Purpose of this Marketing Strategy
The Western Urban and Community Forestry Committee, part of the Council of Western State Foresters (CWSF) and the Western Forestry Leadership
Coalition (WFLC), has developed this strategy to communicate and promote the benefits of Urban and Community Forestry in the 17 western states and
Pacific Islands. The purpose of this strategy is to position Urban and Community Forestry (U&CF) in the West so that it more clearly resonates with
federal, state, and local decision makers who control resources and can influence support for U&CF efforts. The primary users of this strategy are the
members and staffs of the Western Forestry Leadership Coalition, such as U&CF coordinators from State Forestry Agencies and the US Forest Service.
However, this strategy can be utilized by any organization wishing to promote U&CF activities. The audiences for these strategic actions are community
leaders, the media, and program stakeholders who can advocate for more active urban forest management. Through the creation and utilization of key
messages, goals, actions, and talking points, we can convey the importance of this work and speak with one western voice on U&CF issues.

Background of Western Urban and Community Forestry
The rapid population growth and urban development that has occurred in the West in the last 20 years makes it imperative that the Western U&CF
Committee help build a greater awareness and recognition of, and commitment to, urban and community forest management. Urban sprawl, forest cover
loss, invasive species, urban/wildland fire, public health, water quality, air pollution and climate change are just a few of the critically important issues
which U&CF positively addresses. Yet the public, the media, and even community decision-makers are often unaware of the strong and beneficial
connections between U&CF and these issues.

The forestry agencies in the Western states and Pacific Islands administer U&CF programs that provide technical, financial, and educational assistance to
help communities manage their urban forests. State U&CF programs help cities reap the economic, environmental, and social benefits trees provide, and
support ecosystem services that add great value to the quality of life in Western communities. Among the U&CF program partners and stakeholders in
each state, the importance and value of U&CF is well known and appreciated. But beyond those circles, the benefits gained by creating a healthy and
sustainable urban forest is not widely understood or appreciated, and therefore U&CF is under-valued as a mechanism for addressing multiple critical
natural resource and societal issues. Due to the expansive rural and forested public lands in the West, U&CF programs have historically taken a backseat
to traditional forestry issues. By contrast, the more numerous and much older urban areas in other parts of the US have more history and more visibility
with urban forest management. In the West, urban forests and rural forests are often seen as two separate natural systems, rather than being viewed as
interconnected parts of the larger landscape. This latter situation has resulted in many missed opportunities to help people understand the need for
proper management of trees and forests across the entire landscape. With recent rapid population growth and increased urbanization in the West, U&CF
programs are more critical than ever, and are well positioned to serve a more important role.

This document proposes a communications and marketing direction for U&CF that promotes the benefits of this valuable resource, and its management,
throughout the West. This strategy is predicated on the belief that a healthy and sustainable urban forest landscape can be part of the solution to many
natural resource problems facing the West, and that through greater awareness and understanding of urban forestry, a broader base of support can be
built which will result in stronger, more sustainable state and local urban forestry programs.

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A Marketing Strategy for Urban & Community Forestry in the West