In addition to establishing an official Community Forestry Council, the Act enables New Jersey's communities to reduce or eliminate their exposure to litigation due to the drastic decline and poor condition of the community tree resource. The basis for this protection is a properly planned local community forestry program implemented through a state approved management plan, as well as municipal or county participation in the state's training, skills and accreditation program.

In the past, countless shade tree commissions disbanded in New Jersey as a result of the threat of litigation. Under the Act, immunity protection will now be provided for trained volunteers and public entities that have an approved management plan in their town. The number of shade tree commissions in our state can now flourish instead of decline.

Community Forestry Management Plan
A management plan is an essential guide to successfully achieving a healthy and safe community forest. By developing and implementing a management plan for your town's shade trees, you can make your tree program more proactive and efficient. A plan can lead to decreased tree maintenance and removal costs, shorter response time to citizen requests for work and a decrease in hazardous tree situations.
A participating municipality or county must meet minimum guidelines to establish a Community Forestry Management Plan that fulfills the Act's requirements. To view a copy of the guidelines for the Community Forestry Assistance Act Program, click here. For further information, please contact Todd Wyckoff at 609-292-2532.

Training Skills and Accreditation Program

Core Training

Completion of the CORE Training program will satisfy a requirement of municipalities and counties seeking Approved Status under the New Jersey Shade Tree and Community Forestry Assistance Act. The training program is designed to familiarize individuals with the background of community forestry and shade tree commissions, the legal aspects of managing trees and the recognition of hazardous tree situations.
Initially, at least two persons per municipality or county must be CORE Trained in order for the municipality or county to gain approved status under the Act. One person must be a municipal or county volunteer, and the other must be a municipal or county employee. An elected official that receives CORE Training will satisfy either one of the positions. A person is CORE Trained for life, and the certificate of accreditation stays with that person if they move from municipality to municipality. Their original municipality or county will need to replace them with another CORE Trained individual. CORE Training does not receive Community Forestry CEU credits because it is a separate requirement for Approved Status under the Act. For further information about CORE Training sessions, contact Todd Wyckoff at 609-292-2532.

Continuing Education Units

In addition to the CORE Training requirements, municipalities or counties need to accrue a minimum of eight Continuing Education Units (CEU’s) per year by a minimum of two people in order to maintain Approved Status after the initial year under the plan. This is a yearly requirement that must be met, and these are minimum numbers that are often greatly exceeded. Anyone involved with the tree program is able to gather CEU’s, you do not need to be CORE Trained to gather CEU’s. CEU’s that are gathered by an individual can only be given to one municipality or county, they cannot be spread around to different places. Unlike CORE Training, CEU’s stay with the municipality or county if an individual moves to another municipality or county. For a list of CEU opportunities for this year click here.
Any tree related training has the potential to be awarded CEU credit by the Community Forestry Council. If you are planning to attend, or have attended, a training session that you believe should receive CEU credit please submit a course description including a timeline, a list of speakers along with their credentials, and some proof that you attended such as a sign-in sheet or purchase order to Todd Wyckoff, Attn: CEU’s, 501 East State Street, P.O. Box 404, Trenton, NJ, 08625. To view a copy of the guidelines for the Community Forestry Assistance Act Program, click here. For further information, please contact Todd Wyckoff at 609-292-2532.

Annual Accomplishment Report

An Annual Accomplishment Report must be submitted to the New Jersey Forest Service after the end of each calendar year in order to have Approved Status under the Act. The report will contain an information form, as well as a one to two page summary of the accomplishments of the municipality or county for that year in regards to the goals of their Community Forestry Management Plan. This report will enable the Forest Service and the Community Forestry Council to monitor the accomplishments and implementation status outlined in the approved Community Forestry Management Plan. It will also help fulfill the Council’s obligation, as required under the New Jersey Shade Tree and Community Forestry Assistance Act, to submit an annual report to the Governor. Annual Accomplishment Reports are due by February 15th of each year. To view a copy of the guidelines for the Community Forestry Assistance Act Program, click here. For further information, please contact Todd Wyckoff at 609-292-2532.

"Treasure Our Trees" Preservation License Plate
Every time you see a car with a "Treasure Our Trees" license plate drive by, what you're really seeing is another opportunity to plant a tree in New Jersey. In addition to immunity protection, the Act also provides funding for the New Jersey Community Forestry Program through the issuance of a preservation license plate. The cost of the plate is $50 plus a $10 annual renewal fee. A total of $35 from the cost of the plate will be used to fund elements of the bill. A non-lapsing fund has been created to provide grants for local governments to develop and implement community forestry plans, provide for representatives to attend approved training sessions and plant more trees in communities throughout New Jersey.

Are Your Neighborhood Trees a Liability?
The health of street trees in many of New Jersey's communities is in obvious decline. Budget cuts, lawsuits, disease, improper tree selection and maintenance methods, and lack of awareness have contributed to their loss and poor condition.

Under the new Shade Tree and Community Forestry Assistance Act , training and a properly planned and implemented local community forestry program can protect your local government and reduce or eliminate liability associated with tree care.

Learn more about the Shade Tree and Community Forestry Assistance Act and reap the benefits of a healthy and safe community forest in your hometown.