Trees Add Value to Communities
Trees enhance the character and beauty of our communities, while making them healthier places to live - all while saving us money in the long run. The ability of trees to improve air and water quality, lower stress, decrease road maintenance costs and increase patronage in business districts is a valuable asset and an integral component of community planning. Research completed over the past two decades quantified many of the benefits of trees and their economic impact.
This page is a gateway to a wide range of information on ways trees add value to communities. Researchers are starting to quantify these values, and the economic value that community trees provide may surprise you.
Follow the links on this page to discover information, tools and resources about the Economic, Social and Environmental benefits of trees. Also listed on this page (below) is a Compendium of Resources (2006 Edition).
Compendium of Resources (2006 Edition) — This Compendium of Resources (2006 Edition) was compiled to assist tree professionals, community decision makers and the general public in accessing what has been learned. It is a collection of resource articles, publications, manuals and scientific papers on the air, water, health, energy and economic benefits of trees. It contains resource materials for lay people, professionals and youth. This Compendium of Resources was made possible through a grant from the USDA Forest Service.
...contact our Community Forestry Staff for for a copy of this CD @ communitytrees@idl.idaho.gov
Economic Benefits
...an excerpt from an article written by Sue Izard
Pulling a fistful of $20 bills off the maple tree in your back yard is probably not going to happen. But believe it or not, that maple is very likely one of the better financial investments on your property. Research shows that trees in residential areas may significantly increase the value of your property. For example, an analysis of 844 single family homes in Athens, Georgia showed that homes with an average of five trees in the front yard sold for 3.5 to 4.5 percent more than comparable homes without trees. Along similar lines, there is a classic study that examined fourteen different variables with the potential to influence the price of suburban houses in Manchester, Connecticut and in Greece, New York. In terms of influencing the selling price of those homes, trees were found to rank sixth in importance.
...click here to read the rest of this article and to find more information, tools and resources about the Economic Benefits of Trees
Social Benefits
...an excerpt from Fact Sheet #1, Urban Nature Benefits: Psycho-Social Dimensions of People and Plants
America is a nation of cities and towns — more than 80 percent of the U.S. population lives in urban areas. Plants, forests and ecosystems are important in cities. People are working in many cities to preserve existing natural areas and restore or create new ones. Scientific research tells us that urban plants provide many benefits. We know that plants improve the environment by contributing to better air and water quality and helping to reduce energy use.
...click here to read the rest of this Fact Sheet and to find more information, tools and resources about the Social Benefits of Trees
Environmental Benefits
...an excerpt from Fact Sheet #6, Nature Experiences: Readings and References on Human Benefits
The evidence grows! Plants do much more than beautify our built environments. They contribute to our health, well-being and quality of life! While we may have intuitively known this for some time, recent scientific evidence has confirmed these ideas and expanded our understanding of nature's benefits. People and plants are entwined by threads that reach back to our earliest experiences, as individuals and as a species. Is the need for nature in cities an environmental issue or a public health agenda?
... click here to read the rest of this Fact Sheet and to find more information, tools and resources about the Environmental Benefits of Trees
Community Forestry: Benefits of Trees