1. Urban Forest Strike Team Team Leader Response Protocols Review
Eric Kuehler, USDA Forest Service
New Kent, VA
July 14-15, 2008
The purpose of this presentation is to review the current urban forest emergency response protocols used by the UFST.

2. UFST Current Response Protocols
Storm Damage Assessment Protocol
Pre-storm debris potential assessment
Post-storm debris estimation assessment
Risk Assessment Protocol
Potential Tree Planting Site Protocol
Depending on the situation and what the municipality needs or wants after a natural disaster, the UFST uses three protocols to assess debris volume, tree damage or risk of hazard, and potential tree planting sites to restore the urban forest.

3. Disaster Response Timeline
Pre-storm planning:
SDAP pre-storm
Disaster
Strikes
12-72 hrs
3-60 days
2 – 24 months
>2 years
SDAP
Risk Assessment Protocol
Potential Tree Planting Site Protocol
SDAP pre-storm: Not currently in SGSF/Region 8 plan for UFST
SDAP: FEMA debris management standards apply
Risk Assessment Protocol: FEMA standards may or may not apply
Potential Tree Planting Site Protocol: Local planting guidelines apply
Federal
Declaration
Response
Recovery
Post-
FEMA
The various protocols are used at various times after a natural disaster. Several protocols can be used simultaneously depending on what the municipality wants or needs.

4. Storm Damage Assessment Protocol
After a storm, municipalities will have a lot of debris to deal with. They will want to estimate the amount they have so that they can plan for its storage, and they need to know how much it will cost them to clean it up.
Post-storm debris:
Municipalities need to –
Estimate amounts
Estimate clean-up costs

5. Storm Damage Assessment Protocol
What information does it provide?
An estimate of the number and size of trees in the affected area requiring removal/pruning (per FEMA criteria)
Estimates vegetative debris that has been generated
Cost estimates for tree removal/pruning
Cost estimates of vegetative debris removal
This is info cities need for planning
This is information that municipalities will need for budgetary planning and negotiating with FEMA for reimbursement.

6. Storm Damage Assessment Protocol
Isolate affected area using GIS layer or paper map
Stratify into land-use areas (i.e. residential, commercial, industrial, etc.) if needed
Randomly choose street segments from each stratum
Obtain length of each street segment (ft) and total street miles in each stratum or the entire affected area
City officials should have land-use information and total street miles for each stratum.

7. A tally sheet for each street segment will be needed
This form documents removals,
pruning, and debris in urban areas
Fill out plot information as completely as possible (you may want to use “from” and “to” street rather than address)
Tally the number of trees on the right-of-way that you believe should be removed or pruned by size class
Estimate the amount of debris in cubic yards on the ROW and out 50 feet from the ROW (by 100 foot segments)
For each randomly-selected street segment, a dot tally sheet will be generated. It will have the street name, team id, from address, to address, plot number, and date of data collection. Instructions about how to use it are found on the back.

8. 24 cubic yards of debris Debris Estimation yd3 24 = 15 person van
20 = 4 door full size SUV
15 = Dodge Magnum S.W.
9 = std 6’x6’X7’ dumpster
5 = port-o-john
1 = dog house
Consult Whole Tree Volume tables for wind-thrown trees
Examples of debris estimation.

9. Storm Damage Assessment Protocol
Data from the tally sheets will be entered into the SDAP Excel spreadsheet by hand. Each stratum’s data will be entered separately and saved as a separate file.

10. Storm Damage Assessment Protocol
Enter plot information here
Enter plot info, removal, and hazard prune information
Enter removal and pruning information here

11. Storm Damage Assessment Protocol
Enter debris estimations here
The software will automatically sum debris estimations
Signify cubic yard debris estimation method by “Y” in the CY field
Signify cubic yard debris estimation method by entering Y under CY field. Enter debris estimation information.

12. Storm Damage Assessment Protocol
Set total street miles and costs
The final report gives the community approximate costs of removal, pruning, and debris clean-up as well as approximate number of removals, prunings, and cubic yards so that the municipality can plan for the temporary storage of the debris. These values can also be used to negotiate a settlement with FEMA if needed.

