BUFC's Tree Inventory
Street trees in Boston provide millions of dollars of air quality improvement benefits to the city. BUFC's latest study took an inventory of all "street trees" (city-owned trees on public sidewalks) in Boston's 24 neighborhoods, involving local volunteers in the process.
The study was aimed at supporting Boston's urban forest and educating the public
about the health, public safety, environmental, and economic benefits it
provides. BUFC hopes to utilize the data it collected to identify
opportunities for increasing tree cover in the city.
"Boston's street trees remove
several tons of harmful air
pollutants each year, including sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, and
ozone that contribute to respiratory and cardiovascular disease,"
said BUFC Chair Sherri Brokopp. "That’s several tons of air pollution that is stored in our
trees instead of our lungs. When you calculate the environmental
benefits in economic terms, especially in light of the fact that we are
only looking at street trees, the importance of maintaining a healthy urban forest
becomes quite apparent."
"Street trees are an absolutely critical component of the
urban landscape," said Boston Parks and Recreation Department
Commissioner Antonia M. Pollak. Boston Parks will also use the
inventory data to inform its street tree management and maintenance
activities. "The Urban Forest Coalition inventory provides us with a valuable tool
for quantifying this vital resource."
For more information, please check out the press release in our News section.
For photos, please visit our Photo Gallery.