Based on the statutory requirements, the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council (NUCFAC) shall prepare a National Urban and Community Forestry (UCF) Action Plan every ten years. Keystone Policy Center, in partnership with Ernst Consulting and American Forests is working under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Forest Service to support the National Urban and Community Forestry (NUCF) Advisory Council (AC) in updating the NUCF Ten-Year Action Plan.

Keystone Policy Center. Keystone has a 50-year history of creating lasting solutions through strategic collaboration. They work in areas of natural resources, agriculture, energy, education, health, civic engagement and capacity building, and Tribal engagement. Their work in public and private lands conservation, resilience, and outdoor recreation opportunities includes extensive stakeholder, technical expert, and community engagement. They routinely collect, analyze, synthesize, and communicate a variety of complex qualitative, quantitative, and technical information. This includes managing complex efforts using data and mapping tools, analyzing thousands of public comments, and conducting qualitative surveys. Final products include executive briefing memos and slide decks, story maps and interactive websites, 100-page reports and strategic plans, and video and audio storytelling.

American Forests creates healthy and resilient forests, from cities to large natural landscapes, that deliver essential benefits for people, water and wildlife. They advance their mission through forestry innovation, place-based partnerships and movement building. In urban forestry, that includes policy and planning, financial support, coaching network, technical assistance and free online resources such as refreshed Vibrant Cities Lab hub of urban forestry research and resources. 

Ernst Consulting LLC: Caryn Ernst has over 35 years of experience working with nonprofits and public sector partners, bringing community-led approaches to parks, urban greening, and urban forestry. She is a collaborative leader in community-driven processes and programs, partnerships, strategic planning, program design and evaluation. She served as the Director of Strategic Initiatives at City Parks Alliance and Director of Conservation Vision Services at Trust for Public Land and has multiple publications related to parks and urban greening.