Building Healthy Communities

As autumn has arrived, and we begin enjoying the beauty of the fall foliage, is seems like an appropriate time to reconsider the value of trees.  I know that there are some who fear storm damage from trees or who dislike the raking chores, but in general, I think it’s safe to say most people like trees.  They add variety to the landscape, provide cool shade to rest and give us a connection to the past and the future.  Trees are nice and good, and some people even write poems about them.

Today, though, I want to present some different information about trees - some economic information.  We don’t often think or talk about it, but there are  quantifiable, financial benefits of having trees in our cities, in our parks and in our yards.  These financial benefits are part of the reason the Foundation has committed to fund the planting and restoration of 3 million urban trees over ten years.

First, let’s talk basic value.  A mature tree often appraises for  between $1,000 and $10,000.  On the conservative side, Management Information Services estimates that the 60 million street trees in the U.S. have an average value of $525 per tree.  That means our cities have assets of  about $31 billion in their trees.

For the skeptics among you, let’s talk about what those trees do for the economy.  In terms of real estate, the U.S. Forest Service says that a healthy, mature tree can add an average of 10% to a residential property’s value.  In one study of realtors, 83% believe that trees have a “strong or moderate impact” on the saleability of homes listed for under $150,000 and, for homes over $250,000, that perception increases to 98%.  Additionally, homes with trees sell more quickly that those without.  (Perhaps some realtors should get their shovels out to get some houses moving in this market!)

Now, let’s think about economic development and stability.  People who shop along tree-lined street stay longer and spend more.  In fact, sales in a shaded business district can be 11% higher than similar areas without trees.  That not only helps the store owners, but means more jobs, more sales tax and fewer vacant storefronts.

Now let’s talk about trees as green infrastructure, and by that I mean we should think about trees just like we think about roads, sidewalks and storm sewers.  Speaking of storm sewers, fewer trees mean we need more storm drainage systems.  This is because trees slow and filter rainwater as it falls and as it soaks into the ground.  One million more trees would save cities $3.5 million in annual stormwater runoff costs.  Living in Atlanta where thousands of homes were recently destroyed (most of which were not in a designated flood plain) because the storm drains couldn’t handle the huge amount of rain we got in a very short period of time, I can’t help but wonder if the damage would not have been so bad if we had not lost so many trees and greenspaces to development in recent years.

And what about the air you ask?  We all know that trees clean the air by removing pollutants.   To help visualize the benefits, one acre of trees produces enough oxygen for 18 people to breathe each day and eliminates as much carbon dioxide from the air as is produced from driving a car 26,000 miles.   Another way to put a number on it, is to realize that every forty trees remove 80 pounds of pollutants from the air annually, which means that each 1 million trees saves about $5 million in annual air pollution clean up.  A major study showed that it would cost the City of Chicago $1 million each year to remove the same amount of pollution from the air as its trees currently do and that if you look at the entire metropolitan area, that number jumps to $9.2 million.

So, while I understand that the beauty of a tree and the awe they can inspire in us are priceless, there may be a reason that the color of both money and trees is green.