THE IMPORTANCE AND BENEFITS

OF THE URBAN FOREST

RLUAC A REA
 W HAT IS THE U RBAN F OREST ?

 Trees in the urban environment:

 Individual trees (street trees, planters, lawn
trees)
arks, remnants of developed
 Groups of trees (p woodland)
eage ( s)
 Wooded acr private land
undeveloped land, greenways, parks,

Joseph O'Brien, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org

W HERE IS T HIS S TREET ?

Photo: Georgia Forestry Commission

T REES C ERTAINLY S PRUCE
T HINGS U P !
IT’S MORE THAN JUST BEING
PRETTY
B ENEFITS OF U RBAN TREES

tal
 Economic

 Environmen

 Social and Behavioral

ECONOMIC BENEFITS
RETAIL

Most inviting
 E CONOMIC B ENEFITS
R ESIDENTIAL P ROPERTY VALUES
E CONOMIC B ENEFITS
C OMMERCIAL P ROPERTY
O CCUPANCY
ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS
SHADE
 E NVIRONMENTAL B ENEFITS
C OMBAT U RBAN H EAT -I SLAND E FFECT
 ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS
SHADE = LOWER COOLING COSTS
With a tree Without a tree
 E NVIRONMENTAL B ENEFITS
I MPROVED A IR
Q UALITY

 Trees trap and absorb

airborne dirt and
chemical particles

 CO2 is absorbed and the

carbon is stored
E NVIRONMENTAL B ENEFITS
I MPROVED WATER
Q UALITY
 Less stormwater runoff

 Less erosion and sedimentation

 Reduced peak stormwater

flows

 Less flooding

 Fewer storm sewers and flood

easements needed

 Groundwater recharge
 E NVIRONMENTAL B ENEFITS
I NCREASED W ILDLIFE H ABITAT

 Diversity in vegetation
promotes wildlife diversity

Terry L Spivey, Terry Spivey Photography, Bugwood.org

 Native vegetation supports
native wildlife

 Backyard wildlife
popularity

 Shaded streams regulate

water temperatures
 E NVIRONMENTAL B ENEFITS
I MPACTS OF T REE
C ANOPY
L OSS

Higher temperatures

Increased incidents of flooding

Decreased air quality

E NVIRONMENTAL B ENEFITS
I MPACTS OF T REE
C ANOPY
L OSS
E NVIRONMENTAL B ENEFITS
I MPACTS OF T REE
C ANOPY
L OSS
S OCIAL AND B EHAVIORAL B ENEFITS
S OCIAL AND B EHAVIORAL B ENEFITS
T REES AND C OMMUNITIES
 Outdoor spaces with trees are sed more often than
barren spaces u

 Increase social interaction

her levels of social cohesion among neighbors ore
 Hig

 Inc rease sense of safety

physically &
 Stronger neighborhood ties –
mentally healthy m
S OCIAL AND B EHAVIORAL B ENEFITS
T REES AND P UBLIC H EALTH

 Re uces time in the hospital

dieves stress
 Re
l
 Im proves air quality proves

 Im water quality reases some

 Inc allergies
S OCIAL AND B EHAVIORAL B ENEFITS
B UFFERS AND S CREENING

 Trees absorb and deflect sound energy

 Act as noise buffers/barriers

 Buffer/hide unwanted views

 Direct vehicle or pedestrian traffic

 Reduce glare
S OCIAL AND B EHAVIORAL B ENEFITS
C OMMUNITY P RIDE

 Community image or
identity

 Sense of place

 New business/visitor
promotion

 Downtown revitalization

 Tree City USA®

 S OCIAL AND B EHAVIORAL B ENEFITS
C OMMUNITY P RIDE

 Nine Tree City USA® Communities in RLUAC area

 Fayetteville, Fort Bragg, Laurinburg, Maxton,
Pinehurst, Pope AFB, Red Springs, St. Pauls, and
Southern Pines
 Communities with tree themed nicknames

