GUIDELINES

FOR
URBAN FOREST
RESTORATION

Part2:Planningthework

Content
Chapter3:SiteInventory,Assessment,and
Selection
1.EstablishGoals
2.ReviewOpportunitiesandConstraints
3.AssessSitesintheField
4.EvaluateandPrioritizeSites
5.CaseStudy:AssessingSites:Opportunities
vs.Constraints

Restoration Site Selection Process

Establish
Restoration
Goals

Review
Opportunities
and
Constraints

Evaluateand
Prioritize
Sites

AssessSites
intheField

Establish Goals
Articulating overarching goals will help
guide your process, as you return to those
ideas to make decisions along the way, and
enable you to communicate more
effectively both internally and externally to
stakeholders.

Ex.SettingGoalsatDifferentSpatialScales

REVIEW OPPORTUNITIES AND CONSTRAINTS

opportunitiesandconstraintstoidentifysites
thatcanberestoredwiththegreatestease.

Maintopic:

1. GeographyandLandUseContext
2. EcologicalandVegetativeContext
3. SoilsandClimate
4. CulturalSignificance
5.PolicyandRegulation

REVIEW OPPORTUNITIES AND CONSTRAINTS

Areviewofmultiplecategoriesof
informationcanhelptofocusforest
restorationworkonwhereitwillbe
mostsuccessful

REVIEW OPPORTUNITIES AND CONSTRAINTS

GeographyandLandUseContext
Forest restoration competes with many other land use
priorities. Review current and proposed uses of the land
carefully. In existing park areas, public programming and
active recreation can conflict with the goals of site
restoration. Passive uses, such as unpaved walking paths
and nature interpretation programming, are usually
compatible with reforestation with only slight
adjustments.

EcologicalandVegetativeContext
The ecological context of a proposed site, in terms of what
surrounds it. Land types are adjacent to or near it, affects
the sustainability of a future forest.
Existingvegetation onasitecanbeastrongindicatorof
soilqualityandhydrology,whichinturncanbesuggestive
ofthepotentialeaseordifficultyofrestoration.

REVIEW OPPORTUNITIES AND CONSTRAINTS

SoilsandClimate
Soil and climate are the most important physical
determinants of terrestrial ecosystem composition.
Soil can vary greatly, even at the site scale.
Understandingthe naturally occurring heterogeneity of soils
will help practitioners better evaluate how to manage the
existing soil at a specific site.
Climate varies little at the regional scale, with relative
uniformity in the average rainfall and number of growing
day per year. However, the microclimate of a site may vary
significantly from its surroundings, creating opportunities
and constraints for germination and young plant growth.

REVIEW OPPORTUNITIES AND CONSTRAINTS

CulturalSignificance
Some sites that appear to offer a perfect constellation
of opportunities for reforestation may be constrained due
to their historical or cultural significance.
foe example, ensuring that site preparation and
planting will not disturb archaeological deposits.

PolicyandRegulations
Some sites are subject to local, state, and/or federal
regulations. Depending on project size, location, and
agency jurisdiction, several permits may be required for
forest restoration.

ASSESS SITES IN THE FIELD

visit potential sites to collect

the necessary data to make
final site selections

ASSESS SITES IN THE FIELD

LogisticalInformation
Generaldirectionsandlocation
Location,access,andcontextwithinthepark.
Regulatoryconflicts.
Photopoints.
Contactinformation.

EcologicalInformation
Vegetation
Topography
Hydrology
Soil
basiccharacteristicsofsoil

EvaluatingSoils
Depth
Texture
Moisture
Structure

EVALUATE AND PRIORITIZE SITE

DataManagement
Regular and consistent documentation and
communication is essential during the entire
life of a restoration project.
So it important to Establish a standard format
and protocol, including your fi ling system and fi
lenaming standards, and make sure all staff,
contractors, and volunteers understand data
management
procedures
before
they
commence their work.

EVALUATE AND PRIORITIZE SITE

DataManagement
Ongoing and comprehensive recordkeeping about site conditions and site work
will allow you to:
Evaluate the effectiveness of invasive plant treatments and other restoration
methods
Provide required information to regulatory agencies (e.g., in New York, the
Department of Environmental Conservation requires annual reports on herbicide
applications)
Document the hours and money spent and the materials used during each
phase of a project to inform future work planning, scheduling, and budgeting
Develop sitespecific maintenance programs and/or inspection regimes for
installed planting
Adapt site management based on evolving site conditions and/or the
observed effectiveness of current management procedures
Compare data collected from multiple sites
Ensure project continuity in the event of staff or management changes

EVALUATE AND PRIORITIZE SITE

Conclusion
Once you have found your optimal sites, engaged stakeholders and
managers, and carefully recorded the process, you are ready to begin the next
phase of your project: site planning and design.
Remember, when working with natural systems, a level of unpredictably is
inevitable. Physical and environmental, and even political, conditions can change
unexpectedly, leaving your projects schedule, work plans, or funding uncertain.
Thorough planning and documentation are an important first step in
effective management of the many variables that will come along on the
bumpy road to successful forest restoration.
Once the site has been selected, it is important to review the site goals as
you enter into the next steps of restoration design, implementation, and
monitoring.

