impacts of climate change, resident in Mid-Cambridge
- Mark Verkennis: Senior campus planner and member of Harvard "green team", Harvard University representative.
- Ahron Lerman: Urban forester at DCR, certified arborist, masters in Sustainable Land Use, Planning & Design, resident in Neighborhood 9
- Kathleen Fitzgerald: Founder of Cambridge Environmental Literacy Project geared at connecting urban children with nature, social engagement and educator, resident in North Cambridge
- Tessa Mae Buono: MIT Grad Student in Urban Studies & Planning, experience with community engagement around trees (Friends of Trees (OR)), resident in Cambridgeport
- Denise Jillson: Resident of North Cambridge and Executive Director, Harvard Square Business Association, business representative
- Conrad Crawford: Executive Director at Groundwork Somerville, former regional director of The Trustees of the Reservation, resident in Wellington-Harrington
- Elena Saporta: Landscape Architect, founded Downtown Tree Guild aka Tree Atlanta (tree advocacy organization in Atlanta, GA), member of Mid-Cambridge Neighborhood Association and Green Cambridge, resident in Mid-Cambridge
- Randa Ghattas: Sustainability Project Manager at MIT facilities leading sustainability efforts on capital projects and renovation, resident of The Port
- Caitlin Tamposi: Project Manager at Sienna Construction in construction management with background in landscape design, representative from the Chamber of Commerce
- Lena Jean Nahan: Junior at CRLS (student), involved in study of urban tree problems and potential solutions, interested in communicating science through photography, resident in The Port
- Florrie Wescoat: Co-chair, Cambridge Committee on Public Planting (CPP), CPP member since 2008, garden designer, resident of The Port
- Laura Tenny: Senior campus planner and registered landscape architect, involved in the stewardship, renewal and sustainability of the urban campus landscape, MIT representative.
- Tom Evans: Executive Director at the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority , Cambridge Redevelopment Authority Representative
Information and Assistance:
The City of Cambridge does not discriminate on the basis of disability. The City of Cambridge will provide auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative format, and reasonable modifications in policies upon request.
URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN TASK FORCE MEETING
Thursday, September 27th
The consultant team will present findings from the research data and engage in a discussion with Task Force members regarding possible mitigation strategies.
Cambridge Rindge and Latin School
459 Broadway, Media Cafeteria
Thursday, September 27th
6:00 – 8:00pm
For additional information on the project, please see the UFMP website at www.cambridgema.gov/UFMP or contact Catherine Daly Woodbury, DPW Project Manager at (617) 349-4818 or cwoodbury@cambridgema.gov.
The City of Cambridge is heavily invested in protecting and promoting a healthy and sustainable urban forest at a time when the challenges to maintaining an urban forest are great, but equally at a time when a thriving urban forest is more important and more necessary than ever. The City retained Reed Hilderbran as its prime consulting firm to work with a Task Force to develop a comprehensive Urban Forest Master Plan (UFMP). The Task Force will provide input and guidance to the consulting team. The UFMP team includes:
REED HILDERBRAND (Primary Consultant)
KLEINFELDER (Climate Analysis)
CONSERVATION LAW FOUNDATION (Policy and Outreach)
BARTLETT (Arboriculture)
AES (GIS Analysis and Ecological Services)
F2 ENVIRONMENTAL (Soils Consultant)
OVER UNDER (Communications Consultant)
VJ ASSOCIATES (Cost Estimating)
The scope of services extends over 12 months and three phases of planning — research, testing,and development — followed by one phase of documentation. Each phase of the study and the
organization of the consultant team support the three proposed pillars of the project — Analytics, Practice, and Advocacy.
Task Force members include the following residents and organization representatives:
Barbara Murphy-Warrington, Resident
Louise Weed, Resident
Caitlin McDonough Mackenzie, Resident
Ahron Lerman, Resident
Kathleen Fitzgerald, Resident
Tessa Mae Buono, Resident
Elena Saporta, Resident
Randa Ghattas, Resident
Lena Jean Nahan, Resident
Conrad Crawford, Resident
Denise Jillson, Resident, Exec. Director of Harvard Square Business Assoc.
Maggie Booz, Resident, CPP Co-chair
Florrie Wescoat, Resident, CPP Co-chair
Megan Nichols Tomkins (replaced former CoC rep, Caitlin Tamposi), Representative of the Chamber of Commerce
Laura Tenny, MIT Representative
Mark Verkennis, Harvard University Representative
Tom Evans, Cambridge Redevelopment Authority Representative
Joe Bendar (replaced former CHA rep, Michael Johnston), Cambridge Housing Authority Representative