Communities

Think of trees as your friendsCommunity Forest

Plant them, maintain them, and here's what they will do for your city, according to Green Cities: Good Health research:

  • Increase property value. The presence of larger trees in yards and as street trees can add from 3 to 15 percent to home values throughout neighborhoods.
  • Increase spending in business districts. Shoppers claim that they will spend 9 to 12 percent more for goods and services in central business districts having high quality tree canopy.
  • Improve driving safety by decreasing crash rates across urban arterial and highway sites, and reduce mid-block crashes.
  • Prevent crime. Public housing buildings with greater amounts of vegetation had 52 percent fewer total crimes, 48 percent fewer property crimes, and 56 percent fewer violent crimes than buildings with low amounts of vegetation.
  • Keep citizens healthier by trapping dust, pollen and smoke, resulting in cleaner, cooler air.
  • provide environmental benefits by producing oxygen, absorbing carbon dioxide, preventing soil erosion, improving water quality, and serving as wildlife habitat.

 

How to keep your trees safe and healthy

  • Adopt a tree ordinance.
  • Develop a tree risk management program.
    • An inspection on a systematic schedule of all trees in high occupancy areas.
    • A protocol for prioritizing mitigation.
    • Recordkeeping, reporting and communications.
    • Standard of care adopted.
    • Tree risk assessment specifications meeting ANSI A300 Part 9 standards.
  • Designate authority (dedicated staff over the tree program and the budget).
  • Consult or employ an ISA Certified Arborist (TRAQ trained).
  • Attend or host community forestry training for tree board members on an ongoing basis (GAA, CAA, GUFC, Basic Tree Care with GFC, Extension, online training).
  • Have an annual budget for trees or at least a contingency budget (during times of limited funding) for risk management and ongoing tree care.
  • Only use tree care practices that follow ANSI standards and tree risk specifications.
  • Communicate (public recognition, tree celebration, news media).
  • Recruit and retain volunteers.

A healthy, sustainable community forest will benefit your community, reduce the potential for human, home and property damage and be defensible if a tree-related incident occurs.

 

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