July 2026

Policy Advisory: Strategies to Value and Retain Mature Urban Trees on Private Lands

JD Brown

University of Virginia, Biophilic Cities Program Director and Research Coordinator for the Center for Forest Urbanism

Mature trees play an outsized role in urban nature infrastructure. When trees reach their maximum size and height according to their species and the context of the urban environment that they inhabit, they are most productive, offering exponentially greater ecosystem services and biophilic benefits for health and well-being compared to newly planted trees.

Many urban forest plans set forth steps to preserve these important assets on public lands, but what opportunities are available to cities to support the preservation of mature trees on private lands?

With support from the Bob Skiera Memorial Fund Building Bridges Initiative and John P. White Grant Program, Biophilic Cities has researched and compiled policies from cities across the US and globally to value and preserve mature urban trees on private lands. These strategies are multifaceted and look to support preservation through a variety of approaches. Through a policy advisory and online toolkit, we draw on adopted policies and recommend a four-step road map to aid cities in embracing the full spectrum of these complementary strategies:

1.     Take stock of existing trees: An accurate assessment of the extent and value of mature trees is a critical first step to understanding opportunities for preservation.

2.     Engage stakeholders: A broad range of stakeholders benefit from and are impacted by the preservation of mature trees. Needed engagement includes addressing perceived barriers to the preservation of mature trees, informing the public of the benefits provided by trees, and cultivating new social norms that support effective and informed decision-making.

3.     Adopt baseline protections: A regulatory baseline is necessary to encourage the preservation of mature trees on private lands. In the US, cities have adopted a range of measures permitted by state law.

4.     Provide financial and technical support: Recognizing that the preservation of mature trees creates a burden for private landowners, which benefits both those landowners and the larger community, cities can share that burden through strategies to provide incentives and financial and technical support.

Resources:

“Policy Toolkit: Protecting Mature Urban Trees on Private Lands.” 2025. Biophilic Cities. https://www.biophiliccities.org/mature-urban-tree-policy-toolkit.

This research study was funded in part by TREE Fund's 2023 Bob Skiera Memorial Fund Building Bridges Initiative and John P. White Grant Program. 

Lead Donors

We are deeply grateful to the following people and organizations whose accumulated contributions to TREE Fund in 2026 recently surpassed $2,500:

Arborwear

Brian Hiemstra

John B. Ward & Co.

New York State Arborists, ISA Chapter, Inc.

SavATree

Todd Sincoular

Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA)

Wright Service Corp.

We'd like to thank all of our individual and corporate donors that have made a gift this year. Your donations are vital to our work in identifying and funding programs that support the discovery and dissemination of new knowledge in arboriculture and urban forestry.

Spring 2026 Application Cycle Awardees

TREE Fund is proud to announce the following research and education grant and student scholarship awardees from the Spring 2026 Application Cycle.

Over $58,160 in research grant money is being awarded during this cycle, with grant money being put towards projects that are focusing on utility arboriculture and the nursery industry.

Utility Arborist Research Fund Grant

Michael Demchick, University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point

“Use of Prescribed Fire and Barrens Seeding in Power Line Rights-of-Way as a Mechanism of Vegetation Management and Ecological Restoration”

$49,538.

The Barborinas Family Fund Grant

Kristopher Criscione, Virginia Polytechnic Institution and State University

“Skipping the Shift- Investigating Root Pruning Techniques to Accelerate Root Growth and Reduce Production Times”

$8,630.

Three education grants are being awarded this spring. Education grants support programs that educate the public about the importance of trees and their care.

Davey Tree Expert Company Community Arboriculture Education Grant Program

Mayra Rodriguez Gonzalez and The University of Connecticut Foundation, Inc.

“Leveraging Drone Technology for Arboriculture and Urban Forestry”

$5,000

Alicia Holloway and the Georgia Tree Council

“Community Tree Advocate Academy”

$5,000

Ohio Chapter ISA Education Grant

Carly Kallicragas and the Cleveland Zoological Society

“Teen Workforce Development and Leadership Program: Arboriculture”

$5,000

Nine student scholarships are being awarded this cycle for $5,000 each.

Robert Felix Memorial Scholarship

Trell Amoss, Oklahoma State University

Liam Ellis, College of William & Mary

Gabriel Koezler, West Virginia University

Marina Lancaster, University of Vermont

Cale Rice, Pennsylvania College of Technology.

Bonnie Appleton Memorial Scholarship

Elizabeth Corrie, University of Missouri

Larry R. Hall Memorial Scholarship

Owen Kocher, Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Will Nutter Memorial Scholarship

Madelyn Leger, University of Kentucky

Fran Ward Women in Arboriculture Scholarship

Keely Zuber, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Read the full story on TREE Fund's website.

TREE Fund's 2026 Free Webinar Series

Save the dates for our 2026 TREE Fund Webinar series. Free webinars available to the public based on research funded by TREE Fund grants. Thanks to the Alabama Cooperative Extension System for helping us again with these videos.

Stay tuned for these 2026 webinars.

Additional dates for this year will continue to be added.

July 21, 2026. Noon CST.

Efficacy of Aphidoletes aphidimyza predator releases to control aphid populations on linden street trees

Presenter: Thomas Whitney, PhD

Registration link: https://auburn.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_DqQK7FKVQ72c6KpB8Esp8g

August 25, 2026. Noon CST.

