In an effort to reverse the effects of a 25-year period of drastic tree loss, D.C. government, organizations and residents are digging in to boost the tree population in the city.
Sixty-four percent of the city’s largest trees died between 1973 and 1997. The District’s tree-planting efforts stalled during those years as people moved to the suburbs and tax funds declined, said John Thomas, the arborist for the District’s urban forestry administration.
The administration started getting more money in 2002 and now plants 4,500 new trees a year, Thomas said. It will, however, take time for the tree population to recover, he said.
“It took 30 years to lose them; it will take 30 years to get them back,” he said.
Community members and nonprofit organizations have added to the District’s efforts. Concerned by the tree loss, Washington-area philanthropist Betty Brown Casey donated the money to found Casey Trees in 2001.
The nonprofit organization now plants between 700 and 1,000 trees a year on private property, public parks, schools and traffic islands, said Mark Busciano, the executive director of the organization.
“In the city, it’s tough to be a tree,” Casey Trees spokesman Dan Smith said. New development, air pollution, drought and even car crashes can kill them, he said.
Casey Trees providestrees and training to community members. They, in turn, are responsible for taking care of the new plantings, Smith said. Residents like getting involved because they can see results, he said.
“People really are motivated because they find this is something they can do that they can see a tangible difference,” he said.
The organization focuses on large trees like elms, oaks and maples because they are 60 to 70 times more beneficial than small trees, Smith said. Not only are large trees beautiful, but they save the city and its residents money by absorbing excess rainwater, reducing air-conditioning costs and reducing air pollution, he said.
District residents simply enjoy the cool shade of trees, Thomas said.
“I can’t imagine surviving these summers without a tree in front of your house or by the street,” he said.
The value of D.C.’s trees
» Number of trees over 1 inch in diameter: 1.9 million
» Cost of replacing all of the District’s trees: $3.6 billion
» Annual value of air pollution removal: $2.5 million
» Annual value of carbon removal: $297,000
» Annual value of energy savings: $2.6 million
Information from the National Forest Service and Casey Trees at caseytrees.org
