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Using Program Evaluation Methodology to Identify Possible Program Outcomes for Tree City USA and Tree Campus USARaija Bushnell Haley RitgerBurney Fischer
School of Public and Environmental Affairs
Indiana University
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• Recognition program established in 1976– “Participating communities have
demonstrated a commitment to caring for and managing their public trees.”1
• 3400+ U.S. communities participate and meet the requirements:1,2
1. Tree board or dept.
2. Community tree ordinance
3. $2/capita urban forestry spending
4. Arbor Day celebration1http://www.arborday.org/programs/treeCityUSA/about.cfm2http://www.arborday.org/programs/treeCityUSA/standards.cfm
Tree City USA
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Measuring Success at 40 Years
• Does participation in the Tree City USA program lead to sustainable urban forests and stronger communities?3
• To answer this question, we propose conducting a program evaluation.
3 adapted from http://www.arborday.org/programs/treeCityUSA/documents/promo.pdf
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TCUSA Program Literature Review
• Only one study examining program outcomes– Galvin & Bleil examined tree canopy quantity and
community demographics in MD4
• Correlation study• Compared participants v. non-participants• Found participation as predictor of canopy cover• But, city land area was a stronger predictor
• Study only examined one potential outcome of participation: increased canopy cover4Galvin, M.F. & D. Bleil. (2004). Relationship among tree canopy quantity, community
demographics, and Tree City USA program participation in Maryland. U.S. Journal of Arboriculture 30.6: 321-327.
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What is Program Evaluation?
• “Evaluation is the systematic application of scientific methods to assess the design, implementation, improvement or outcomes of a program (Rossi & Freeman, 1993; Short, et. al. 1996).”
• “The term "program" may include any organized action such as media campaigns, service provision, educational services, public policies, research projects,
etc. (Center for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 1999).”5
5Medical University of South Carolina. Web. 26 Sept 2014. https://mainweb-v.musc.edu/vawprevention/research/programeval.shtml
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What is Program Evaluation cont.
• Types of evaluations– Process– Impact– Outcome
• Emphasis on “cause” rather than “correlation” and “outcomes” rather than “outputs”
• Questions to ask when planning an evaluation– What is the purpose of
the evaluation?– What outcomes,
impacts, or process should be looked at?
– What data exists?– How will the data be
analyzed?
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Identifying TCUSA Outcomes
• Identifying appropriate outcomes is a key factor in program evaluation
• We’ve identified 4 categories of possible outcomes:– Group 1: Ecosystem Services– Group 2: Financial– Group 3: Community– Group 4: Institutional
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Ecosystem Services Outcomes
• Air Quality– Removal of particulates and other criteria air
pollutants6
• Stormwater Runoff– Reduction of runoff and sewer overflow7
• CO2 sequestration– Urban trees in the U.S. have “an annual
carbon sequestration rate of 22.8 million tons per year”76Nowak, D.J. & J.F. Dwyer. (2000). Understanding the benefits and costs of urban forest
ecosystems. In: Kuser, John E., ed. Handbook of urban and community forestry in the Northeat. New York, NY: Kluwer Academics/Plenum: 11-227Alliance for Community Trees. 2011. “Benefits of Trees and Urban Forests: A Research List.
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Financial Outcomes
• Property values– Increased residential
property values7
• Business – Consumer behavior8
• Jobs– Availability of green
industry and municipal forest management7
• Energy Efficiency– Decreased heating
and cooling costs7
8Wolf, Kathleen L. 2005. “Trees in the Small City Retail Business District: Comparing Resident and Visitor Perceptions.” Journal of Forestry: 390-395
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Community Outcomes
• Safety– Decreased violence and crime7
– Traffic control9
• Public Health– Effects on mental and physical health7
• Connectivity – Increased unity and cohesion7
9 Mok, Jeong-Hun, Harlow C. Landphair, and Jody R. Naderi.2006. “Landscape Improvement Impacts on Roadside Safety in Texas.” Landscape and Urban Planning 78.3: 263-74.
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Institutional Outcomes
• Formation of new organizations
• Connections between organizations
• Outreach activities
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Conclusion
• Take Home Lesson: – Consider program evaluation for your
organization
• Moving forward:– Providing measurable outcomes for Arbor Day
to consider in evaluating TCUSA
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Share Your Ideas
• We would like you, as practitioners in community forestry, to identify measurable outcomes
• Write your ideas for outcomes on the four flipcharts around the room
• Or, tweet your ideas to #PCF2014