Casey Trees, the nonprofit organization that restores, enhances and protects the city’s tree canopy, has given D.C. a “B-” for overall tree care. The group’s fifth Tree Report Card for the city shows D.C. received an “A-” for tree coverage; a “B-” for tree health; an “A+” for tree planting; and an “F” for tree protection. The latter grade measures the effectiveness of the Urban Forest Preservation Act (UFPA) of 2002. The City Council created the UFPA and its Tree Fund to replace large trees that were removed because of development and related activities. Casey Trees said the UFPA is not achieving its goals because of poor oversight and the city redirected $539,000 from the Tree Fund to the General Fund in fiscal year 2011 to offset budget shortfalls.
The 2012 Tree Report Card measures the quantity and quality of the city’s trees and tree canopy—the percentage of the ground that has tree cover overhead—and public and private efforts to expand and sustain it to meet D.C.’s 40 percent canopy goal. According to the report, D.C.’s tree canopy fell from 38 percent to 36 percent between 2006 and 2011—and from its peak of 50 percent in 1950, D.C.’s tree canopy has dropped 1.3 percent every five years. Healthy tree canopies reduce stormwater runoff, carbon emissions and energy consumption.
On the positive side, Casey Trees said that Mayor Vincent Gray’s Sustainable DC Plan strongly endorses D.C.’s 40 percent tree canopy goal, giving hope that additional financial resources and renewed efforts are on the horizon to help achieve it. For more information, including continued challenges, click here.