Certified Urban and Community Forester Credential Aims to Elevate the Profession and Grow SAF

Presentation given in Staunton, VA on February 20, 2025 for the Virginia Association of Forest Health Professionals.

Transcript

1. P. Eric Wiseman, PhD Associate Professor of Urban and Community Forestry Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation Virginia Tech VAFHP Annual Meeting • February 20, 2025 • Staunton, VA Certified Urban and Community Forester Credential Aims to Elevate the Profession and Grow SAF Source: www.ballarat.vic.gov.au/treesincob vtuf@vt.edu linktr.ee/EricWiseman
2. Presentation Overview • Background and context • Certification development process • Certification development progress • Certification exam and eligibility overview Build the case for an urban and community forester credential to compliment existing credentials held by urban forest professionals 02  22 VAFHP Annual Meeting • February 20, 2025 • Staunton, VA Purpose: Outline:
3. 03  22 Background and Context Growth of Urban Lands and Urban Population Source: www.visualcapitalist.com/sp/mapping-us-urbanization-by-state Source: www.coopercenter.org/research/national-50- state-population-projections-2030-2040-2050 VAFHP Annual Meeting • February 20, 2025 • Staunton, VA
4. 04  22 Background and Context Source: research.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/66413 VAFHP Annual Meeting • February 20, 2025 • Staunton, VA Growth of Urban Lands and Urban Population Developed: 51% net increase 50 mil. acre gain Forest: 3% net decrease 12 mil. acre loss
5. 05  22 Background and Context Source: research.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/64468 VAFHP Annual Meeting • February 20, 2025 • Staunton, VA Growth of Urban Lands and Urban Population
6. 06  22 Background and Context Source: research.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/64468 VAFHP Annual Meeting • February 20, 2025 • Staunton, VA Growth of Urban Lands and Urban Population
7. 07  22 Background and Context Need for Urban Forests and Urban Foresters Source: nca2023.globalchange.gov VAFHP Annual Meeting • February 20, 2025 • Staunton, VA
8. 08  22 Background and Context Source: nca2023.globalchange.gov VAFHP Annual Meeting • February 20, 2025 • Staunton, VA Need for Urban Forests and Urban Foresters
9. 09  22 Background and Context 1992 1994 Forest Management (Mostly Rural) Tree Management (Mostly Urban) VAFHP Annual Meeting • February 20, 2025 • Staunton, VA Need for Urban Forests and Urban Foresters
10. 10  22 Background and Context Forest Management (Mostly Rural) Tree Management (Mostly Urban) 1992 1994 2004 Urban and community forestry is the conservation, use, and management of forest resources in areas of dense human settlement for the benefit of people and the environment Credential Gap VAFHP Annual Meeting • February 20, 2025 • Staunton, VA Need for Urban Forests and Urban Foresters
11. 11  22 Background and Context • USFS-NUCFAC funded project • 6 Universities • National steering committee • 12 peer-reviewed journal publications and professional magazine articles VAFHP Annual Meeting • February 20, 2025 • Staunton, VA Need for Urban Forests and Urban Foresters
12. 12  22 Background and Context VAFHP Annual Meeting • February 20, 2025 • Staunton, VA
13. 13  22 Background and Context VAFHP Annual Meeting • February 20, 2025 • Staunton, VA
14. 14  22 Background and Context VAFHP Annual Meeting • February 20, 2025 • Staunton, VA
15. 15  22 Background and Context VAFHP Annual Meeting • February 20, 2025 • Staunton, VA
16. 16  22 Background and Context 1992 1994 2024 Forest Management (Mostly Rural) Tree Management (Mostly Urban) VAFHP Annual Meeting • February 20, 2025 • Staunton, VA 2024 Need for Urban Forests and Urban Foresters
17. 17  22 Certification Development Process Source: Erin Turner, Credentialing Director, Society of American Foresters In 2013 SAF entered an agreement with the California Urban Forests Council, and in 2020, SAF had a market analysis performed. Both laid the foundation for the Certified Urban and Community Forester certification program. The market study determined many gaps and the need for a certification to serve those in urban & community forestry. While the results of the survey aren’t published, they informed the blueprint of the exam and are evident in the exam outline or the Exam Domain and Knowledge Areas. SAF worked with a wide range of partners and over 50 subject matter expert volunteers throughout the U.S. and Canada over the development process for the CUCF certification & testing began in the spring of 2024. Subject matter expert volunteers included local municipalities urban and community foresters, field technicians, academia for urban forestry programs, arborists, utility workers, private business owners and consultants, landscape architects, and city planners, along with other similar organizations, to name a few. In 2013 SAF entered an agreement with the California Urban Forests Council, and in 2020, SAF had a market analysis performed. Both laid the foundation for the Certified Urban and Community Forester certification program. The market study determined many gaps and the need for a certification to serve those in urban & community forestry. While the results of the survey aren’t published, they informed the blueprint of the exam and are evident in the exam