The urban forest is the tree canopy cover above every neighborhood, town, and city in America. Trees of all shapes and sizes make up the “green infrastructure” of our communities – lining streets, shading yards and buildings, and defining parks. Collectively this urban forest resource supports many diverse animals, plants, and organisms. The urban forest provides environmental, social and economic solutions to more than 80% of the population of the United States.

Rigorous research demonstrates that urban trees can help solve many pressing national and community issues. The federal government has a strong incentive to nurture our urban and community forests to safeguard their continued contributions to the health, safety, energy security and quality of life of the nation’s citizens.

Trees are Environmental Solutions

Trees are a critical national priority because they:

• Clean the air and help meet air quality standards by absorbing large amounts of harmful pollutants, including greenhouse gasses
• Improve national energy security through reduced energy consumption for heating and cooling
• Extend the life of street surfaces through shading
• Help meet water quality standards by reducing soil erosion and polluted storm water runoff

Trees are Economic Solutions

City leaders are planting more trees because:

• Consumers spend more in retail and business locations with trees
• Residential and commercial heating and cooling costs are reduced
• Property owners receive increased revenue for commercial office space with quality landscapes
• Companies foster greater worker satisfaction and productivity with views of green

Trees are Social Solutions

Research has shown that trees:

• Create stronger ties among neighbors and a greater sense of safety for urban residents
• Reduce crime, noise, litter and graffiti
• Reduce risk of skin cancer with greater shading
• Increase self-discipline and reduce attention deficit disorders in children

The Value of Green Infrastructure

Urban trees substantially contribute to national energy security and mitigate climate change by:

• reducing fossil fuel consumption through energy conservation;
• providing woody biomass for alternative fuels; and
• sequestering carbon and offsetting CO2 production.

Urban and community forests are essential green infrastructure to 25 million taxpayers living in cities and towns nationwide. Thousands of municipalities consider trees as a critically important resource in addressing environmental, social and economic requirements that appreciates in value, year after year. Replacing “grey” with “green” infrastructure saves scarce federal, state and local dollars.

Community Forests are at Risk

Large-scale disturbances from invasive species, catastrophic wildfire, severe storms and extreme weather combined with development pressures are eroding community forest resources across the country. Many communities have lost as much as 40% of their tree canopy. The loss of this essential green infrastructure greatly hampers community ability to meet environmental requirements, including EPA air and water quality standards.

State forestry agencies work in partnership with the USDA Forest Service to provide critical assistance to communities in establishing and managing local urban and community forestry resources. Disasters from threats to the forest resource often overwhelm the resources of cities and towns, and require substantial federal and state assistance to respond adequately.

Sound, long-term federal and state investment for urban and community forestry programs directly reduces the cost to the federal government for natural disaster recovery.

For more information about urban and community forestry, visit these links:

• TreeLink
• National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council
• United Nations Billion Tree Campaign
• Research from Dr. Kathleen Wolf on nature and consumer environments
• USDA Forest Service, State & Private Forestry, Urban & Community Forestry
• Northeast community tree guide: benefits, costs, and strategic planting
• American Forests: Urban Forests
• Urban Forestry South Expo
• TreePeople

NASF Policy Statement on Urban and Community Forestry (1994)