Benefits of City Trees

Benefits of City Trees "What," you might ask, "is the big deal with Fat-Al and his sycophants cutting down a hundred plus year old healthy tree on the river bank to pour a concrete sidewalk? Sure, trees are great. They look pretty, they give us a place to have a picnic, but they just sit there. They don't actually DO anything."

At times in our little town, many people have believed this to be true. However, in recent years, studies of our urban forests have shown that city trees provide benefits worth many times the cost of their planting and upkeep, even as they just "sit there" on the river bank.

The Congress of the United States finds that:
The health of forests and trees in urban areas and communities, including cities, and towns, in the United States is on the decline and our trees need to be protected from people like Fat-Al and the sycophants.

Forest lands, shade trees, and open spaces in urban areas and communities improve the quality of life for residents.

Tree root systems hold soil in place, preventing erosion and are flood control.

Trees add beauty and reflection to our everyday lives. Picture Madison and our river bank without trees. Would you still want to live here?

Trees increase economic stability by attracting and keeping businesses and tourists in a community.

Mature trees also raise property values by up to 20 percent, according to the American Forestry Association.

A Texas A&M study indicates that trees help create relaxation and well being.

Trees provide homes for animals that would otherwise be unable to survive in an urban habitat.

A study of public housing residents has shown that trees can play an important role in reducing urban violence.

Just three well-placed trees around a home can lower air conditioning bills by up to 50 percent, and windbreak trees can reduce winter heating bills by up to 30 percent.

Trees help cleanse the environment. During photosynthesis, trees absorb, or sequester carbon dioxide and convert it into oxygen for us to breathe. Trees also remove sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, two major components of acid rain and ozone pollution, from the air.

Trees are natural buffers to harsh weather conditions. Well forested lands are consistently at least 2 to 4 degrees cooler during the summer and 1 to 2 degrees warmer during the winter than deforested land. This temperature reduction can significantly lower smog production, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Trees can reduce wind speeds by up to 85 percent, compared to treeless areas. City trees also help to counter the urban heat island effect.

A U.S. Department of Energy study reports that trees reduce noise pollution by acting as a buffer and absorbing 50% of urban noise.

I wonder if anyone ever even considered building the sidewalk AROUND the tree instead of just cutting it down and how many floods will the sidewalk survive?

Did the donors of the money for the overlook and the sidewalk request Fat-Al and his sycophants to cut down the trees?