I am trying to find information/research on the short term or long term dollar value of retaining local trees along road reserves and Public Open Spaces (POS) within developments.
Sue Dempster
Adv dip Hort, Dip Land
www.everlastingconcepts.com.au
Economic Value of Retaining Local Trees
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Sue,
My city, Boulder, Colorado, USA, recently did a study on just this question, but for the City street and park trees. I think it may be applicable to your question. The article from the local paper is below. The city's website is http://www.ci.boulder.co.us/ if you want to search for more info and the US Center for Urban Forest Research is at http://cufr.ucdavis.edu/ -- maybe you can find out thier methodology. The CUFR has information on the subject of "why it is so important to combine scientific research with marketing the value of trees to local elected officials." For those who enjoy fiction, there's a fun novel called "Tex and Molly in the Afterlife" by Richard Grant, set in Maine, US - with delightful themes of what happens when the trees get mad at being genetically modified (with a little human and supernatural help).
Good luck,
Anne Peters
Gracestone, Inc. Boulder, CO USA
303.494.4934
vox 303.494.4880
fax
The Daily Camera
http://www.dailycamera.com/bdc/county_news/article/0,1713,BDC_2423_4184248,00.html New report shows money grows on trees in Boulder City has saved $2.7 million from its foliage
By Todd Neff, Camera Staff Writer October 25, 2005
The sound of russet leaves quaking in the autumn wind, a picnic in the shade, 120 board feet. Quantifying the value of a tree traditionally has been the job of poets and lumberjacks. But in Boulder, thanks to a report released Thursday, we've got some hard numbers on just how much a tree is worth. E. Gregory McPherson and colleagues at the U.S. Forest Service's Center for Urban Forest Research did the work for the city, with the help of city forester Ellie Bussi-Sottile. First, some numbers. Boulder has 35,502 street and park trees, according to the report. The average tree intercepts 1,271 gallons of storm water annually, reducing the annual volume roughly 6 million cubic feet per year and saving an estimated $523,611, according to the report. That's $15 per tree. Moving on to shade and transpiration-related cooling, Boulder's city trees saved $104,074 in electricity and $72,022 in natural gas, a total of $4.96 per tree. The report notes that silver maples account for only 8.1 percent of total tree numbers, but they provide 20 percent of the energy savings. Boulder's municipal forest reduced atmospheric carbon dioxide by 4,227 tons annually, the report says, a $63,409 value. That's $1.79 per tree. The estimated total annual benefits associated with such intangibles as aesthetics and increased property values are approximately $1.9 million, the report says. That's $54.67 per tree. All told, the total annual benefit total $2.7 million, an average $77 per tree, according to the authors. On the other side of the ledger, Boulder spends an average $21.20 per tree, according to the report. That includes everything from purchasing to pruning to pest management. So the return on investment is 264 percent. Detlev Helmig, an associate professor with the University of Colorado's Institute for Arctic and Alpine Research and CU's Program in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, thinks urban trees are valuable for all the above reasons and others. But he's a bit skeptical of the numbers. Among the report's figures: a $28,215 savings, or 79 cents per tree, from net annual air pollutants removed. Helmig is leading a team studying the impacts of different tree species on air quality. He says trees indeed remove pollutants. But different tree species also emit varying amounts of organic compounds that can, in the wrong conditions, bring smog. "I have no idea how you'd get 79 cents per tree," Helmig said. Doug Hawthorn, the city's parks superintendent, said, "The report quantifies the value of trees to the community and validates the effectiveness of our work." The report cost the city's Urban Forestry Tree Mitigation Program $15,000, said city spokeswoman Jodie Carroll. That's 42 cents per tree. Boulder trees by the numbers October 25, 2005 35,502 - Number of street and park trees. 3 - Approximate number of residents per tree. This counts only trees in city parks and on streets. 21.3 - tree density per acre in Boulder parks 13.8 - percent. Most predominant tree, green ash 24.5 - Percent of silver maples on Mapleton Hill 84.1 - Percentage deciduous trees
Copyright 2005, The Daily Camera. All Rights Reserved Contact Camera Staff Writer Todd Neff at (303) 473-1327 or [email protected].