NIACS, American Forests, and partners developed a "menu" of actions that provide benefits for human health, climate adaptation, and carbon mitigation in urban forests. This menu includes evidence-based actions designed to reduce climate risks to urban forests and promote their beneficial functions. Urban forestry managers and allied professionals (including those working in city planning, landscape architecture, public health, and others) as well as non-profit organizations and community groups, will find relevant adaptation options in the menu that support the intersection of climate change, urban forestry, human health, and social equity.

This menu is a supplemental topic developed to be used with the Adaptation Workbook, originally developed by the Climate Change Response Framework and published in the Forest Adaptation Resources: Climate Change Tools and Approaches for Land Managers. This resource along with the Adaptation Workbook was designed to support land managers in considering the effects of climate change in their planning and supports actions to increase the ability of ecosystems to cope with climate change impacts. It does not provide specific recommendations but rather serves as a decision-support tool to help incorporate adaptation strategies and approaches into current management and conservation planning.

  • Citation: Janowiak, Maria K.; Brandt, Leslie A.; Wolf, Kathleen L.; Brady, Mattison; Darling, Lindsay; Lewis, Abigail Derby; Fahey, Robert T.; Giesting, Kristen; Hall, Eboni; Henry, Molly; Hughes, Maise; Miesbauer, Jason W.; Marcinkowski, Kailey; Ontl, Todd; Rutledge, Annamarie; Scott, Lydia; Swanston, Christopher W. 2021. Climate adaptation actions for urban forests and human health. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-203. Madison, WI: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 115 p. https://doi.org/10.2737/NRS-GTR-203 

Download the complete Climate and Health menu (free download)

Download a one-paged version of the Climate and Health menu

Browse the Climate and Health menu (interactive version)

 

Download the one-page summarized menu of the Climate and Health Menu for Urban Forests and Communities (pdf link below):