Southern University and A&M College (SU), an 1890 Land Grant Historically Black University, is hosting the first National Urban and Community Forestry Education and Outreach Conference for Minority and Underserved Communities, in collaboration with the USDA Forest Service Civil Rights Unit, the National Conference of Black Mayors, National Council of 1890 Land Grant Historically Black College and Universities (HBCU), National Hispanic Environmental Council, the National Native American Tribal Council, Minority in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANRRS), and the Asian American Council. Our partner Ford Foundation has committed  cash matching for this proposed project. 

     The partner universities are Florida A&M University (HBCU), Alabama A&M University (HBCU), Jackson State University (HBCU) and Louisiana State University. Non-profit partners representing various non-profit organizations are the American Forests, National Alliance for Community Trees, Communities Committee for 7^th American Forest Congress, International Society of Arboriculture, Society of American Foresters, Baton Rouge Green, and Louisiana Urban Forestry Council. Federal agencies such as USDA Forest Service (FS) region 6, USDA FS region 8, USDA FS Center for Urban Forestry Research, Northeast Research Station, NY, Northeast Research Station, VT, USGS National Wetlands Research Center, USDOI National Park Service, Division of Diversity and Civil Rights, National Park and Conservation Association, USDOI Bureau of Land Management; US Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 5; USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, National Plant Data Center, and USEPA Urban Heat Island Consortium, will also facilitate conference participation from their regions, results dissemination, and project evaluation.

• To assist minority and underserved communities to understand the urban and rural environment and the costs and benefits of urban and community forestry,

• To increase the level of volunteerism among minority sectors and to increase their awareness of technical and financial assistance which is available to them through federal and state agencies, non-profit organizations, and other partners, 

• To educate minority sectors of the nation in the care of urban forest resources and to better serve minority population and ensure the stewardship of natural resources where minorities live, work, and play,

• To create a strong network of minority community leaders, non-profit urban and community forestry organizations, federal, state, and private industry that will target the needs of the minority communities,

• To provide a forum so that minority academic institutions can network with governmental, state, and private sectors in regards to urban and community forestry education, research and outreach,

• To discuss and document strategies by which the urban and community forestry programs can increase the quality of life in minority communities,

• To provide information on educational opportunities in urban and community forestry for multicultural minority groups, especially low income and chronically disadvantaged groups, and

• To publish a proceedings, which include techniques for improving minority involvement in urban and community forestry and resources available to them; art and science of urban forestry; and the environmental impact of urban and community forestry.