Provides crucial information on the preparation for natural disasters striking urban forests in large cities and small communities. Describes three chronological action phases for natural disasters: 1. preparation (planning and warning activities), 2. response (immediate activity during and after natural disasters), and 3. recovery (activities to regain or improve upon pre-disaster conditions). Identifies the steps required to develop and implement plans in local communities. Black and white photos of disaster scenes and detailed plan guides.

Hurricane Gustav was the second most destructive hurricane of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season. In Baton Rouge, Louisiana the wind damage from Gustav was the worst of any storm in memory. Thousands of urban forest trees were uprooted and snapped in half by Gustav's fierce winds. A post hurricane analysis of the Baton Rougeu2019s urban forest ecosystem was conducted using i-Tree Eco software application and based on the Urban Forest Effects Model (UFORE). The analysis revealed that this area has about 1,036,175 trees with tree canopies that cover 44.6 % percent of the city. The analysis reveals a significant tree canopy reduction. The city has more than 45 tree species. Trees currently store about 2 million tons of carbon per year with an associated estimated value of $ 41 million per year. In addition, these trees remove about 178,354 tons of CO2 per year with an associated estimated value of $1.1 million per year. Baton Rougeu2019s trees are estimated to reduce annual residential energy costs by $8.0 million annually and reduce air pollution (ozone, particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide) by 860 tons per year with an associated estimated value of $6.86 million per year. The structural value of the trees is estimated at $ 6.2 billion. With the increase in climate variability, increased frequency and intensity of storms, and urbanization pressure, more trees need to be planted and maintained to sustain the current level of structural values and ecological services.

In early December 2006, a powerful windstorm ripped through Vancouver’s Stanley Park. The storm transformed the city’s most treasured landmark into a tangle of splintered trees, and shattered a decades-old vision of the park as timeless virgin wilderness. In Inventing Stanley Park, Sean Kheraj traces how the tension between popular expectations of idealized nature and the volatility of complex ecosystems helped transform the landscape of one of the world’s most famous urban parks. This beautifully illustrated book not only depicts the natural and cultural forces that shaped the park’s landscape, it also examines the roots of our complex relationship with nature.

This book addresses the nuts and bolts of planning and preserving natural assets at a variety of scales--from dense urban environments to scenic rural landscapes. A practical guide to creating effective and well-crafted plans and then implementing them, the book presents a six-step process developed and field-tested by the Green Infrastructure Center in Charlottesville, Virginia. Well-organized chapters explain how each step, from setting goals to implementing opportunities, can be applied to a variety of scenarios, customizable to the reader's target geographical location.