 Fayetteville – City of Dogwoods

 Angier – Town of Crepe Myrtles

 Communities with tree names

 Linden , Pinebluff, Pinehurst, Pineview, Southern Pines, Whispering

Pines
 S OCIAL AND B EHAVIORAL B ENEFITS
I NSPIRATIONAL VALUE
es because they seem more resigned to the way they have to live her things do.
Willa Cather (1873‐1947), O Pioneers 1913

Knowing trees, I understand the meaning of patience. Knowing grass, I can

appreciate persistence. Hal Borland, Countryman: A Summary of Belief

k that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree… Joyce Kilmer (1886‐1918), Trees

ople who will not sustain trees will soon live in a world that will not sustain
people.
ce Nelson

Acts of creation are ordinarily reserved for gods and poets. To plant a pine, one
need only own a shovel. Aldo Leopold
 B ENEFITS OF U RBAN T REES
B ENEFITS AND C OSTS
Benefits Costs
 Cooling  Planting
 Pruning
 Heating
 Mulch
 CO2 Absorption  Removal and Disposal
 Pest Control
 Air Quality
 Infrastructure Repairs
 Water Quality  Irrigation
 Clean‐up
 Aesthetics
 Contribute VOC
 Property Values  Legal and Liability
 Inspections
 B ENEFITS OF U RBAN T REES
N ET B ENEFITS

40 year average of net benefits

large tree medium tree small tree conifer

tree: West $ 91.63 $ 34.63 $ 17.88 $ 43.00

tree: South $ 82.88 $ 22.63 $ 11.25 $ 31.00

tree: East $ 87.63 $ 29.63 $ 14.25 $ 38.88

c tree $ 77.63 $ 23.00 $ 6.25 $ 27.25

 B ENEFITS OF U RBAN T REES
N ET 40 B ENEFITS S UMMED
$4,000
$3,500
$3,000
$2,500
$2,000
Yard tree: West
$1,500 Public tree
$1,000
$500
$‐
small tree medium large tree conifer
tree
 B ENEFITS OF U RBAN T REES
20 Y EARS G ROWTH IN D ESERT S OUTHWEST

onthan AFB, AZ
onthan AFB, AZ nopy –8%
ater Runoff Reduction –5%
nopy – 42%
r Energy Savings ‐ $7.78/home
ater Runoff Reduction – 23%
Sequestration –0.45 tons/yr
r Energy Savings ‐
$20.02/home Sequestration –
2.40 tons/yr
 P LAN F OR THE U RBAN F OREST

 New parking lots designed to utilize trees

 P LAN F OR THE U RBAN F OREST

 Old parking lots retrofitted for trees

 P LAN F OR THE U RBAN F OREST

 Flexible set‐back requirements for older suburbs

 P LAN F OR THE U RBAN F OREST

Plantingthe right tree in the right place in urban

core areas and commercial districts
 P LAN F OR THE U RBAN F OREST

Tree canopy provisions inserted into

zoning requirements
 P LAN F OR THE U RBAN F OREST

Plant freeway on and off ramps in trees instead

of high maintenance grass

Photo: Texas Forest Service

 P LAN F OR THE U RBAN F OREST

New parking lots designed to utilize trees

Old parking lots retrofitted for trees
Flexible set‐back requirements for older suburbs
Planting the right tree in the right place in urban
core areas and commercial districts
Tree canopy provisions inserted into zoning
requirements
Plant freeway on and off ramps in trees instead
of high maintenance grass
I NCREASE U RBAN T REE C ANOPY
I NCREASE U RBAN T REE C ANOPY

100%
764 764
% of total acres (7,565) in City

2,625 3,230
80%

60%
Water
2,746
Trees
40% 2,444
Meadow
Impervious
20%
1,430
1,127
0%
Current 8% Increase Tree
I NCREASE U RBAN T REE C ANOPY

350,000

300,000

250,000 115,179
lbs. Removed / yr

200,000 93,600 Particulates

31,674 SO2
150,000 25,740 28,795 NO2
23,400
O3 CO
100,000
132,456
50,000 107,640

0 4,680 5,759
Current 8% Increase Tree
THE IMPORTANCE AND BENEFITS
OF THE URBAN FOREST
 Q UESTIONS ?

Contact information: Alan Moore

Eastern Region Urban Forestry
Specialist Office (919)857‐4841