Advanced Search
October 7, 2021
In 2021, North Americans experienced the continent’s hottest June on record. During a summer of record-breaking highs across much of the United States, many people were desperate for a reprieve. This was particularly true in cities, where heat is amplified due to the urban heat island effect (buildings and roads absorb more heat than natural landscapes).
A thriving urban canopy can mitigate high temperatures. Urban trees prevent an estimated 1,200 heat-related deaths per year and reduce energy costs by almost $7.8 billion nationwide. Urban trees can also reduce air and water pollution, provide habitat for wildlife, sequester carbon dioxide, lessen the risk of severe flooding, and provide mental health benefits for those living in greener spaces. On the flipside, increased temperatures leave residents of low-tree neighborhoods more vulnerable to heat-related illness and death, a threat that will continue to rise as heat waves become more frequent and more extreme.
Unfortunately, the distribution of trees in most of America's cities is far from equal. Tree canopy cover tracks closely with income and race in city neighborhoods, with wealthy, white neighborhoods possessing far more trees. A 2015 study of seven U.S. cities estimated that a $1,000 increase in median household income correlates with a 0.05–0.20 point increase in the percentage of urban tree canopy coverage.
American Forests, a forest conservation nonprofit, launched its Tree Equity Score in July 2021, a tool that combines tree cover, climate, and demographic data to indicate which neighborhoods have sufficient tree coverage. Many cities have significant disparities between neighborhoods.
In an effort to remedy these inequities, American Forests has teamed up with other organizations to form Trees for Community Recovery, a national consortium of conservation groups, community development organizations, and local governments working to advance federal investment in urban forestry. The coalition facilitates information and resource sharing among those working on the ground to improve community forestry in different cities, and shares findings and policy recommendations with federal and state decisionmakers.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, one of the “Vanguard Cities” identified by Trees for Community Recovery, has made strides towards protecting and restoring its urban canopy while keeping environmental justice at the forefront. Tree Pittsburgh, a local urban forestry nonprofit, identified the neighborhoods that could benefit the most from more trees, using data on canopy cover, heat, and stormwater. The organization facilitated community meetings during which residents created neighborhood-specific plans based on their goals and situations.
Danielle Crumrine, Tree Pittsburgh’s executive director, explained the importance of this type of engagement: “We could go in and write a forestry plan for the community, but for it to be equitable and sustainable, of course, the community has to be part of it.”
Some of the community projects include planting street trees, implementing tree barriers between homes and highways, and creating community orchards, which have already been established in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville and Manchester neighborhoods. Tree Pittsburgh also runs a program called Tree Tenders that trains community members to take care of newly planted trees, helping to ensure their survival and create community buy-in for urban forestry.
Despite the documented benefits of trees, not all residents are eager for more trees on their block. In some underserved communities lacking resources to maintain trees, urban forests can be seen as a hazard due to the damage they can cause to homes and roads. A City Forester with Pittsburgh’s Department of Public Works, Lisa Ceoffe has been working to get trees in the ground and convince Pittsburgh residents of their value.
“A lot of outreach went to neighborhoods to try to recruit folks to plant trees,” says Ceoffe. “If somebody would call me and say ‘Hey, I want to get a new tree,’ I would say, ‘How would you like to get 10 new trees?’” Through Treevitalize, a program in which residents can request tree plantings in their neighborhoods, over 30,000 trees have been planted in the last decade.
But there is still work to be done. Danielle Crumrine noted that as the city upgrades its infrastructure, many trees will need to be removed. Federal funding could help maintain and expand urban forests in the face of infrastructure projects and storms that threaten trees.
Crumrine and Ceoffe both identified workforce development and tree maintenance as key areas for additional federal funding. Maintenance is particularly important because without it, the investments made in tree planting will not be able to come to full fruition.
Currently, the appropriation range for the U.S. Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry Program (UCF), the only federal program focused on urban forestry, is $30-40 million. Communities with 2,500 or more inhabitants are eligible to receive UCF funding and services to help plan for and maintain trees and educate stakeholders on the benefits of urban forests.
In September 2021, the House Budget Committee approved a $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation measure that included $3 billion for UCF appropriations over 10 years. This would be a substantial increase in funding that could pay dividends in environmental, economic, and overall quality-of-life improvements for communities across the country.
The bipartisan Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act (H.R.3684) includes additional funding for climate resilience projects such as those related to urban forestry, along with $500 million for a Department of Transportation “Healthy Streets” program that would plant trees and encourage environmentally-friendly pavement options.
The White House and Congressional leadership are negotiating the size and scope of the reconciliation package in hopes of finalizing votes on both it and the bipartisan infrastructure bill.
"America is on the cusp of making transformational investments in our infrastructure, our people, and our environment," said Joel Pannell, vice president of urban policy at American Forests. “Equitable investments in our urban tree canopy will create jobs, build resilient infrastructure, and make for cooler, cleaner, and healthier neighborhoods. Tree equity is climate action we can take now to address the life and death consequences of extreme heat while generating economic opportunity in the very communities that have been historically underserved and are suffering most from the combined impacts of climate change."
When asked about the prospect of increased federal funding for urban forestry, Crumrine, whose organization has never had more than 10 percent of its funding come from government sources, said, “I can’t help but be inspired by the idea of where we would go and what we could accomplish.”
Authors: Anna Sophia Roberts and Amber Todoroff
We'll deliver a dose of the latest in environmental policy and climate change solutions straight to your inbox every 2 weeks!
Sign up for our newsletter, Climate Change Solutions, here.
Top-Rated Climate Nonprofit – 4-Star Charity