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Trees beautify our communities, clean our air and water, and fight climate change by absorbing carbon from the air. Did you know that planting just 30 trees each year offsets the average American's carbon debt -- the amount of carbon dioxide we produce each year from our cars and homes?
Trees also provide shade, vital habitat for wildlife, and the oxygen we breathe.
Properly cared for, trees are valuable and growing assets. It is a very exciting time for us in the field of urban and community forestry because so much new research is being done to demonstrate the economic and social impact of trees. Consider the latest findings:
- For every $1 invested in tree care, three times that is returned in benefits.
- Trees provide significant savings on air-conditioning and heating costs, ranging from 20% to as high as 50%.
- Trees mean better business. In tree-lined commercial districts, shoppers report more frequent trips, longer trips, a willingness to pay more for parking, and a willingness to spend 12% more!
- A recent study found that tree shade over paved residential streets leads
to better performance of the asphalt surfaces. In fact, the shaded pavements
outperformed the unshaded pavements by better than 2 to 1.
- Trees increase property values up to 20%.
- 100 mature trees catch over 500,000 gallons of rainwater per year, significantly reducing stormwater runoff and its related costs. By dispersing rainfall over time, tree canopies also make runoff more gradual, decreasing water pollution and flood damage.
- Recent research demonstrates that tree-filled neighborhoods are safer and more sociable, with lower levels of domestic violence.
Trees celebrate life! To learn how you can honor or remember others through Forest ReLeaf's Tribute of Trees program, click here.
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