Building Connection and Economic Opportunity Through Community Forestry
Upper Coastal Plain Council of Governments Community Forestry Program
In 2023, Upper Coastal Plain Council of Governments (UCPCOG) in eastern North Carolina received funding to hire a dedicated staff member to establish a Community Forestry Program. The new position allowed UCPCOG to expand its regional service offerings and respond to growing member interest in urban and community forestry as a tool to support livability, resilience, and local capacity building, particularly in economically distressed communities with limited staff and resources.
Using a voluntary “Coalition of the Willing” model, UCPCOG provided technical assistance and grant support to six participating towns, helping them develop tree inventories, planting plans, and Arbor Day programming while pursuing Arbor Day Foundation designations such as Tree City USA. Through this approach, communities of varying sizes, from Castalia to Wilson, strengthened their readiness for future funding and long‑term community forestry investment despite ongoing resource constraints.
This resource is offered through the Economic Development District Community of Practice (EDD CoP), managed by the NADO Research Foundation to build the capacity of the national network of EDDs. To learn more, visit: www.nado.org/EDDCoP. The EDD CoP is made possible through an award from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce (ED22HDQ3070106). The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations in this resource are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Economic Development Administration or the U.S. Department of Commerce.