Urban Forestry Resilience and Equity Planning

The contract seeks to evaluate urban forest vulnerabilities to pests, climate change, and urban heat islands across Virginia, with a focus on identifying at-risk areas and understanding the compounding impacts of environmental stressors on tree health and canopy cover. The work requires developing science-based resilience strategies that prioritize long-term sustainability, including adaptive management practices, pest mitigation, and climate-smart planting protocols to enhance urban forest endurance under changing conditions. A central component is the recommendation of equitable canopy expansion in underserved communities, ensuring that environmental benefits such as shade, air quality improvement, and cooling are distributed fairly regardless of socioeconomic status. The effort demands data-driven analysis to pinpoint disparities in tree cover and to propose targeted interventions that address historical inequities in urban greening. All recommendations must be actionable for local agencies and aligned with the goals of the Parks, Recreation and Tourism department, with the successful contractor expected to deliver a comprehensive plan that integrates ecological science with community equity principles.