outline or the Exam Domain and Knowledge Areas. SAF worked with a wide range of partners and over 50 subject matter expert volunteers throughout the U.S. and Canada over the development process for the CUCF certification & testing began in the spring of 2024. Subject matter expert volunteers included local municipalities urban and community foresters, field technicians, academia for urban forestry programs, arborists, utility workers, private business owners and consultants, landscape architects, and city planners, along with other similar organizations, to name a few. In 2013 SAF entered an agreement with the California Urban Forests Council, and in 2020, SAF had a market analysis performed. Both laid the foundation for the Certified Urban and Community Forester certification program. The market study determined many gaps and the need for a certification to serve those in urban & community forestry. While the results of the survey aren’t published, they informed the blueprint of the exam and are evident in the exam outline or the Exam Domain and Knowledge Areas. SAF worked with a wide range of partners and over 50 subject matter expert volunteers throughout the U.S. and Canada over the development process for the CUCF certification & testing began in the spring of 2024. Subject matter expert volunteers included local municipalities urban and community foresters, field technicians, academia for urban forestry programs, arborists, utility workers, private business owners and consultants, landscape architects, and city planners, along with other similar organizations, to name a few. In 2013 SAF entered an agreement with the California Urban Forests Council, and in 2020, SAF had a market analysis performed. Both laid the foundation for the Certified Urban and Community Forester certification program. The market study determined many gaps and the need for a certification to serve those in urban & community forestry. While the results of the survey aren’t published, they informed the blueprint of the exam and are evident in the exam outline or the Exam Domain and Knowledge Areas. SAF worked with a wide range of partners and over 50 subject matter expert volunteers throughout the U.S. and Canada over the development process for the CUCF certification & testing began in the spring of 2024. Subject matter expert volunteers included local municipalities urban and community foresters, field technicians, academia for urban forestry programs, arborists, utility workers, private business owners and consultants, landscape architects, and city planners, along with other similar organizations, to name a few. VAFHP Annual Meeting • February 20, 2025 • Staunton, VA
18. 18  22 Certification Development Progress Source www.eforester.org/Main/Certification_Education/Certified_Forester/New- Certifications/Main/Certification/New-Certifications.aspx • 101 applicants earned CUCF credential in 2024 • 40 applicants approved in 2024 and awaiting to take exam in • 12 professionals earned CCUCF designation in 2024 • Number of CUCFs and CCUCFs continues to grow daily VAFHP Annual Meeting • February 20, 2025 • Staunton, VA
19. 19  22 CUCFTM Exam Overview 2024 Urban and Community Forester Exam Domains and Knowledge Areas Domain 1 (18%): Urban and Community Forestry Fundamentals Domain 2 (15%): Integrating Urban and Community Forest and Built Environments Domain 3 (16%): Urban and Community Forest Assessment and Planning Domain 4 (17%): Urban and Community Forest Management Domain 5 (14%): Ecosystems Management Domain 6 (08%): Administration Domain 7 (12%): Communication, Engagement, and Relationship Building VAFHP Annual Meeting • February 20, 2025 • Staunton, VA
20. 20  22 Eligibility Pathways for Certification No Degree (Experience Only) Technical Degree (A.A.S.) Professional Degree (B.S., M.S., Ph.D.) Related Degree Related Degree CUCF CCUCF Unrelated Degree & 5+ years experience within past 10 years Auto; CUCF eligible at 5+ years experience & 6+ years experience within past 10 years & 2+ years experience; CUCF eligible at 6+ years experience CUCF CCUCF & 6+ years experience within past 10 years & 3+ years experience; CUCF eligible at 6+ years experience Unrelated Degree & 7+ years experience within past 10 years CUCF CCUCF & 3+ years experience; CUCF eligible at 7+ years experience 3+ years experience within past 10 years; CUCF eligible at 8+ years experience 8+ years experience within past 10 years VAFHP Annual Meeting • February 20, 2025 • Staunton, VA
21. 21  22 Why Forestry Should Cheer • The credential is rigorous and very well designed • The credential exposes SAF to a whole new demographic for membership and revenue • The credential raises the visibility and credibility of SAF in urban areas • The credential legitimizes U&CF as a distinct academic and professional pathway and identity • The credential stakes a claim to subject matter expertise in the crowded urban professional space Source: Larry Harwell Photography, Charlotte VAFHP Annual Meeting • February 20, 2025 • Staunton, VA
22. P. Eric Wiseman, PhD Associate Professor of Urban and Community Forestry Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation Virginia Tech vtuf@vt.edu linktr.ee/EricWiseman 22  22 Certified Urban and Community Forester Credential Aims to Elevate the Profession and Grow SAF VAFHP Annual Meeting • February 20, 2025 • Staunton, VA