New Study Provides Tree Cover Data For Communities in the D.C. Metro Area

American Forests
Monday, 13 May 2002

American Forests officials announced the results of an Urban Ecosystem Analysis conducted on 636 square miles of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The analysis was assembled to better understand the ecological value of the area's tree cover for community planning and development. According to the results, in most cases, each of the 102 communities assessed could save millions of dollars with better tree cover planning. The data from this analysis is available to any community within the study area, with the purchase of American Forests' CITYgreen 5.0 software. Community specific reports of this information are available upon request.

In 1996, conservation professionals at American Forests developed CITYgreen to analyze tree canopy and calculate the value of the role trees play in cleaning our air and water. Now in its fifth generation, CITYgreen 5.0 takes ecosystem analysis to the next level by rewriting the product's software to allow it to investigate larger areas such as watersheds, political boundaries within cities, or entire city areas. The new version runs faster and more efficiently, and allows users to access a wider variety of images, including high-resolution classified satellite data. With the help of CITYgreen 5.0, local governments, nonprofit organizations, neighborhood groups, developers, and others can see the benefits of including tree cover in their daily decision-making.

With the support of the USDA Forest Service and the Casey Trees Endowment Fund, American Forests completed the D.C. Metro analysis by collecting data on green infrastructure, areas covered with trees, shrubs, and grass; and gray infrastructure, or areas with buildings, roads, utilities, and parking lots. The resulting report provided valuable information for improving the current state of the Metro area's environment and serves as an important model for future community planning. The data from this analysis is available to any community within the study area, after purchasing American Forests' CITYgreen 5.0 software.

Over the last 30 years, countless metropolitan areas in the United States have reported significant declines in tree canopy cover, a loss directly correlating to rising urban populations. American Forests estimates losses of roughly 30% in natural tree cover over the last several decades in major urban areas throughout the United States.

Tree cover provides enormous benefits by reducing air pollution, slowing stormwater runoff, and helping us conserve energy. Cities are grappling to meet regulatory requirements for air and water quality; failing to do so jeopardizes federal funding for public projects. CITYgreen provides urban leaders a much-needed financial case for urban tree cover.

To help metropolitan regions understand how their tree canopy cover has changed over time, American Forests has developed a process to classify forest canopy by using satellite data collected over three decades. American Forests analysts then calculate the economic benefits of trees using CITYgreen software. For instance, Salem, Oregon's natural resources department used CITYgreen 5.0 to evaluate and assess changes in the forest canopy of the area's 12 watersheds. The city's tree cover is currently at 17 percent. In stormwater storage costs alone, CITYgreen provided information showing that Salem could save $17.5 million, just by increasing tree cover to 25 percent. These success stories and other useful information can be viewed online at http://www.americanforests.org.

In addition, recent, full-color reports from various cities across the United States can be downloaded for use. These reports include the metropolitan areas of Atlanta, Georgia; Chesapeake Bay; Puget Sound; Garland, Texas; Canton-Akron, Ohio; Houston, Texas; and Denver, Colorado. From this site, visitors can also download CITYgreen 5.0 and the sample data needed to evaluate the software. This demonstration copy is licensed by American Forests for evaluation purposes only. Any questions may be directed to Communications Director Rachel Brittin at (202) 955-4500 x234 or rbrittin@amfor.org

For more information, or to contact American Forests, see their website at: www.americanforests.org