SECTION 1. Name

The name of this body shall be the Illinois Urban and Community Forestry Committee, hereafter referred to as ILUCFC. It is an assembly of individuals who share a common mission to advance Illinoisans’ commitment to the health, care and future of all urban and community forests in Illinois.
 

 

SECTION 2. Purpose

Pursuant to the CONSERVATION (525 ILCS 15/) Illinois Forestry Development Act, the Urban and Community Forestry Committee is a committee of the Forestry Development Council. Therefore all actions shall fit within the framework of this charter and Council’s Mission/Function.

The Committee’s charge is to help the Council identify and evaluate the social, economic, scientific, and educational value of Illinois’s urban and community forest lands and associated wood utilization opportunities.

The Urban and Community Forestry Committee work on projects and issues related to urban and community forestry and report the finding to the Illinois Forestry Development Council.

Pursuant to the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry (UCF) Program Guidelines, established by Section 9, Urban and Community Forestry Assistance, of the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act (CFAA) of 1978 (PL 95-313), as amended by PL 101-6241, this committee serves as an urban and community forestry council for purposes of the State’s core program requirements.
 

 

SECTION 3. Membership

The Council shall consist of voting members appointed as follows:

Illinois Forestry Development Council Representatives

 

1. One member appointed by the Governor’s Office whose primary area of expertise is Urban and Community Forestry and who is the official appointee to the Forestry Development Council

2. One member appointed by or is the President of Illinois Arborists Association’s representative appointed to the Forestry Development Council
    

Member Organizations

Organizations that work to advance the health, care and future of all urban and community forests in the State of Illinois are welcome to apply for Membership Organization status with the ILUCFC. Member Organization groups can include: Non-Profit Groups, Professional Organizations , Educational Groups or Advocacy Groups.

Organizations shall submit a letter requesting Member Organization status. The standing committee will review and vote on the request. Approved organizations will be required to sign a memorandum of understanding (Exhibit 1) and submit a committee appointee for approval. Member Organizations or appointees who fail to meet the expectations of the memorandum may be have their status revoked. Membership Organizations will be asked to periodically reaffirm their commitment to the ILUCFC no less than every five years.

At Large Appointees

Individuals that work to advance the health, care and future of all urban and community forests in the state of Illinois and not appointed to the committee be the IFDC or a Member Organization are welcome to apply for At Large Appointee status with the ILUCFC. Interested individuals shall submit a letter requesting At Large Appointee status. The standing committee will review and vote on the request. At large appointees to the Committee shall serve for an initial term of two years and may be reappointed for additional two year terms.

Non-Voting Members Organizations

Approved organizations will be required to sign a memorandum of understanding (Exhibit 1) and submit a committee appointee for approval. Member Organizations or appointees who fail to meet the expectations of the memorandum may be have their status revoked. Membership Organizations will be asked to periodically reaffirm their commitment to the ILUCFC no less than every five years.

State and Federal Government Agencies

The USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program and the State of Illinois Urban and Community Forestry Program shall be official ex-official non-voting members of the Forestry Development Council - Urban and Community Forestry Committee for the purposes of providing guidance and information to said group.

​

All other state or federal governmental agencies that work to advance the health, care and future of all urban and community forests in the State of Illinois are welcome to apply for non-voting Membership Organization status with the ILUCFC. All such state and federal agencies may apply to the Illinois Urban and Community Forestry Committee for ex-officio non-voting membership for the period of two years at which time they may request continued membership.

Other individuals, agencies and organizations may be invited to participate as deemed advisable by the Committee.

Members of the Council shall serve without compensation.

​

SECTION 4. Officers and their Duties

 

1. Chair of the Urban and Community Forestry Committee: The Chair shall be a member appointed to the Forestry Development Council and serve in their position for 2 years with a possible confirmation of one second term. The Chair shall be tasked with guiding the activities of the committee and reporting its findings and issues to the Forestry Development Council. In addition, the Chair shall:

​

• Serve at the principal liaison between the UCFC and the IFDC
• Attend IFDC meetings
• Attend and direct UCFC meetings
• Represent UCFC interests at IFDC meetings and vote accordingly
• Provide UCFC with reports from IFDC meetings
• With the help of the UCFC Secretary, prepare all documents for and schedule all UFCF meeting
• Work to improve the awareness, knowledge around, and quality of urban forestry in the state of Illinois
• Work to foster interest, establish standards, exchange professional ideas and pursue scientific research in Arboriculture

 

2. Secretary of the Urban and Community Forestry Committee: The Secretary shall be tasked with assisting the activities of the committee and chairperson. In addition, the Secretary shall:

​

• Liaison with the Chair to plan meeting
• Circulate agendas and report
• Take minutes
• Attend UCFC meetings
• Circulate approved minutes
• Keep up-to-date contact details of Committee members
• Act as the custodian of the organizations governing document
• Work to improve the awareness, knowledge around, and quality of urban forestry in the state of Illinois
• Work to foster interest, establish standards, exchange professional ideas and pursue scientific research in Arboriculture.

3. The Committee shall select other officers as it considers necessary. There term of office shall be 2 years with the reappointment option.

 

SECTION 5. Duties of the Urban and Community Forestry Committee

The Urban and Community Forestry shall:

• Report findings to the Illinois Forestry Development Council on all matters relating to Urban and Community Forestry directly or tangentially.
• Provide assistance to the Illinois Forestry Development Council;
• Confer with and offer assistance to the Department of Natural Resources relating to the implementation of urban forest assistance grants pursuant to the Urban and Community Forestry Assistance Act;
• Assist the Council with matters relating to urban and community forestry for their annual report of (i) its findings and recommendations for future State action and (ii) its evaluation of Urban/Community Forestry Assistance Grants to the General Assembly no later than July 1 of each year.
• Oversee the Urban and Community Forestry Section of the Forestry Development Plan;
• Create an annual Work Plan;
• Study and evaluate the health, condition magnitude, nature and extent of the urban and community forests of Illinois;
• Promote the Urban and Community Forestry industry and associated standard practices;
• Promote or provide information on the availability of state and federal government assistance;
• Inform citizens of the soil and water conservation benefits and wildlife habitat benefits of public trees;
• Determine urban and community land ownership and their tree care practices;
• Promote diversification of trees in municipal tree planting that have a 20% genus and 10% species diversification or greater.
• Promote the benefits of trees;
• Study and evaluate the urban wood utilization industry and offer suggestions of how to improve the use of urban grown wood by determining the current uses and projecting demand for forest products, services and benefits in Illinois; And Furthermore, Determine the most economical ways to develop and manage opportunities that could result from improvements in local and regional forest product marketing and from the establishment of new or additional wood-related businesses in Illinois;
• Determine the staffing and funding needs for forest and other conservation programs to support and enhance forest resources development;
• Determine the needs of forest education programs in this State

 

SECTION 6: Meeting

• The Committee shall meet at least quarterly at a date time and location to be determined by the committee at the prior regular meeting.
• All meeting shall be open to the public and publically noticed per State of Illinois statues.
• One-half plus 1 of the voting members in attendance shall constitute a quorum.

 

SECTION 7: Rules of Order
1) The rules contained in the most current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern all Committee Meetings.