13. Disaster Response Timeline
Pre-storm planning:
SDAP pre-storm
Disaster
Strikes
12-72 hrs
3-60 days
2 – 24 months
>2 years
SDAP
Risk Assessment Protocol
Potential Tree Planting Site Protocol
SDAP pre-storm: Not currently in SGSF/Region 8 plan for UFST
SDAP: FEMA debris management standards apply
Risk Assessment Protocol: FEMA standards may or may not apply
Potential Tree Planting Site Protocol: Local planting guidelines apply
Federal
Declaration
Response
Recovery
Post-
FEMA
Assessing trees for risk of hazards can be done simultaneously with SDAP and/or tree planting site protocol. It usually is conducted after basic infrastructure has been restored and after health and safety concerns have been addressed.

14. Risk Assessment Protocol
Basically determines if tree stays or goes
Highly variable
Depends on what community needs
Can use FEMA-325 standards
Can use local standards
Used to negotiate FEMA settlement
Used to develop interim management plan

15. Risk Assessment Protocol
Basic components of data collection
Species (can be to genus)
DBH
Location (preferably spatial)
Remove entire tree or prune hazard limbs
Justification
Immediate action required
Not storm related
Notes (make it brief)

16. Risk Assessment Protocol
Other components as needed
Physical address
“on street”, “from street”, “to street”
Location on parcel
Public or private tree
Inspect further
Corrective prune or other action
Etc. (to meet communities needs)

17. Risk Assessment Protocol
How to set it up
Determine what the city wants (needs)
What will city do with the data
FEMA reimbursement
UF interim management plan
What is the extent of the damage
What are the areas of prime interest
What are the time constraints
Know the limits of your resources
Communities may not know what they want, so you may have to step in to let them know what they need.

18. Risk Assessment Protocol
How to set it up
Secure scaled maps and/or GIS layers of impacted area
Recommended GIS layers
Street (edge of pavement or centerline)
Right-of-way
Parcels with addresses
Set-up GPS equipment or paper data sheets
Data dictionary for GPS
Excel spreadsheet for paper data collection

19. Risk Assessment Protocol

20. Reporting Block report Priority lists Location maps GIS layer
Interpretation
How does the city want it?

21. Risk Assessment Protocol
Reporting
Oklahoma Ice Storm
Example of reports generated for Tulsa, OK Ice Storm response in Feb. 2008

22. Disaster Response Timeline
Pre-storm planning:
SDAP pre-storm
Disaster
Strikes
12-72 hrs
3-60 days
2 – 24 months
>2 years
SDAP
Risk Assessment Protocol
Potential Tree Planting Site Protocol
SDAP pre-storm: Not currently in SGSF/Region 8 plan for UFST
SDAP: FEMA debris management standards apply
Risk Assessment Protocol: FEMA standards may or may not apply
Potential Tree Planting Site Protocol: Local planting guidelines apply
Federal
Declaration
Response
Recovery
Post-
FEMA
Potential tree planting site protocol is usually conducted after the clean-up effort, however, it can be done simultaneously with the risk assessment protocol.

23. Tree Planting Site Protocol
Used to help communities re-establish the urban forest
Usually there is no FEMA financial assistance for tree planting
Funding could come from other governmental agencies (US Forest Service)
Most likely not an ICS function

24. Tree Planting Site Protocol
How to set it up
Identify communities wants (needs)
Obtain local tree planting criteria (if available)
Public/private planting
Minimum planting space
Spacing requirements
Planting under utilities
Site triangles
Etc.
Communities may not know what they want, so you may have to step in to let them know what they need.

25. Tree Planting Site Protocol
Obtain scaled maps or GIS layers
ROW and/or publicly-owned property
Parcel boundaries with address
Develop GPS data dictionary or paper data sheet
Street and address
Public or private property
Tree lawn size
Utilities present
Recommended tree size
Notes

26. Reporting
Block report
Location maps
GIS layer

27. ? Urban Forest Strike Team Team Leader Response Protocols Review
Eric Kuehler, USDA Forest Service
New Kent, VA
July 14-15, 2008 ?