The Value of Trees

The benefits of trees in a community is widely known within forestry and tree-planting groups, but tough economic times could end the funding for urban forestry programs. A piece by John Rosenow,The benefits of Arbor Day last all year round, explains why this could be more costly in the end:

"In cities, trees serve as green infrastructure, providing immense value from a modest investment. Trees help clean the air and water, mitigate storm-water runoff, increase property values, and conserve energy – all the while improving the quality of life for residents. The fact is, trees are rare components of a city’s infrastructure that actually increase in value and service over time.
As municipal budgets become stretched, cutting corners on infrastructure expense such as tree planting and pruning may seem attractive on the surface. But the reality is cutting investments in these areas cost dearly over time.
History shows that when civic and national leaders make planting and caring for trees a high priority, it strengthens and adds value to the entire community."

Read the whole article:
The benefits of Arbor Day last all year round by John Rosenow