Everybody can do something to make a greener Indiana
In The City-- Happy Earth Day, Every Day, but Not Today.
spring ducks right at home.JPG
The neighbors are cutting down more trees today.... running a wood chipper, using a leaf blower, chain saws. Since I am to the South of these neighbors on a gradient, I get the direct flow of stormwater run-off from their properties. Yippee.... that means, less trees, more stormwater; our spring ducks remaining longer in our rain trenches, and our wetlands staying wetter.
It gives me an excuse to plant more native wetland wildflowers, trees, shrubs to make up for the stormwater up-take, water interception gaps left by clueless, and soul-less neighbors cutting down all their existing plantings on their properties.
If they would only educate themselves on urban forests. Trees control stormwater runoff, also improve water quality as well as the quality of life of city people, and urban wildlife. Neighborhoods with fewer trees have the potential for not only increased stormwater, but also pollutants. Chemicals flow in to our water supply and systems resulting in health risks. Flood contaminants lead to increased taxpayers dollars to treat the water, and treat a sicker population. Less trees mean less wildlife habitat. Trees are desparately needed in the urban setting for biodiversity. More tree canopy also seems to lesson crime in the cities, hmmmm......
Trees are part of the water cycle. In an urban forest canopy when it rains, most raindrops hit a leaf or a branch and remain there a while in "temporary storage" before they are released by evaporation into the atmosphere or by drops falling to the ground. This is called rainfall interception, and leaves on deciduous trees can intercept 500-700 gallons of H2O / year. Mature evergreens can intercept more than 4,000 gallons/year
Trees roots also slow and reduce stormwater run-off, flooding, and erosion.
What is the value of a tree? by sactree.com
A tree can return up to $2.70 for each $1 on community investment…that’s a 270% return (based on a 40 year average life span according to Center for Urban Forest Research, Pacific Southwest Research Station, U.S. Forest Service, Davis, CA)
Four trees planted around a home can save up to 30% on summer cooling costs.
One million trees save $10 million a year in energy costs.
Forty trees remove 80 pounds of air pollutants annually.
Four million trees can save $20 million in air pollution clean up.
Four hundred trees capture 140,000 gallons of rainwater annually.
Four million trees save $14 million dollars in annual storm water runoff costs.
Trees in commercial parking lots induce shoppers to spend 11% more for goods and services.
Shade from trees could save up to $175 per year (per structure) in air conditioning costs. -Dr. Lowell Ponte
Trees can boost the market value of your home by an average of 6 or 7 percent. -Dr. Lowell Ponte
Healthy, mature trees add an average of 10 percent to a property's value. -USDA Forest Service
Landscaping, especially with trees, can increase property values as much as 20 percent. -Management Information Services/ICMA
The net cooling effect of a young, healthy tree is equivalent to ten room-size air conditioners operating 20 hours a day. -U.S. Department of Agriculture
Nationally, the 60 million street trees have an average value of $525 per tree. -Management Information Services
From: http://www.treelink.org
A tree, over a 50-year period, will generate $31,250 worth of oxygen, provide $62,000 worth of air pollution control, and recycle $37,500 worth of water.
From: http://www.arborday.org/trees/benefits.cfm
The neighbors are cutting down more trees today.... running a wood chipper, using a leaf blower, chain saws. Since I am to the South of these neighbors on a gradient, I get the direct flow of stormwater run-off from their properties. Yippee.... that means, less trees, more stormwater; our spring ducks remaining longer in our rain trenches, and our wetlands staying wetter.
It gives me an excuse to plant more native wetland wildflowers, trees, shrubs to make up for the stormwater up-take, water interception gaps left by clueless, and soul-less neighbors cutting down all their existing plantings on their properties.
If they would only educate themselves on urban forests. Trees control stormwater runoff, also improve water quality as well as the quality of life of city people, and urban wildlife. Neighborhoods with fewer trees have the potential for not only increased stormwater, but also pollutants. Chemicals flow in to our water supply and systems resulting in health risks. Flood contaminants lead to increased taxpayers dollars to treat the water, and treat a sicker population. Less trees mean less wildlife habitat. Trees are desparately needed in the urban setting for biodiversity. More tree canopy also seems to lesson crime in the cities, hmmmm......
Trees are part of the water cycle. In an urban forest canopy when it rains, most raindrops hit a leaf or a branch and remain there a while in "temporary storage" before they are released by evaporation into the atmosphere or by drops falling to the ground. This is called rainfall interception, and leaves on deciduous trees can intercept 500-700 gallons of H2O / year. Mature evergreens can intercept more than 4,000 gallons/year
Trees roots also slow and reduce stormwater run-off, flooding, and erosion.
What is the value of a tree? by sactree.com
A tree can return up to $2.70 for each $1 on community investment…that’s a 270% return (based on a 40 year average life span according to Center for Urban Forest Research, Pacific Southwest Research Station, U.S. Forest Service, Davis, CA)
Four trees planted around a home can save up to 30% on summer cooling costs.
One million trees save $10 million a year in energy costs.
