Legal
Terms of Use
By accessing and using the Vibrant Cities Lab website (“Site”) and its content, you acknowledge and accept the following terms and conditions in this Terms of Use. Vibrant Cities Labs and American Forests reserve the right to modify, amend, or change the Site and Terms of Use at any time without notice. Unless Vibrant Cities Labs or American Forests provide you with specific notice, no changes to the Terms of Use will apply retroactively.
Copyright
Images, text, software, documentation, electronic text and image files, audio and video clips, and all other materials and content on the Site are the sole property of American Forests, its licensors, vendors, agents, and/or its content providers except where otherwise indicated. Such content and materials are protected by U.S. copyright, trademark, and unfair competition laws and other restrictions.
Vibrant Cities lab and American Forests expressly prohibit the copying of any protected materials on this Site, except for the purposes of fair use as defined by copyright law and as described below. This prohibition includes the downloading of Site content for commercial use or for use on personal websites.
Fair Use
Fair use of copyrighted material includes the use of protected materials for noncommercial educational purposes, such as teaching, scholarship, research, criticism, commentary, and news reporting. Users who wish to download or print text and image files from the Site for such uses must request American Forests’ express permission by using the contact form or call 202-737-1944 during normal business hours (Monday-Friday 9am-5pm Eastern Time). After receiving American Forests’ permission, users using any material must cite the author and source for this material as they would material from any printed work and the citation should include the URL. Users using content or materials with American Forests’ permission may only reproduce the content or materials in their original form and may not alter, modify, or change the substance of the content or material from its original form. In addition, except as authorized under the copyright laws, you are responsible for obtaining permission before reusing any third party copyrighted material that is available on the Site.
Non-Discrimination Statement
USDA and American Forests are equal opportunity providers, employers, and lenders. For further information, please see the USDA website.
Warranty Disclaimer and Limitation of Liability
All content on the Site is provided solely for educational and promotional purposes. The content and materials posted on the Site is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind, either express or implied, and could include technical inaccuracies or other errors. Vibrant Cities Lab and American Forests assume no responsibility for consequences resulting from the use of information on the Site or from the use of information obtained by linked addresses on the Site. Vibrant Cities Lab and American Forests are not responsible for, and expressly disclaim all liability for, damages or any kind arising out of use, reference to, or reliance on any information contained in the Site.
Vibrant Cities Lab and American Forests do not warrant that the use of the Site will be uninterrupted or error-free, that defects will be corrected, or that the Site or the server that makes them available are free of viruses or other harmful components. You are responsible for taking all necessary precautions to ensure that any content or materials you may obtain from the Site are free from viruses or other harmful code.
While Vibrant Cities Lab and American Forests try to ensure the accuracy of information posted on the Site, we do not and cannot guarantee that all of the material included on the Site represents the most up-to-date and complete information. Vibrant Cities Lab and American Forests do not warrant or make any representations regarding the correctness, accuracy, or reliability of any content available through the Site. You are responsible for verifying any information before relying on it, and neither Vibrant Cities Lab or American Forests make any commitment or assume any duty to update such information.
In no event shall Vibrant Cities Lab and American Forests and its officers, directors, employees, or agents be liable to you for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, punitive, or consequential damages (including, without limitation, those resulting from lost profits, lost data, or business interruption) whatsoever resulting from (1) the use, inability to use, or the results of use of the Site, any websites linked to on the Site, or materials, information, or services contained on any or all such websites; (2) any errors, mistakes, or inaccuracies of content; (3) personal injury or property damage, of any nature, resulting from your access to and use of the Site; (4) any unauthorized access to or use of our secure servers and/or any personal information and/or financial information stored therein; (5) any interruption or cessation of transmission to or from the Site; (6) any bugs, viruses, or the like, which may be transmitted to or through the Site by any third party; and/or (7) any errors or omissions in any content or for any loss or damage incurred as a result of your use of any content posted, emailed, transmitted, or otherwise made available via the Site, whether based on warranty, contract, tort, or any other legal theory, and whether or not Vibrant Cities Lab and American Forests are advised of the possibility of such damages.
In the event of any problem with the Site or any content or materials, you agree that your sole remedy is to cease using the Site.
This Warranty Disclaimer and Limitation of Liability shall apply to the fullest extent permitted by law in the applicable jurisdiction and will survive these Terms of Use and your use of the Site.
Effective September 8, 2025