WHC Across Fence Lines Initiative

Connecting corporate America to communities through public-private forestry

Across Fence Lines seeks to connect corporate conservation, forestry groups, and community partners to local, regional and national goals for urban and community forestry. With funding from USFS Urban and Community Forestry Program, the following products will inspire action and guide implementation of community-first efforts for forestry.

The WHC Across Fences Lines Initiative is made possible through a grant from the USDA Forest Service as part of its 2020 Urban and Community Forestry Challenge Cost Share Grant Program

Case Studies

Case Studies from various regions across the U.S. highlight different business drivers for engagement with urban and community forestry and the approaches companies can take to contribute to local efforts around canopy equity, community engagement and biodiversity uplift.

CommuniTree Collective Impacts | Calumet Region (Northwestern Indiana and Northeastern Illinois)
Implementing Large-Scale Land Activation through UCF at Marathon Gardens | Dearborn, Michigan
Industrial Associations and Nascent Engagement in UCF | Phoenix, Arizona
The Beneficial Role of Voluntary UCF Efforts in the NRDA Settlement Process | Kearny, New Jersey
UCF as a Catalyst for Employee-Community Connections Across the I-94 Industrial Corridor | Detroit, Michigan
UCF as a Platform for Green Infrastructure in the East Canfield Neighborhood | Detroit, MI
Utility and Impacts of UCF in Community Outreach Efforts | Robinson, Illinois

Road Map for Engagement

The Road Map for Engagement shows the journey a company can take towards urban and community forestry projects. The Road Map illustrates the considerations unique to private sector engagement.

Decision Tree

The Decision Tree highlights the various decision points needed to connect corporate vision for forestry to actualization. It centers the decision making process on the common business drivers for corporate conservation, and provides cues for assessing risk and identifying opportunities.

Toolkits

The Toolkits provide detailed information to support corporate efforts to engage partners and stakeholders; leverage their urban and community forestry work for education purposes and; adopt best practices in implementation from species siting and selection to monitoring and maintenance.

UCF Education Toolkit
UCF Outreach and Partnerships Toolkit
UCF Technical Toolkit