LOCALIZE IT: Money flows to US communities in need of trees

EDITORS/NEWS DIRECTORS

Tree planting in U.S. cities is nothing new. The first trees were planted in 1858 in what became New York City’s beloved Central Park. Today there are more than 20,000 trees growing throughout the famous park’s 843 acres, which provide a respite from urban life to more than 42 million visitors annually.

While many people love the beauty and cooling canopy of urban trees, it has often been left to nonprofit organizations, and state and local governments to cover the cost of planting and caring for trees in American cities. The federal budget, in recent years, has typically included roughly $36 million a year for the U.S. Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program, money that’s supposed to be distributed across all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories.

But that is all changing. The federal government is now funding tree-planting and tree-care projects in a huge way. President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act makes a historic $1.5 billion investment in urban forestry, prioritizing projects that benefit underserved communities. That’s in addition to funding included for tree projects in Biden’s infrastructure law and the COVID-19 relief legislation known as the American Rescue Plan.

Tree advocates see this massive investment as a game-changer for urban communities that suffer from dirtier air, dangerously high temperatures and other challenges because they lack a leafy canopy overhead.

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READ AP'S LATEST

Historic investment in urban trees underway across the US

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LOCALIZING THE STORY

— Reporters can find out from state and local officials and community groups whether they are planning to apply or have already applied for funds included in the federal Inflation Reduction Act, the infrastructure law or COVID-19 relief funds. How do they plan to spend the money? What unique ideas are being proposed?

— How equitable is the tree canopy in a specific city, state or region? The advocacy group American Forests has created a search engine that allows people to check the tree equity of a city and town. A score is based on various metrics, including existing tree canopy, property density, income, employment, surface temperature, race, age and health. A score of 100 means a community has reached tree equity.

— Are there urban “heat islands” in heavily paved and relatively treeless areas, and have cities been doing anything to ease the unhealthful condition, especially in poor areas? Are there plans to build upon these projects using the new federal funding?

— Are heat-related illnesses an issue in a specific city, state or region? How many hospitalizations? How many deaths? Have those figures grown over the years?

— Is there a shortage of arborists and other tree care workers in specific city, state or region? Are there plans to create new training programs, possibly funded by the new federal grants, to expand the workforce, especially in underserved communities?

— Is there a shortage of available trees in a particular area? Are there efforts to work with growers to supply tree-planting efforts with specific varieties that are more resilient to climate change challenges, including drought and pests?

— How have newly planted trees changed neighborhoods? Have these efforts failed or succeeded? Are there human interest stories about local residents taking on tree-planting projects to improve their communities?

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RESOURCES

— The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has created an online query that enables visitors to find local data on heat-related illness (HRI) and deaths. First, under “content area,” select heat and heat-related illness. Second, under “select indicator,” choose options such as number of emergency department visits, mortality from HRI, or historical temperatures. Third, choose a “measure,” such as the annual number of HRI deaths. And fourth, choose a “geographic type,” such as by state.

— American Forests' search engine provides a “tree equity score” for a particular community. The score takes into account not only the tree canopy, but other factors such as race and employment.

— For more details about how states, municipalities, tribes, U.S. territories, community groups and others can apply for the $1.5 billion in grants to support urban tree-planting, urban forest management and planning, as well as for information about the U.S. Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry Program, visit this site.

— U.S. Forest Service researchers have analyzed how city tree canopies are doing in the United States.

— The National Institutes of Health has compiled a comprehensive summary of existing literature on the health impacts of urban trees.

— Researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture studied the role urban forests play in climate change mitigation.

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PUBLISHABLE CONTEXT

The benefits of trees are wide-ranging. Trees in an “urban forest,” which include not only trees growing in parks but trees lining the streets or on private property, help to reduce air and water pollution, combat climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide, provide a cooling canopy, and increase real estate values and community pride.

Trees, which remove particulate matter, are seen as a way to address health ailments, including asthma and heart disease, suffered by people living in cities, especially in lower-income neighborhoods that are near highways and factories, according to The Nature Conservancy.

This heightened focus on trees comes as extreme heat across the globe has tripled and now affects a quarter of the world’s population. Very hot temperatures can cause illness and even death.

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Localize It is an occasional feature produced by The Associated Press for its customers’ use. Questions can be directed to Katie Oyan at koyan@ap.org.