California Urban Forest Advisory

CUFAC reviews and recommends UCF Program outreach, partnership, and other activities including the program’s contributions to Climate Action strategies. In addition, CUFAC provides recommendations and input for current issues facing the UCF Program.

CUFAC’s members are appointed by the Director and include 17 industry branches including non-profit and governmental entities, professional organizations, academics, cooperative extension, as well as the private industry. The purpose and duties of this advisory body can be found in the CUFAC Charter (PDF).

CUFAC is a diverse committee of professionals connected to the urban forest industry. All CUFAC members are/will be familiar with the Urban Forestry Act, which governs the UCF Program. The objective of the committee is to develop a comprehensive CAL FIRE UCF Action/Strategic Plan (the current Plan ends in 2024) and evaluate the plan’s implementation. Collaboration is essential to implement the broad and varied goals, objectives, and strategies of this plan.

Main goals of the plan include:

1) Optimize the benefits all Californians receive from urban & community forests by increasing awareness of the value of urban forestry, providing urban forestry resources and tree planting support, and advocating for and encouraging local decision-makers to fund urban forests as essential community infrastructure;

2) Strengthen the urban forest industry workforce by promoting the importance of urban forestry jobs and urban forestry as critical resource and essential infrastructure, fostering diversity, and advancing innovation and leadership; and

3) Improve the health and management of the urban forest by championing effective management of urban forests, promoting the highest standards of tree care, increasing the resilience of urban forests, and advancing practices and policies to optimize the health and management of urban forests.

CAL FIRE Urban & Community Forestry Program Strategic Plan 2019-2024 Summary