TREES FOR COMMUNITY RECOVERY
JOBS | HEALTH | EQUITY
WHY WE MUST ACT NOW
The importance of urban trees is undisputed. Urban and community forests are critical infrastructure in addressing the combined impacts of urban heat, air, toxic pollution and climate change. They also create good paying jobs and hold the key to more economic opportunity.
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With a projected 10-fold increase in heat-related deaths in the eastern U.S. by 2050, trees are the most effective means of combating urban heat islands, preventing an estimated 1,200 heat-related deaths and countless heat-related illnesses each year.
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Trees in metropolitan areas and communities across the country absorb 822,000 metric tons of air pollutants and help prevent 575,000 cases of acute respiratory illnesses, such as asthma, annually.
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At the same time, by providing shade in summer months and blocking wind during winter, trees reduce residential energy usage costs by nearly $7.8 billion annually.
WHO WE ARE
With a broad consortium of conservation and community development organizations and municipal and county governments, Center for Regenerative Solutions (formerly known as Urban Drawdown Initiative), American Forests, the Trust for Public Land, The Davey Tree Expert Co. and the Urban Sustainability Directors Network are galvanizing support for the protection and expansion of urban and community forests through the Trees for Community Recovery campaign.
This campaign works to advance a urban and community forest policy platform that would direct a minimum of $4 billion in annual federal investment over the next five years, to conserve, restore and grow urban and community forests and create more than 100,000 family-supporting jobs with a priority in underserved communities of color.
WHAT WE DO
To accomplish the campaign’s goal to help communities build urban forests, Trees for Community Recovery is providing education and advocacy leadership for urban forestry policy to community leaders across the country.
In addition, Trees for Community Recovery is developing urban forestry workforce systems that can be customizable to fit the specific needs of communities across the country. This is accomplished with public-private partnerships made up of a diverse set of stakeholders on federal, state and local levels, who provide the guidance needed to achieve successful equity-based urban forestry sector expansion.
MAYORS & COUNTY OFFICIALS CALL ON
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TO PRIORITIZE
URBAN & COMMUNITY FORESTRY
In a letter to President Biden, Trees for Community Recovery and mayors across the country are urging the Administration to take swift federal action to bolster local communities' urban forestry sectors. Doing so, is a necessary strategy to achieve the climate change and economic responses the President has already outlined for America's recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.
CONTACT US
Trees for Community Recovery is creating a movement to create jobs, improve community health and reduce inequities―an incredibly timely opportunity to transform the way we think about and implement new solutions to solve climate change and inequity.
If you and your organization are interested in joining us, fill out the form below to get in touch.