The Indiana Community Forestry Council (IN-CFC) is a collective of urban forestry-focused professionals and citizens who collaborate to advise the state’s CUF program and to network for best practices and opportunities in urban forestry. The council also functions to meet the US Forest Service requirement that each state must have a functional advisory body to their CUF program in order to be eligible for federal pass-through dollars. Thus, at this time of unprecedented federal funding for urban forestry, the IN-CFC’s role is critical for Indiana.
An executive committee (noted below) leads the council and two dozen individuals with diverse backgrounds and careers related to urban forestry serve terms as voting members on the council’s “board of directors.” The State CUF Coordinator and their staff serve as ex-officio members of the board. General membership in IN-CFC is open to anyone interested in bettering the state’s urban forests. See more below under Governance on how you can be involved.
Members
Executive Committee
Other committee members to be announced soon.
- Paula Brooks
Hoosier Environmental Council
Environmental Justice Director pbrooks@hecweb.org - Jerome Delbridge
Certified Arborist and Owner
Tree-Centric Solutions
jerome@tree-centric.com - Aren Flint (Chair)
Chair
Aren Flint
Senior Associate Consultant
Davey Resource Group
aren.flint@davey.com - Sarah Mincey, PhD
Clinical Associate Professor of Urban Forestry, Indiana University
Founder and VP of the Board for CanopyBloomington skmincey@indiana.edu - Bryce Patz (Secretary)
Improvement and Beautification Projects Manager/AmeriCorps Program Director
City of Indianapolis – Indy Parks
bryce.patz@indy.gov
Governance
The draft constitution of the IN-CFC will be vetted by the full board of directors at our first meeting scheduled for December 7 & 8 2023. The Executive Committee, comprising individuals who have voluntarily reorganized the council after its recent hiatus, is currently reaching out to develop the first set of board of directors. General membership in the IN-CFC requires no approval by the Executive Committee or the board of directors. If you wish to become a member of the IN-CFC, simply complete this form ; you will then be contacted by IN-CFC.
The purpose of IN-CFC is to further the following duties and objectives:
- To advise Indiana’s Governor, Legislature, State Forester, state government, the counties and communities, and the people of the State of Indiana on the best ways to equitably preserve, protect, expand, and improve Indiana’s urban and community forests.
- To seek the broadest possible involvement of representatives of institutions, entities and persons involved in urban and community forestry matters, and after thorough discussion and study, to arrive where possible at a consensus on matters relating to just urban and community forestry policies and practices.
- To provide a forum for the communication and exchange of information and experiences regarding urban and community forestry initiatives and practices.
- To report regularly, both formally and informally to the Governor, Legislature, State Forester and Community & Urban Forestry Director and other entities and persons in Indiana who are in positions to affect and influence urban and community forestry policies and practices adopted by the State of Indiana, its political subdivisions, its other public and private organizations, and its people.
- To encourage the coordination of the activities of the institutions, entities and persons involved in urban and community forestry issues so that the most beneficial, economical and just urban and community forestry policies and practices are adopted wherever possible.
Indiana Community Forestry Council (IN-CFC) Constitution (draft)
News and Events
See updates in the Community & Urban Forestry Newsletter.
Contact
If you have questions or comments to share with the advisory board, email any or all of the executive committee members with the subject line: ICFC issue.