Can Mandatory Minimum Clearance Requirements Between Trees and Powerlines Successfully Reduce Injuries and Death to Workers and the Public?

Presenter: Lawrence Kahn

Registration link: https://auburn.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_J79e4jf4Sb-5Dj-aoYTxdg

See our Webinar page for more information. https://treefund.org/webinars

TREE Fund’s 1-hour webinars are free and offer 1.0 CEU credit for live broadcasts from the International Society of Arboriculture and the Society of American Foresters. Our website is updated regularly as we add on new webinar dates, so check the webinar page for details.

Missed a webinar? Watch it anytime on our website. You can also subscribe to our YouTube page.

Virtual Tour des Trees Registration Still Open!

Can't make it to the Carolinas this September? Never fear! You can still show your support for TREE Fund by participating in the Virtual Tour des Trees.

Set a fitness goal for yourself for this August and bike, swim, run, or walk your way to supporting tree research and education.

Sign up for the Virtual Tour des Trees today and be a part of this year's ride on your own time. Help spread the word about TREE Fund's programs by crushing your fitness goals and showing why TREE Fund's grants and scholarships are so important to the tree care industry.

See more information and register here.

Companies: Get your co-workers together a set a team goal, competing against other companies. See website for details.

Z133-2006 Safety Standards

The new Z133-2026 Safety Standard is now available through ISA.

Developed to help advance safety across the arboriculture industry, the updated American National Standard: Safety and Health Requirements for Arboricultural Operations has now been approved by ANSI. Digital and print options are now available through the ISA website.

TREE Fund proud to support research based on safety to help inform standards like Z133. To date, TREE Fund has supported over 56 studies related to safety in arboriculture and urban forestry. Check them out here: Safety – TREE Fund

Join Us in Remembering Al West

We are very sad to share the news of the passing of TREE Fund's Chairman Emeritus, Allan West. At the age of 92, Al passed away peacefully in his home on June 3rd, 2026.

Al was a huge part of Tree Research and Education Endowment Fund's genesis as a coming together between the ISA Research Trust and National Arborist Foundation beginning back in the 1990s. He served on the TREE Fund board from 2001-2008. He was TREE Fund's only Chairman Emeritus and one of only four people to be recognized as a trustee emeritus.

Please join us as we remember this giant of tree research.

Obituary: https://www.vcstar.com/obituaries/pyrk1495572

Trivia Night with TREE Fund at ISA Annual Conference in Detroit

Test your trivia skills at the inaugural Trivia Night with TREE Fund during this year's ISA Annual Conference in Detroit.

Held on Monday, August 10, immediately following the ISA Welcome Reception, Trivia Night will feature two hours of questions for everyone, from tree enthusiasts to casual participants. Enjoy drinks, snacks, friendly competition, and exciting prizes, all while supporting vital research that advances the health and sustainability of our urban forests.

Tickets available for individual player purchase or sponsor a table and invite eight of your friends/colleagues/clients to join you for a night of fun. Tickets can be purchased during registration for this year's Conference.

For more information, see the ISA After Hours page.

TREE Fund Webinar Recordings Available for ISA CEUs

Working closely with International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), TREE Fund and ISA are proud to announce a collaboration allowing some video recordings from TREE Fund's Webinar Series to be viewed at later dates so arborists can earn CEUs towards their certifications.

In addition to an accompanying quiz, select, future TREE Fund Webinar recordings will be available in their Online Learning Quizes section of the ISA website. Quizes can be found in the Catalog and the first TREE Fund Webinar quiz on valuing and retaining mature trees can be found HERE.

Largest Tour des Trees in 10 Years!

This year's Tour des Trees will be one of the largest ever! With over 100 riders signed up for this year, we have already broken a record with 96 full-time riders!

A handful of partial-ride options are available and a waitlist has been created.

Please support our riders by making a donation to an individual, team, or in general at www.tourdestrees.org.

The Tour des Trees is a multi-day bike ride that not only raises funds for TREE Fund but also hosts multiple outreach events throughout the week, getting people together to learn more about the importance of tree research, proper tree care, and why our industry is so vital to maintaining our urban forests.

Tour Alumni: If you haven't ridden in a while but would like to join us for Paul Wood's retirement dinner on September 17, join us!

TREE Fund

Tree Research and Education Endowment Fund

1755 Park St. Suite #200, Naperville, IL 60563

(630) 369-8300

treefund@treefund.org

www.treefund.org

TREE Fund is a 501(c)3 nonprofit whose mission is to support scientific discovery and dissemination of new knowledge and best practices in the fields of arboriculture and urban forestry.

TREE Fund earned our 2026 Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency. Check out our nonprofit profile to keep up to date with our impact. https://www.guidestar.org/profile/shared/17bf1c65-c913-4096-8695-11f0dc3fa73f.

Keep this link handy, we want to make sure you always have the information you need to support our work with trust and confidence.

TREE Fund is proud to announce that its strong financial health and ongoing accountability and transparency has earned a Three-Star Rating from Charity Navigator. This rating designates TREE Fund as an official “Give with Confidence” charity, indicating that our organization is using its donations effectively based on Charity Navigator’s criteria.