Trees are essential for the well-being of the ecosystem and provide numerous other functions that benefit the health and welfare of people. But harsh environmental conditions in the urban areas and development in rural areas jeopardize the long-term survival of trees. Municipalities in Rhode Island need to develop urban and community forestry programs to promote the survival and protection of trees.

In order to gain a better understanding about how trees are currently managed in Rhode Island, I interviewed representatives from 30 of the 39 municipalities. The data resulting from the interviews demonstrate that many of the municipal programs are missing some or all of the components that are necessary to insure the long-term health of their forests. Many municipalities, for example, lack a tree replacement plan, do not perform routine maintenance, and do not involve community members. Due to the disparity amongst municipal tree programs, I recommend that stricter guidelines should be provided on the state level.

The Rhode Island Urban and Community Forest Council (now the Rhode Island Forest Council) and the State Division of Planning are preparing an urban and community forestry component for inclusion in the State Guide Plan. This component would provide the municipalities with needed guidelines concerning the development of their tree management programs. I recommend that the guide plan component should encourage the protection of trees on undeveloped properties, emphasize the benefit of conducting an inventory, stress the importance of a routine maintenance plan, and suggest ways to involve community members.