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Places of Greatest Need
- 1. THE PLACES OF GREATEST NEED MATT SPITSEN ACT Program Manager DAVID BAYARD Manager, Vegetation Management and Fleets / Mobile Equipment Seattle City Light KECHIA SMITH Programs Director Bridging the Gap JOELLE TEACHEY Executive Director TreesUpstate
- 3. THE PLACES OF GREATEST NEED MATT SPITSEN ACT Program Manager DAVID BAYARD Manager, Vegetation Management and Fleets / Mobile Equipment Seattle City Light KECHIA SMITH Programs Director Bridging the Gap JOELLE TEACHEY Executive Director TreesUpstate
- 5. THE PLACES OF GREATEST NEED MATT SPITSEN ACT Program Manager DAVID BAYARD Manager, Vegetation Management and Fleets / Mobile Equipment Seattle City Light KECHIA SMITH Programs Director Bridging the Gap JOELLE TEACHEY Executive Director TreesUpstate
- 9. Environmental justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice WHAT IS ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE?
- 10. • Decisions are made about the environment without including those affected (i.e. residents) • Decisions made prioritize external goals that can negatively impact communities subjected to them. • Metrics of success ignore community experiences. ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICES HAPPEN WHEN: Dr. Christine Carmichael/Fair Forests Consulting
- 11. • Collective goals with communities • Intersection between your niche and resources and the community’s goals and needs. • Leads to new, collective goals for urban and community forestry programs. WHY ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE GOALS ARE IMPORTANT: Dr. Christine Carmichael/Fair Forests Consulting
- 12. • Make decisions about the environment with those affected (ie residents) • Prioritize the internal goals of a community in urban and community forestry programs • Provide the support communities need to achieve goals • Create metrics of success that integrate community experiences BROAD ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE GOALS Dr. Christine Carmichael/Fair Forests Consulting
- 14. GUIDING PRINCIPLES Justice Literacy Humility Assume a Listening Posture Proportionality
- 16. DAVID BAYARD Manager, Vegetation Management and Fleets / Mobile Equipment Seattle City Light
- 17. KEY Darker Green = Higher % comm of color Smaller sphere = Lower % canopy cover KEY Green: Best Blue: Still Desirable Yellow: Declining Red: Hazardous Home loan risk ratings in 1930: led to racially restrictive covenants effectively barring people of color from purchasing homes in these neighborhoods up until the 1950s. 2016 Canopy Cover Assessment shows correlation between communities of color and low canopy. Institutional racism is real:
- 18. “We are rooted in our commitment to racial diversity, social justice and the equitable provision of services to all.” – Seattle City Light “We do what is right… We are committed to providing energy that is clean, safe, reliable, affordable, and equitable.” – Puget Sound Energy “Triple Bottom Line…This means…leading with love…ensuring that (their) benefits are accessible to all. And it means helping communities build resilience against climate change today – as well as tackling climate change – in ways that leave no one behind.” – Pacific Gas and Electric “We are committed to doing what’s right. A deep connection to the communities we serve compels us to take responsibility for our work, and we actively look for ways to engage and give back. We value the environment and work to reduce our impact with future generations in mind.” – Exelon “We’re working together with our customers and communities to create the future of energy. We’re listening, going beyond customers’ expectations and developing innovate solutions to build a future that is boundless for us all. We’re continually energized by our team members, their passions, and their drive to make a difference in the communities we serve.” – American Electric Power Because we all say it is.
- 19. What can we do? What is Seattle City Light doing? Look around, think, get creative, pitch – just do something! • Non wire-related tree pruning and stump grinding services for utility-driven removals, in priority Env. Equity Areas. • Focus tree planting in Environmental Equity Areas • Equity grants and robust analysis often available • Corporations have ESG goals and love the good press! • Partner with local non-profits Seattle City Light:
- 20. BEFORE & AFTER at 3 Substations
- 24. • Green Line project • Restore degraded land & build community connections • Conservation mowing – A UAA video • Pollinator planting • (Photos on next slides) What can we do? What is Seattle City Light doing?
- 28. Partnered with the Arbor Day Foundation for Energy-Saving Trees Program Given away 1,800 trees to date In-person distributions and driveway drop off Focus program on 15 zip codes Evergy identifies as urban core • Low canopy, higher energy bills
- 29. Partnership & Collaboration with Evergy Expansion goals TRM of tree benefits used for MEEIA Federal funding; matched by Evergy and funded through energy efficiency dollars 100% funded by Evergy in Fall 2021 and 2022 Social posting key for engagement Giveaways at Evergy CONNECT center Space designed to help customers & provide community resources
- 35. PLANTING THE SEED • Duke Energy and TreesUpstate have a long- standing relationship. • This partnership is effective because we communicate. We also have common goals and interests.
- 36. STRONG ROOTS • Communication. Authentic. Our collaboration has strong roots because of the way that Duke Energy funds their programs and engages. • Duke Energy is also able to identify and meet needs in the communities that they serve by their use of district managers. • This localized approach allows them to identify and target neighborhoods, communities and organizations.
