To The Utah Community Forestry Council/Utah Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture:
We need more trees in order to thrive as a society. As the body responsible for providing arboricultural and improving tree preservation in the state of Utah (UCFC mission statement), you are uniquely positioned to help legislators improve city- and state-wide urban forestry objectives. These should include a more holistic view of the need for trees in urban areas, as well as promote the tree-related benefits that are frequently overlooked. Currently, the importance of nature far exceeds the limited view of most urban forestry objectives. |
| Trees provide social benefits that are often overlooked. |
There are many reasons we need trees,
including social, economic, and health benefits that even today’s advanced technology aren’t able to provide. According to a study done by Yale University, crime rates are inversely related to canopy cover in neighborhoods, and girls with a view of nature and trees at home score higher on tests of self-discipline. Industrialization can provide, at a much higher cost than trees, some of the same ecological services like carbon sequestration, water and air purification, pollutant immobilization, shade, and soil stabilization, but without the public's help, science and technology aren’t powerful enough to keep up with the pace of industrialization.We can reach these goals by
engaging the public and providing access to incentives. John Chapman (better known as Johnny Appleseed) was the pioneer of this and made his living by planting orchards in a type of sharecropping model. Today, discounts on utilities or taxes could be offered to individuals that plant trees or increase canopy cover on their properties. Industry and technology can be incentivised to further developed to reclaim harvested trees, and even provide services that are only possible because of today’s technology. My peer Kenzie recently made me aware of an organization called Tab for a Cause that will plant a tree for each new subscriber they get. Another non-profit called Ecosia uses ad revenue from their search engine to plant trees. These are models that can be used in many other businesses to reach urban forestry goals, engage the public, and even impact the economy. The outlets available in today’s |
| Installing a cable in a tree to reduce risk of failure |
In summary,
trees are essential components of a healthy ecosystem and society, and we need to promote legislature that supports urban forests and funding to educate the public on the benefits of trees, the opportunities for revenue, and the services and incentives that will help us improve our communities with trees. |
| Serving those who have served by pruning trees at a Veteran's Cemetery. Healthy and safe trees contribute to a respectful atmosphere at the cemetery. |
Sources:
Gilstad-Hayden, Kathryn, et al. "Research note: Greater tree canopy cover is associated with lower rates of both violent and property crime in New Haven, CT." Landscape and Urban Planning 143 (2015): 248-253.
Benefits of Trees, Canopy.org. https://canopy.org/tree-info/benefits-of-trees/
Accessed 12 December 2019
|
YES PREACH. I love everything about this and everyone should read it. My one question is if you might be preaching to the choir a little bit, as the UCFC and the ISA are probably already very aware of the benefits of trees. If you're trying to convince them to run a public awareness campaign, that would have been a slightly different article. This article, I think, is perfect for convincing community members and/or legislatures to make better decisions about trees and allocate more funds to urban forestry. My Grandma lives in a condo in Orem, and her HOA recently forced her to remove a gorgeous twenty-year-old spruce because a neighbor complained about the risk of branches damaging his roof (we suspect he had ulterior motivations, however, because the tree was shading his solar panels). I wish she and the HOA would have read this before making that decision. That's really the only thing I can think of to change about this, it's extremely well-written and well-researched--just maybe give it to an audience who actually needs to be persuaded.
ReplyDeleteDespite my initial inhibitions to reading an article advocating for increased foliage in urban areas, I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed this article immensely. This is a very well-organized and clearly persuasive article about the need to increase public awareness of the multifaceted benefits of more trees in urban areas and specific policies to take to make that happen.
ReplyDeleteMy only suggestion is to address more fully the economic benefits of increase foliage in cities. This is often the greatest counterargument for environmental advocacy is the costs to businesses. One way to do this would be to simply link an article or research proving it helps the economy. Another would be to quote famous economists who support environmental practices such as beautification. You could even quote Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations when he says that men who work moderately and constantly achieve more and apply that to proper sustainability leads to long-lasting economic prosperity. Add that, and you would have a very good argument to persuade an economist like me completely!