Tree Inventory for Escambia County

The Escambia County Natural Resources Division is working with the University of Florida (UF) collecting tree inventory data. The inventory data will show quantifiable benefits and value to Escambia County’s urban trees based on the Forest Service Urban Forestry Effects Model (UFORE).

Among other things the inventory should reveal current tree cover, diversity of species, air pollution removal, and the percent of air quality improvement throughout a year. Preliminary results should be available in the Spring of 2009.

The inventory is part of a larger UF study for Florida Hurricane Adaptation of the Storm Damage Assessment Protocol (SDAP) used in the northeastern states for ice damage events. Once the study is complete, the protocol should have the potential to increase the reliability of hurricane tree debris and cost estimates to provide useful information for FEMA reimbursement requirements. The grant is funded with UF through the US Forest Service and Florida Division of Forestry.