The focus group convened in Salt Lake City, Utah September 20-22 to generate ideas and discuss strategies to help give Urban and Community Forestry a unified voice, said Gwen Lewis, an Extension urban agent in Montgomery County.

Lewis and Dr. Brenda Allen, Extension forester, represented Alabama at the meeting.

The group accomplished all of its goals, Lewis said, including the selection of a transition team that will serve a three-fold purpose.

"It will flesh out the campaign that was developed by the participants in Salt Lake City and develop the guidelines for a new partnership with the National Tree Trust," she said. "It will also determine the selection process for the next leadership/advisory team to solidify the national grassroots movement for urban and community forestry."

The focus group included 30 participants from most sectors of the urban and community forestry constituency. Nonprofit groups and state council representatives were present from 16 states.

"The diverse group included representatives from some of the country’s most experienced nonprofit groups to several small, start-up organizations."

"It also included municipal arborists, Extension agents, Ph.D.s and individuals in the trenches representing large and small, national, state, and local interests," she said.

Throughout the weekend, the focus group was introduced to Direct Action Organizing, an organizing model created by the Midwest Academy.

"The DAO model and strong facilitation by Midwest Academy trainer Amanda Eichelkraut brought the group members to consensus on many of the issues critical to the future of the grassroots constituency," Lewis said.

"The group established both long-term and short-term goals," she said. "The need to increase funding for tree planting, preservation and maintenance at the local, state and national levels was established as the long-term goal. In the short term, participants signed individual commitments of time, resources and expertise to building a more connected and sophisticated network to help reach the long-term goal."

Lewis said the group also discussed allies, opponents, key targets, decision-makers and tactics for achieving its goals.

"A new team stepped forward to explore the steps necessary to solidifying the grassroots agenda," she said. "The current leadership team agreed to assist a transition team that will explore the steps necessary to solidifying the grassroots campaign. The National Tree Trust will host the transition team and will potentially staff the long-term effort under the direction and guidance of the next grassroots leadership advisory team. TreeLink will be the communication vehicle for the movement."

(Gwendolyn Lewis, Urban Agent, Montgomery County Extension Office, 334-265-0233.)