Wednesday, August 17, 2011
What Is the Value of a Tree? Why Should it Matter to Me?
Can a forester measure the exact value of a tree? Maybe, maybe not, but according to CreateHere’s new tree tags, the value of the pine at the end of this post is $855 over the next fifteen years.
Citizen Forester Coordinator, Michael Wurzel is using the National Tree Benefits Calculator to estimate the value that individual trees provide to the city while promoting CreateHere’s newest environmental initiative, the Citizen Forester program. Sometimes, the benefits that trees provide, both economic and other, are not so obvious.
So what benefits do trees provide, and how are they measured? According to the website, the national tree benefits calculator:
“... is intended to be simple and accessible. As such, this tool should be considered a starting point for understanding trees’ value in the community, rather than a scientific accounting of precise values.”
Trees have value to individuals, neighborhoods, communities, and cities as a whole. While the Tree Benefits Calculator can roughly measure a trees economic value in terms of storm water, electricity, air quality, property value, natural gas, and CO2, trees provide practically innumerable other benefits too. Those benefits include: decreased crime, reduced stress, increased privacy, reduced noise pollution, increased wildlife, increased scenic beauty and many more. Through proper landscaping, trees soften the harsh divide between built environments and natural ones.
Interested in learning more about trees? Check out www.takerootchattanooga.com to sign up for a Citizen Forester Workshop this Fall!
