A new report from the US Forest Service says the trees along California streets and boulevards provide benefits to their local governments and residents worth $1 billion.
It enumerates the trees’ benefits as carbon storage; air pollutant removal; rainfall interception, heating and cooling savings; and real estate value appreciation.
The Forest Service’s Pacific Southwest Research Station released an up-to-date and comprehensive inventory of street trees in the state. There are an estimated 9 million trees along California avenues, which means there is one tree for every four residents. If resources permit, though, 16 million more trees could still be planted along the state’s streets.
Research forester and lead author Greg McPherson said trees have a benefit that go beyond “mere aesthetics” and caring for them has a “real monetary benefit.”
The study used municipal inventories analyzed in i-Tree, software that allowed researchers to gather comprehensive information about the species, size, location and associated benefits of California’s trees.