Content
Chapter4:SitePlanningandDesign
1.GoalsandObjectives
2.RestorationPlanningConsiderations
3.DesigningtheForest
4.EstablishmentandAdaptiveManagement
5.CaseStudy:PlaNYC Reforestationat
Kissena CorridorPark

Goals and Objectives

Restorationandecologicalaims
Theprimarygoalofforestrestorationisto
createandrestoreforests.Useyourdesignto
maximizeecologicalfunctionandhabitat.
Thehealthyforestsyoucreateshouldbuild
soil,plantednativespecies,resistthenonnative
species

Goals and Objectives

Aestheticsandsocialfunction
Considerallexistingfeaturesofasiteas
well,bothpositiveandnegative.Donotaffectto
existingorproposedinfrastructureanddiscuss
withthecommunity
Thedesignmightbehelpblockdangerous
suchslopes,visualperception,zoning(active
andactive),andthesignificant

Goals and Objectives

Practicalandadministrativerequirements
Designwithinthelimitationssuchfunding
andtime.Thereareafactorthateffectto
techniques,soilpreparation,andplantmaterials

Restoration planning considerations

Practical/administrative
Timeline Scheduleyourplans,startand
enddates,establishcontracts,hiringemployees.
Sotherestorationwilldependupontheseasons
Publicoutreach Respectfulcommunication
withallstakeholdersearlyontopromote
communityinvestmentandstewardship,
discouragenegative behavior

Restoration planning considerations

Ontheground
Workforce Contractorstendtobe
expensive,soNRGoftenusesvolunteersfor
planting(largedebrismustbeclearedawayfirst
forsafety).
Siteprotection Installingfencingmayhelp
protectexistingtrees,preventherbivoryand
damagebybike/ATVuse.
Invasiveplantmanagement

Designing the forest

Thefollowingfactorswillinformyourselections
anddecisionstodesigningtheforest.
Species
NEW YORK CITY
Provenance
NATIVE PLANT
LAW AND NATIVE
ClimateChange
PLANTING GUIDE
SizeandPackaging
TheNewYorkCityCouncil
Spacing
passedLocalLawencourages
theplantingofnativeplant
PestsandWildlife
speciesandtheminimizingthe
exotics

Designing the forest

Species
Foresttypes(e.g.,floodplainforests,coastal
maritimeforests,etc.)havearangeof
idealgrowingconditionsthatareimportantto
considerwhendevelopingaplanting
list.Existingsitehydrologyandvegetationcan
provideinsightintowhichforest
communitiesmaythrivethere.

Designing the forest

Provenance
Selectingsourcematerialforrestorationand
managementoflocalecosystemsneedtobe
carefullyconsidered.Usingnonlocalseed
sourcesthatarenotadaptedtolocalgrowing
conditionscanpredisposethosetranslocated
plantstonovelstresses,decreasingtheir
chancesforsuccess.

Designing the forest

ClimateChange
Mostplantsliveinareaswithveryspecific
climateconditions,suchastemperatureand
rainfallpatterns,thatenablethemtothrive.
Anychangeintheclimateofanareacan
affecttheplantslivingthereandaltersthelife
cyclesofplants.

Designing the forest

SizeandPackaging
Thereareinfourbasicpackagingtypes:
Balledandburlapped (B&B),containergrown,
bareroot,andlivestakes;eachwithadvantages
anddisadvantagesthatyoushouldweighduring
thedesign

Designing the forest

Spacing
Theplantspacingdesignwillreflectto
budget,maintenance,capacity,aesthetics,and
canopyclosure

Designing the forest

PestsandWildlife
Considerpotentialpestswhenselecting
plantsandspecifyingspacing.Inmost
cases,donotusespeciesthatareknowntohost
insectpests.

Conclusion
Thesuccessofrestorationdependsheavily
onmanagementafterplanting.Methodsof
watering,continuedinvasivecontrol,litter
removal,andprotectionfromherbivoryarethe
maincomponentsofalongtermmanagement
plan.
Athoughtfuldesignforsitepreparationand
installationcanonlybeachievedthroughthe
closestudyofagivensite.Understandthatyou
mayneedtoexperimentwithandadaptyour
strategiesandtechniquesovertime.