The jobs are in the trees

With Congress and the White House considering spending scarce dollars to jump-start employment, they'll need to get the biggest jobs bang for the buck to give Americans confidence that they're spending our money wisely. Probably the biggest jobs generator of all, and one of the least recognized, is investing in forest and land restoration and sustainable management, with conservation, watershed projects, and park investment coming close behind.
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Funding for community-based greening in cities

"Sen. Bob Casey introduced the companion bill to Rep. Allyson Schwartz's Green Communities Act (H.R. 2222). As cities across the United States are looking for new effective, low cost strategies that will grow their economies, the implementation of green infrastructure is one of the most effective ways to improve quality of life, attract new business, and improve the general environment.

The bill authorizes $120 million in funding for community-based greening in cities. ACT member organization Pennsylvania Horticulture Society hosted a field hearing on the legislation and is a leading advocate for the program, which would be authorized by the Secretary of Commerce and delivered through the Economic Development Administration. Urban forestry and volunteer-based action are prominently featured in the legislation."

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Take Action to Save USFS Urban Forestry Programs

"The Alliance for Community Trees is joining together with 15 national organizations to support a strengthening of the U.S. Forest Service's Urban and Community Forestry Program (U&CF) in the President's FY 2011 federal budget.
This year, we hope that many state, regional, and local organizations and city mayors will help carry this advocacy message to their federal elected officials. Your support strengthens the case for preserving the Urban and Community Forestry Program and improving the program's ability to assist communities of all sizes, nationwide."

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Trees speed the sale of a home

"Studies conducted around the country confirm this, but any realtor will tell you that trees can increase the value of a home. In fact, property values of homes with trees in the landscape are 5-20% higher than equivalent properties without trees and just adding a few trees can increase the sales price of homes by 1% and speed the sale of a home by four to six weeks.
Adding trees in just 4,000 yards could increase homes sales by a combined estimated $10.4 million."

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Biodiversity loss can increase infectious diseases in humans

The extinction of plant and animal species and their habitats may not just make the world boring. New research now suggests it may also put you at greater risk for catching some nasty disease.
"Habitat destruction and biodiversity loss," -- driven by the replacement of local species by exotic ones, deforestation, global transportation, encroaching cities, and other environmental changes -- "can increase the incidence and distribution of infectious diseases in humans," write University of Vermont biologist Joe Roman, EPA scientist Montira Pongsiri, and seven co-authors in BioScience.

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Sustainable Residential Design: Increasing Energy Efficiency

Residential and commercial buildings use ten percent of U.S. energy.
Sustainable residential landscape architecture can dramatically reduce energy costs over the long term while creating a healthy residential environment.
The energy efficiency benefits of sustainable landscape architecture practices, including age-old practices like tree siting for shading, can be further leveraged through the use of clean energy technologies, like solar power.

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A Great Return On Investment

Trees are an easy way to increase a neighborhood's economic value and psychological well-being. Trees increase the property and resale value up to 15 percent higher than properties without trees. In addition to economic benefits, trees have a positive psychological effect. Views of nature reduce the stress response of both body and mind, reducing aggression and increasing calm. People with views of nature from their work environment are less frustrated, more patient, have greater enthusiasm for their job, better health, and overall a higher life satisfaction. Hospital patients with a view of trees need less medication and have faster recovery times following surgery. Children who have access to green space consistently perform better in school. Exposure to nature has been shown to reduce the effects of Attention Deficit Disorder.

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Can Nature Make People Nice?

A new study argues that paying attention to the natural world can cause people to feel better and behave better. Viewing nature has health and social benefits. 370 test subjects exposed to natural environments valued community and close relationships and were more generous.

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