nsf naval observatory urban forest management plan

washington, dc

Overview

The NSF Naval Facility required visual access screening from the outside periphery on a year-round basis, in addition to removing potentially hazardous trees; therefore assuring existing significant (12” caliper at 4’6” DBH) trees were tagged, mapped, and evaluated within the Vice President’s residential compound area of responsibility; in addition to determining needs for tree infill. The project included an arboricultural management plan for the Vice President’s residence (Quarters A).

The goals for the urban forest management plan included providing overall Quarters A composite recommendations, preparing Quarters A with a tree survey and management plan, documenting all qualifying trees into a revised tree coordinate system to assist future users in locating surveyed trees, and providing tree location and attribute data in GIS.

Using GIS and survey information, all qualifying trees (determined as 12” DBH) were surveyed to develop criteria for assigning health and condition descriptors for each unique tree culminating into an overall management plan.