Funded by a USFS landscape scale restoration grant, the NM State Forestry Urban and Community Forestry Program engaged Groundwork Studio in a unique three year effort to conduct a statewide urban tree assessment and develop a long-term community forestry management plan. The project began with a historic analysis of how urban trees came to New Mexico and the role they play in the culture of different communities.

This historic analysis, in combination with the inventory of urban trees in all 33 county seats, and a stakeholder interview process, identified four specific challenge areas as being universal to all communities in New Mexico. These challenge areas include: 1) Replanting Historic Landscapes; 2) Work Prioritization for a High Volume of Trees; 3) Risk Management of Trees in the Public Right of Way; and 4) Cross Agency Coordination.

With a particular focus on these challenge areas, Groundwork Studio developed a Community Forestry Management Plan and two interactive online storymaps (linked below) to help State Forestry staff and our New Mexico communities better plan for community forest management well into the future. The plan includes analysis of historic and current tree care practices, interactive “decision trees,” dozens of tree management resources, and recommendations for improving tree management practices statewide.