- 37. GROWING LARGE • Given away over 15,000 trees as a part of the Arbor Day Foundation’s Energy-Saving Trees program. • Able to share even more trees and important messages with residents.
- 38. DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION • Dedicated staff • Translated materials • Targeting underserved neighborhoods • Events
- 39. CREATING A CANOPY • Partnership is replicable • Working alongside an arborist to identify the needs in your community and meeting it through grants and labor will bring positive change in your area and value to your company.
- 40. THANKS!
- 42. THANK YOU
Editor's Notes
- FOCUS + SCALE Focus500 Must meet the demand… our work will continue to grow. We think about building and investing in our networks... including expanding this work to other networks like our Tree City USA and Tree Cities of the World networks Through training and resources: As we think about training Training to network Internal training As we think about resources Additional funding from both CPs + Donors Resource development? With that… knowing that none of us are experts in the space… what questions do you have?
- One thing we’ve ensured to familiarize ourselves with is the definition and meaning of Environmental Justice – knowing that this work must meaningfully involve the community members from the neighborhoods of greatest need that we seek to work in. And the understanding that we needed to develop our four principles that guided our involvement in environmental justice and equity work; understanding that we also have a place in helping deliver equitable programming and funding – but to do so with empathy while we listen and learn from those who have been historically disenfranchised. And this work involves a lot of individual reflection along this journey. To be okay with knowing that we don’t currently have all the answers – but that will not stop us from stepping up and playing a role in this work that has never been more important. We would be happy to talk to you in more detail about any of these points. But we are very excited to share what the beginning of this work has looked like with you all. Prior to two years ago, EJ was not a core focus of ADF Beyond filters and lenses to ensure one-off projects and events were in a Low-to-Moderate Income neighborhood. But make no mistake – over the course of the Foundation’s 50 years, we have been planting in low-canopy and underserved communities. But in listening to the needs of our partners, there was a desire to grow and expand on this work, which many of our partners in the Alliance for Community Trees network have been doing for years. And need and interest for this grew especially after the death of George Floyd in May of 2020. Old points -------------------------------------------- We have worked to develop four principles that guide our involvement in environmental justice and equity work; understanding that we also have a place in helping deliver equitable programming and funding. To ensure we: Are grounded in the facts of racism in America Approach our partners and impacted communities with humility and empathy Assume a posture of listening and learning And understand that historically disenfranchised communities with low tree canopy should receive priority
- One thing we’ve ensured to familiarize ourselves with is the definition and meaning of Environmental Justice – knowing that this work must meaningfully involve the community members from the neighborhoods of greatest need that we seek to work in. And the understanding that we needed to develop our four principles that guided our involvement in environmental justice and equity work; understanding that we also have a place in helping deliver equitable programming and funding – but to do so with empathy while we listen and learn from those who have been historically disenfranchised. And this work involves a lot of individual reflection along this journey. To be okay with knowing that we don’t currently have all the answers – but that will not stop us from stepping up and playing a role in this work that has never been more important. We would be happy to talk to you in more detail about any of these points. But we are very excited to share what the beginning of this work has looked like with you all. Prior to two years ago, EJ was not a core focus of ADF Beyond filters and lenses to ensure one-off projects and events were in a Low-to-Moderate Income neighborhood. But make no mistake – over the course of the Foundation’s 50 years, we have been planting in low-canopy and underserved communities. But in listening to the needs of our partners, there was a desire to grow and expand on this work, which many of our partners in the Alliance for Community Trees network have been doing for years. And need and interest for this grew especially after the death of George Floyd in May of 2020. Old points -------------------------------------------- We have worked to develop four principles that guide our involvement in environmental justice and equity work; understanding that we also have a place in helping deliver equitable programming and funding. To ensure we: Are grounded in the facts of racism in America Approach our partners and impacted communities with humility and empathy Assume a posture of listening and learning And understand that historically disenfranchised communities with low tree canopy should receive priority
- One thing we’ve ensured to familiarize ourselves with is the definition and meaning of Environmental Justice – knowing that this work must meaningfully involve the community members from the neighborhoods of greatest need that we seek to work in. And the understanding that we needed to develop our four principles that guided our involvement in environmental justice and equity work; understanding that we also have a place in helping deliver equitable programming and funding – but to do so with empathy while we listen and learn from those who have been historically disenfranchised. And this work involves a lot of individual reflection along this journey. To be okay with knowing that we don’t currently have all the answers – but that will not stop us from stepping up and playing a role in this work that has never been more important. We would be happy to talk to you in more detail about any of these points. But we are very excited to share what the beginning of this work has looked like with you all. Prior to two years ago, EJ was not a core focus of ADF Beyond filters and lenses to ensure one-off projects and events were in a Low-to-Moderate Income neighborhood. But make no mistake – over the course of the Foundation’s 50 years, we have been planting in low-canopy and underserved communities. But in listening to the needs of our partners, there was a desire to grow and expand on this work, which many of our partners in the Alliance for Community Trees network have been doing for years. And need and interest for this grew especially after the death of George Floyd in May of 2020. Old points -------------------------------------------- We have worked to develop four principles that guide our involvement in environmental justice and equity work; understanding that we also have a place in helping deliver equitable programming and funding. To ensure we: Are grounded in the facts of racism in America Approach our partners and impacted communities with humility and empathy Assume a posture of listening and learning And understand that historically disenfranchised communities with low tree canopy should receive priority
