Urban and Community Forestry | Services for Local Governments

URBAN & COMMUNITY FORESTRY

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- Growing Texas: a community handbook is a resource to help maintain sense of place and quality of life as your city grows.
- Urban Forestry Management planning is a key component of a sustainable community forestry program.
- Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) Planning Guide, a resource and workbook that helps plan for, understand, and reduce the impact of EAB in your community.
- Storm Planning Guide is a resource and workbook that helps you create an emergency storm plan for your community.
- Tree Ordinance Tutorial: Learn what makes certain clauses effective and download a fillable public tree care ordinance document.
- Urban Tree Canopy is the layer of leaves, stems and branches that cover the ground when viewed from above. Urban growth can put existing canopy at risk, but can also provide an opportunity to grow your tree canopy. TFS displays UTC analyses for communities across Texas through the UTC app on Texas Forest Info.
- Inventories & Assessments help define the value of your urban forest.
- Training and Workshops are available year-round. Contact your Regional Urban Forester or check our calendar for more information.
- Making your community compatible with nature (PDF, 2.1MB)
- Drought Tips
- Urban Forestry Information Sheets
- Effects of Hurricane Harvey on Houston's Urban Forest
+ Tree City USA / Tree Campus USA / Tree Line USA
Tree City USA is an elite designation for communities that meet minimum standards set by the Arbor Day Foundation for community forestry programs. Texas A&M Forest Service foresters help leaders qualify for, apply and maintain the distinction.
Tree Campus USA recognizes excellence in campus tree care as well as student engagement in tree-related projects within the surrounding community.
Tree Line USA recognizes best practices in public and private utility arboriculture, while emphasizing the value trees have in conserving energy.

All three in one community is a trifecta of Trees USA and shows a collaborative effort in enhancing the forest where we live, work, and play.
+ Community Forestry Grants
The Texas A&M Forest Service’s Community Forestry Grant Program will be accepting proposals for the 2024 grant program in mid-December. This competitive grant program will provide an excellent opportunity for Texas Communities to enhance and sustain our community forests. Grant materials such as the Guidance Document and Request for Proposals are out now. We encourage you to explore these resources, and other opportunities related to the Community Forestry Grants at: https://tfsweb.tamu.edu/communityforestrygrants/
The Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program (Community Forest Program) protects forests that are important for people and the places they call home. The CFP program is a USFS grant program open to local governments, qualified nonprofit organizations and Indian Tribes to conserve forest lands that provide community benefits and public access.

Check the Community Forest Program Road Map and Appendices for complete information on the program and process
Community Forest Program Fact Sheet
Review an application sample and how applications are scored
Application
Download a flyer or get more information
+ Urban Forestry Regional Offices

RELATED INFORMATION

FOREST ACTION PLAN

FIRE DANGER: CURRENT SITUATION

Find current wildfire activity, Texas fire potential, news and more.

HEALTHY TREES, HEALTHY LIVES

Research reinforces what much of the forestry community already knows — that trees have a positive impact on human health. Learn more.

Texas A&M Forest Service offers careers that can take you anywhere from a wildfire line defending lives and homes, to a forest protecting and conserving Texas natural resources to a computer working on a new application to create solutions for Texans across the state.

NEWSROOM

Texas volunteer fire departments receive $2.1 million in grants
On March 5, 2025, Texas A&M Forest Service held the second of three funding meetings of fiscal year 2025 for the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program, awarding 94 grants totaling $2.1 million.

Panola County timber theft case resolved, recovered $50,240
Following a Texas A&M Forest Service timber theft investigation, $50,240 has been recovered to a group of Panola County landowners for unpaid timber sales.

Prepare for wildfires as potential continues - February 2025
As wildfire potential continues across Texas, prepare and keep prevention top of mind.

FIRE DANGER: CURRENT SITUATION

Find current wildfire activity, Texas fire potential, news and more.

HEALTHY TREES, HEALTHY LIVES

Research reinforces what much of the forestry community already knows — that trees have a positive impact on human health. Learn more.

CAREERS

NEWSROOM

3/11/2025 4:50:00 PM
Texas volunteer fire departments receive $2.1 million in grants
On March 5, 2025, Texas A&M Forest Service held the second of three funding meetings of fiscal year 2025 for the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program, awarding 94 grants totaling $2.1 million.

3/6/2025 2:45:00 PM
Panola County timber theft case resolved, recovered $50,240
Following a Texas A&M Forest Service timber theft investigation, $50,240 has been recovered to a group of Panola County landowners for unpaid timber sales.

2/27/2025 3:35:00 PM
Prepare for wildfires as potential continues - February 2025
As wildfire potential continues across Texas, prepare and keep prevention top of mind.

FIRE DANGER: CURRENT SITUATION

HEALTHY TREES, HEALTHY LIVES

CAREERS

NEWSROOM

FIRE DANGER: CURRENT SITUATION

HEALTHY TREES, HEALTHY LIVES

CAREERS

TEXAS A&M FOREST SERVICE

TEXAS A&M FOREST SERVICE

ADMINISTRATION

ADMINISTRATION

STATE OF TEXAS

STATE OF TEXAS

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BREAKING NEWS

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BREAKING NEWS