Why Plant Trees?

Here are 30 reasons why....

[Excerpted from the USDA Forest Service Pamphlet #R1-92-100]

1. Trees store carbon and clean the atmosphere. In 50 years, one tree can generate $30,000 in oxygen, recycles $35,000 of water, and removes $60,000 in pollution.

2. Trees prevent soil erosion.

3. Trees prevent or reduce water pollution.

4. Trees help recharge ground water and sustain streamflow.

5. Properly placed screens of trees and shrubs decrease traffic noise along busy streets and highways.

6. Trees screen unsightly views and provide privacy.

7. Trees make life more pleasant by softening harsh outlines of buildings.

8. Fast-growing species of trees in energy plantations provide a continuous supply of fuelwood.

9. Properly managed forests provide a sustained supply of lumber, plywood and other wood products.

10. Tree shade reduces air-conditioning costs in residential and commercial buildings by 15 to 50 percent, thereby reducing the need for additional dams, power plants, and nuclear generators.

11. Windbreaks can shield homes against wind and snow, reducing heating costs as much as 30 percent.

12. Sweltering streets and parking lots cool off when trees shade them. Cities are "heat islands" 5 to 9 degrees warmer than surrounding areas.

13. Properly placed and cared for trees and shrubs significantly increase residential and commercial property values.

14. Crop yields of fields with windbreaks are significantly higher than those without windbreaks.

15. Farmstead windbreaks reduce cooling and heating utility bills, trap snow, provide wildlife habitat, and simply look nice.

16. Trees provide nutmeats (walnuts, pecans, hickory), fruit (plums, peaches, apples, pears), berries for jams and jellies, and sap for maple syrup.

17. Tree shelters for livestock can reduce weight losses during cold winter months and provide shade for modrating heat stress in summer.

18. Living snowfences, strategically placed, hold snow away form roads, reducing maintenance costs.

19. Trees add beauty and grace to any community setting. They make life more enjoyable, peaceful and relaxing.

20. Tropical forests offer great healing value. One of every four pharmaceutical products used in the U.S. comes from tropical forest plants.

21. Native trees in the U.S. yield substances for pharmaceutical and other medical purposes. Taxol, a substance from yew trees, shows promise for treating certain kind of cancer.

22. Trees provide a multitude of recreation opportunities.

23. Trees provide habitat for a large variety of wildlife.

24. Trees along rivers, streams, and lakes reduce water temperature and prevent or reduce bank erosion and silt. Their roots provide hiding places for fish.

25. Trees add brilliant colors to tall landscapes and, following the dropping of the leaves, provide excellent garden mulch.

26. Research shows that trees help reduce stress in the workplace and speed the hospital patients' recovery.

27. Police officers believe that tress and landscaping can instill community pride and help cool tempers that sometimes erupt during long, hot summers.

28. Trees connect us with nature and reinforce spiritual and cutural values.

29. Trees, planted as memorials, leave a valuable gift for future generations.

30. Many people plant and care for trees because they enjoy watching them grow.