Forty trees remove 80 pounds of air pollutants annually.
Four million trees can save $20 million in air pollution clean up.
Four hundred trees capture 140,000 gallons of rainwater annually.
Four million trees save $14 million dollars in annual storm water runoff costs.
Trees in commercial parking lots induce shoppers to spend 11% more for goods and services.
Shade from trees could save up to $175 per year (per structure) in air conditioning costs. -Dr. Lowell Ponte
Trees can boost the market value of your home by an average of 6 or 7 percent. -Dr. Lowell Ponte
Healthy, mature trees add an average of 10 percent to a property's value. -USDA Forest Service
Landscaping, especially with trees, can increase property values as much as 20 percent. -Management Information Services/ICMA
The net cooling effect of a young, healthy tree is equivalent to ten room-size air conditioners operating 20 hours a day. -U.S. Department of Agriculture
Nationally, the 60 million street trees have an average value of $525 per tree. -Management Information Services
From: http://www.treelink.org
A tree, over a 50-year period, will generate $31,250 worth of oxygen, provide $62,000 worth of air pollution control, and recycle $37,500 worth of water.
From: http://www.arborday.org/trees/benefits.cfm
Tags: flooding, stormwater, supply, trees, water
Comment
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Comment by Ellen on April 23, 2010 at 5:10pm - Hey, I just noticed yesterday that the same neighbors killed the last tree on their property after wiping out 14 of them exactly 1 year ago! What did they do! Poison It!!!!!? I really want to punish them, but how? Since they have no trees now, our property receives more flooding due to the gradient, is this cause for legal action? That's why we installed rain gardens and such, but still......
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Comment by Leah DiMaria on April 23, 2010 at 9:57am -
How sad :( killing so many trees,in 1 day!! a crime against nature in my opinion..not to mention damage to your land,life,etc.. to kill a tree is not only killing tree but community lives upon,near,around tree..I love this vid..says it all ...all I believe,feel & reasons why I do what I do..to protect,educate & motivate as many peeps as can..
big hugs Ellen,luv ya'
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Comment by Ellen on April 26, 2009 at 11:58am
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Hey Derek get a load of this!!!!! Can't believe Fort Waste is actually setting up a commission for urban tree canopy!
Published: April 25, 2009 3:00 a.m.
City forms panel to stump for trees
Benjamin LankaThe Journal Gazette
Clint Keller | The Journal Gazette
Cedar Canyon Elementery third-graders plant trees at Salomon Farm Park on Friday as part of the city’s Arbor Day celebration.
Mayor Tom Henry celebrated Arbor Day on Friday by calling for a long-term plan to keep the city’s tree canopy intact.
Henry announced the formation of the city’s first communitywide tree commission.
Henry said the group is needed to focus on issues such as the emerald ash borer and to develop a 10-year plan for increasing and managing the city’s trees. This will allow future generations to enjoy the benefits that trees provide, he said.
Jason Kissel, co-chairman of the committee, said the group will examine whether there are areas in need of more trees, how the city maintains its trees; and how dead trees are used.
“We’re going to create a report card for the urban forest of Fort Wayne,” he said.
The group’s recommendations are expected by November.
The group was announced at the same time that the city revealed it has been honored as a Tree City USA for the 19th consecutive year.
The city also earned a Growth Award from the National Arbor Foundation for how it cares for its parks’ 80,000 trees.
Henry celebrated by helping plant one of several trees at Salomon Farm Park with students from Cedar Canyon Elementary.
blanka@jg.net
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Comment by Derek Reuter on April 22, 2009 at 10:37pm - Well I would notify the Fort Wayne Arborist and he might be able to enforce the replacement of trees. All and all I know what you are talking about and seen it all to much in Fort Wayne.
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Comment by Ellen on April 22, 2009 at 9:49pm
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What Arborist?! These neighbors hired the cheapest, most careless tree removal company possible, non-professionals.
The neighbor to our immediate north cut down 8, fifty-foot Scotch pines, 4, ten-foot Washington Hawthorns, a forty-foot Red Maple, and a cherry-apple at least thirty feet, all in a days time.
They left the stumps, we call them the "stump jumpers"
There should be a bag limit on taking down trees, and a tree should be planted for every tree taken down.
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Comment by Derek Reuter on April 22, 2009 at 6:02pm
- Has the Arborist announced that they will be replacing the trees? This is a bunch of great info on the value of trees and the importance of there presence in an urban setting.
Reface Don't Replace
Reface! Don't Replace!
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CLICK FOR MORE INFO
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[ October 7, 2010; 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm. ] Where: Holiday Inn at the Coliseum, 4111 Paul Shaffer Dr., Fort Wayne, IN 46825 Cost: Individual Chapter Members - FREE; Non-Members - $10 Icon - NortheastLEED for Contractors (Panel Discussion): What general contractors, subcontractors, and vendors need to know about building LEED projects - from estimating/bidding, through construction, and project closeout. Register Free drink ticket for early RSVP [...]Wind Supply Chain Workshop Scheduled for Thursday, September 16
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