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A self-administered survey of randomly selected recipients in 44 Missouri, U.S., communities found that most Missourians were very concerned about the quality of natural resources and having trees on streets and in parks. Respondents felt that Missouri was not doing well at making sure fewer trees are lost during development and at managing stormwater runoff. Residents in communities with a population of 50,000 or more, in the St. Louis and Kansas City suburbs, and in the cities of St. Louis and Kansas City show strong support for a ballot issue establishing a tree fund supported by a tax of US$5 or less. Missourians in communities with a population greater than 5,000 showed support for protecting or replacing trees during development through passage of a tree preservation ordinance. They lack basic knowledge of their community's tree program and could not correctly say whether their community was certified by The National Arbor Day Foundation as a Tree City USA. They are most likely to seek information on trees from their local garden center. The results of the survey, together with recent surveys of community forestry officials and street tree inventories, are used to make recommendations to state agencies charged with managing community forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A survey was employed to help understand the knowledge, motivation, and behavior of those responsible for tree care in 602 Missouri, U.S., communities. Our goal was to characterize the local agencies charged with managing urban trees, their budgets and personnel, and to determine which issues local officials responsible for managing publicly owned trees found to be most pressing. This information is used to evaluate the state's community forestry program, which is designed to coordinate and facilitate the efforts made by many jurisdictions and entities that own and affect community forests. Survey findings indicate that most communities lack basic information on tree care and do not employ anyone specifically to care for the community's trees. Responsibility for tree care can be in any number of departments (or none). Agencies working with communities will need to target basic training and information. Information on how to diversify funding and secure more stable sources of income will prove valuable because many communities budget zero dollars for tree care. Cost-share dollars should also be targeted with an emphasis on increasing participation among smaller communities. Interest in tree preservation during development is high in most communities, underlining the need to provide information on development principles that preserve or maximize greenspace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]