![]() ![]() Today, our tree cover is estimated at 27 percent, which means we need to accelerate our efforts further. That's why Mayor Rawlings-Blake has continued the pledge Martin O'Malley made when he was mayor: to double the city's tree canopy, by 2037, to 40 percent coverage. Research shows that over the life of a single tree, some $57,000 in economic and environmental benefit is provided. Clearly, each dollar we spend on planting and caring for trees is an investment - and one whose payoff can be almost immediate. Each benefit reinforces the fact that it's a mistake to think of maintaining our "urban forest" as a cost. Perhaps most significantly, Baltimore's trees filter pollutants from stormwater before it enters the Chesapeake Bay. They cut smog, promote fitness, improve mental health, ease stress and reduce violence. They increase home values and help reverse the adverse effects of climate change. In 15 years, the savings will be nearly 12 percent.Įxtensive research has shown that trees do more than reduce energy costs. If you plant a tree today on the west side of your home, in five years your energy bills can be 3 percent less. For example, according to one USDA study, the net cooling effect of a healthy tree is equivalent to 10 room-size air conditioners operating 20 hours a day. Forest Service recently released a report, "Vibrant Cities & Urban Forests: A National Call to Action," the first of its kind to provide a roadmap for maximizing the innumerable and interrelated benefits - both obvious and subtle - that trees provide to city dwellers. ![]() Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has set a goal of bringing 10,000 new families to Baltimore, and the quality of life afforded by tree plantings and care will be a critical component of this plan.Ī national task force convened by the U.S. At the municipal level, mayoral efforts to bring new residents to urban centers will benefit greatly from this commitment. With this safeguard in place, we can be confident that Maryland's air will be cleaner, our native wildlife habitats will be richer, and the Chesapeake Bay will be healthier and more productive than they possibly could have been if we had failed to act.įor those of us working every day to make Baltimore an even better city in which to live, work, learn and play, much credit goes to our policymakers for recognizing that the state's forests do not end at the city limits. Maryland has made a commitment to "no net loss" of our state's forests - both urban and rural - starting right now. The recent passage and signing of landmark forest legislation will help protect the health and well-being of all Marylanders for generations to come. ![]()
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