- One thing we’ve ensured to familiarize ourselves with is the definition and meaning of Environmental Justice – knowing that this work must meaningfully involve the community members from the neighborhoods of greatest need that we seek to work in. And the understanding that we needed to develop our four principles that guided our involvement in environmental justice and equity work; understanding that we also have a place in helping deliver equitable programming and funding – but to do so with empathy while we listen and learn from those who have been historically disenfranchised. And this work involves a lot of individual reflection along this journey. To be okay with knowing that we don’t currently have all the answers – but that will not stop us from stepping up and playing a role in this work that has never been more important. We would be happy to talk to you in more detail about any of these points. But we are very excited to share what the beginning of this work has looked like with you all. Prior to two years ago, EJ was not a core focus of ADF Beyond filters and lenses to ensure one-off projects and events were in a Low-to-Moderate Income neighborhood. But make no mistake – over the course of the Foundation’s 50 years, we have been planting in low-canopy and underserved communities. But in listening to the needs of our partners, there was a desire to grow and expand on this work, which many of our partners in the Alliance for Community Trees network have been doing for years. And need and interest for this grew especially after the death of George Floyd in May of 2020. Old points -------------------------------------------- We have worked to develop four principles that guide our involvement in environmental justice and equity work; understanding that we also have a place in helping deliver equitable programming and funding. To ensure we: Are grounded in the facts of racism in America Approach our partners and impacted communities with humility and empathy Assume a posture of listening and learning And understand that historically disenfranchised communities with low tree canopy should receive priority
- In the past I’ve highlighted the Environmental Justice training we offered to our Alliance for Community Trees network We engaged a researcher -- Dr. Christine Carmichael -- facilitated a multi-session training series at three different proficiency levels from May through September 2021 Nearly 200 people from 70 unique organizations in the Alliance for Community Trees network attended these live virtual trainings that focused on how to meaningfully engage residents in low-canopy and underserved communities to deliver more equitable urban forestry programs to these areas Training > Action But we wanted to continue listening to our partners In the midst of these trainings, we set up intentional time with a few organizations around the country -- what do you need to meaningfully put this training into action? What we heard: staff, resources, time, and money
- We have worked to develop four principles that guide our involvement in environmental justice and equity work; understanding that we also have a place in helping deliver equitable programming and funding. To ensure we: Are grounded in the facts of racism in America Approach our partners and impacted communities with humility and empathy Assume a posture of listening and learning And understand that historically disenfranchised communities with low tree canopy should receive priority
- Partnering with Local Community-Based Groups Can Lead to Equitable Programming
- Duke Energy and TreesUpstate have a long-standing relationship…since 2005 when we were founded. Founding Board Member from Duke. Constant since. Our collaboration began when TreesUpstate/DukeEnergy “planted the seed” to… This partnership is largely effective because of our common goals and interests. Duke Energy truly cares about the environment, and trees can support other company initiatives like lowering bills and saving energy. Beyond a united vision, the way that Duke Energy operates their philanthropic arm has made our partnership extremely effective.
- Strong Roots Our collaboration has strong roots because of the way that Duke Energy funds their programs. They don’t just write a check but are available and involved every step of the way. We even had a meeting about this panel! Duke Energy is also able to identify and meet needs in the communities that they serve by their use of district managers- people whose job is to be involved and connected in their communities as a local, approachable face of Duke Energy. In fact, the district manager for Greenville County serves on our board. This localized approach allows them to identify and target neighborhoods, communities and organizations that would benefit from support.
- TreesUpstate has given away over 15,000 trees thanks to the Duke Energy Foundation. These trees support the Energy Saving Trees Program, which supplies residents with information on how planting the right tree in the right place can reduce energy consumption by up to 20% each year. As mentioned before, this program supports the goals of both TreesUpstate and Duke Energy, making it a very effective and valuable collaboration. The grant and support from Duke Energy have allowed our organization to share even more trees and important messages with our residents.
- We have most recently used the grant to target underserved neighborhoods. All our materials are now translated into Spanish to create outreach and accessibility to our Hispanic communities. The Energy Saving Trees program also serves vulnerable customers by aiding in lowering energy bills. OTHER OUTREACH EFFORTS
- This partnership is replicable. Outreach and collaboration between utilities and arborists are mutually beneficial. Working alongside an arborist to identify the needs in your community and meeting it through grants and labor will bring positive change in your area and value to your company.
- Q&A
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