Oklahoma Forestry Services is deploying an Urban Forest Strike Team to assist Tulsa Parks and Recreation to assist recovery efforts following last week’s damaging storm. The team will facilitate data collection of tree damage and resulting debris for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) documentation. The Urban Forest Strike Team will be in place June 29 and June 30.
Team activities include digital data collection adhering to FEMA Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide (PAPPG) guidance for hazard mitigation and debris management. The team will also collect Geographic Information System (GIS) location data for trees impacted by the declared storm event.
The trees will be physically flagged according to a planned color scheme coordinated with City Staff. The flagging scheme will serve as cross reference with the GIS data for debris contractors. Upon completion of data collection, all data will be presented to the City staff in the form of GIS data, Excel spreadsheets, and a brief written report summarizing the data.
“It isn’t just Tulsa that can benefit from the expertise being offered here,” said Strike Force Team Leader and OFS Urban Forester Riley Coy. “Oklahoma Forestry Services is also available to assist with future storm mitigation planning for other affected communities and long-term canopy restoration efforts.”
