Urban Connections Program
Urban Connections Communities across the Eastern Region
The Urban Connections Program was started in 2001 in the Eastern Region of the USDA Forest Service to reach out to urban communities and build alliances that complement the Forest Service’s mission. At the time, it was recognized that while much of the Region’s population lived in urban areas, urban stakeholders had little awareness of or opportunity to be involved with management of their national forests. The program is unique to the Eastern Region, though other Regions have related programs and ways of interacting with urban populations. The Urban Connections Program stands out within the Forest Service for its focus on working with local organizations, leaders, and community members to develop programming that meets their needs, as well as facilitating connections among partners across different units and branches of the agency.
The program currently has Urban Connections City Coordinators in Detroit, Boston, Minneapolis/Saint Paul, Newark, and St. Louis. We also have ongoing partnerships in Chicago and Milwaukee.
Events Calendar
Grants and Funding
Career Resources
Meet Our Team
Learn more about our team and the locations we serve across the Eastern Region.
Stewardship Mapping
STEW-MAP stands for The Stewardship Mapping and Assessment Project. To take part in STEW-MAP, a person or group collects data from stewards serving their community. They then use tools and methods developed by Forest Service scientists to map this data to show what groups work where and where no groups are active. Learn more about our team and the locations we serve across the Eastern Region.
Urban Connections Photos
Did you miss one of our annual partners meetings or just want to see and hear more about what Urban Connections is all about? Check out our Flickr page to view photos from our meetings and partner events.
Urban Connections Locations
The Urban Connections Program was launched in Boston, Massachusetts in 2001.The program was created to focus on connecting urban residents to nature in their backyard and to nearby national forests. Since then, a foundation of stewardship and global impacts have been shared and nurtured in participants. Furthermore, additional lines of communication were established that have helped everyday citizens inform and shape current Forest Service programming throughout the region and agency. The success of the Urban Connections Program in Boston lead to its expansion across the Eastern Region. Today, the program’s work with partners in Boston and other Eastern Region Urban Connections cities centers on conservation education, stewardship, and environmental workforce development.
The Urban Connections Program started in Detroit, Michigan in 2002.
The Urban Connections Program started in St. Louis, Missouri in 2022.
The Urban Connections Program started in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota in 2002. The program works to connect city residents to their local green spaces and nearby national forests, such as the Superior and Chippewa National Forests. The Urban Connections Program partners with community organizations that provide environmental education for youth, career development opportunities for teens and adults, and that work to improve the health of urban forests in communities and nearby National Forests.
Newark, New Jersey is the Urban Connections Program’s newest city, with work beginning here in 2024. Please check back soon for additional information.