Using Agnes Scott College as a case study, the presenters will discuss the development and implementation of an audit of urban forestry practices on the Agnes Scott Campus in Decatur, Georgia. Following a short introduction to checklists and audits that have been developed and used in related natural resource management areas, the presenters will review the ten major categories of this auditing protocol and illustrate how to develop and use a customized audit checklist for your urban forest management program.

1. Implementing an Urban Forest Sustainability and
Management Audit
Ed Macie, USFS
Claudia Mitchell, Agnes Scott College

2. Urban Forest Sustainability and Management Audit
A Convergence of Concepts:
● Forest Service U&CF goal to build urban forest capacity at the local
level towards a “gold standard”.
● The importance to recognize and enhance the multi-disciplinary
nature of the practice.
● The need to create a tool for benchmarking.
Audit

3. Audit
• A systematic and independent examination of data, statements,
records, operations, and performance of an organization for a
stated purpose.
• The audit team collects and evaluated evidence related to the
stated purpose and communicates the evaluation through an audit
report.
Checklist
Process

4. Checklist
❑ CATEGORIES
❑ Components
❑ Criteria
Describes and Establishes
❑ Standards of Care
❑ Core Competencies
❑ A Scoring System
❑ Policy and Ordinances
❑ Professional Capacity and
Training
❑ Funding and Accounting
❑ Authority
❑ Inventories
❑ UF Management Plans
❑ Risk Management
❑ Disaster Planning
❑ Practices (Standards and BMPs)
❑ Community
❑ Green Asset Evaluation

6. Process
● Discovery Phase
● Initial Discussion Phase
● Green Asset Evaluation
● Interview
● Final Discussion
● Report – Exit Conference
● Response
β Test: Agnes Scott College

7. Why Agnes Scott College?
● Small Urban College, Environmentally-Minded, Significant Campus Forest
● The Agnes Scott Arboretum Advisory Committee – Gap Analysis
● USFS Interests, Parallel Objectives
● Audit Team Established, Process Explored

8. Research: Discovery Phase
● Existing Documentation
o Past research, proposals, plans from campus arborist
o Campus Tree Care Plan
● Green Asset Evaluation
o A general assessment of the state of the campus trees
o Use of Tree Care Standards
● Initial results
o Discovery Matrix Created to Identify Gaps
o Example: Budget Gap

9. Further Research
● For audit development and criteria
○ Research into comparable institutions' practices
○ ASC Canopy Coverage Analysis
○ Audit ratings scale developed
● Rebekah Protection Plan
○ Drafted a tree protection plan for use on campus
renovation project
○ Method of initiating changes, pre-audit
● Green Asset Walkthrough
○ User friendly version of on-site findings
○ For future presentation, communication of plan

10. Audit Report
● Collaborative writing process
● Outline proposed by Agnes Scott, evaluation
performed by USFS
● Structure of report:
o Purpose
o Rating
o Commendations
o Findings and Assessment
o Recommendations
o Closing
o Appendix

11. Recommendations
Key Findings
● Program Documentation
● Funding and Accountability
● Cohesive Campus Urban Forest
Policy

12. Institution Reaction
● Positive Reception
o Value of program effectively
communicated
o Improved upon Interview Phase
reaction
● Future plans
o To be reviewed and approved by
Arboretum Advisory Committee
o Key points of change presented to
College Board of Trustees
o Implementation plan being drafted
per to audit recommendations

13. Where Do We Go From Here ?
• Test in other communities.
• Advise NADF Growth Award.
• Publish and encourage application.

14. Thank You!
Audit Team
Ed Macie, Audit Team Lead
Regional Urban Forester, USFS Southern Region
Dudley Hartel, Audit Staff
Consulting Arborist, Agnes Scott College
Jim Abbot
Chair, Agnes Scott Arboretum Advisory Committee
Susan Kidd
Director, Agnes Scott College Office of Sustainability
Greg Levine
Co-Executive Director, Trees Atlanta
Lock Rogers
Assistant Professor, Agnes Scott College Department of
Biology
David Williams
Part-Time Professor, Agnes Scott College Department
of Economics
Claudia Mitchell
Intern, U.S. Forest Service/ Agnes Scott College Office
of Sustainability
Kimberly Reeves