If you haven’t heard yet, we’re proud to announce that Seattle has been recognized as one of the top 10 cities for Urban Forests. While you may not be surprised by the news, we think it’s kind of a “big deal”. The report was published earlier this week by the Washington DC based non-profit American Forests. It analyzed not just the quality and health of the urban forests, but also the programs, policies and active management of those forests in the 50 most populous U.S. cities. American Forests worked with a panel of experts who analyzed surveys from local professionals, urban forestry non profits as well as independent data to make their selections.
While the trees on your street may not resemble a section of Seward Park, they function in our environment in the same way – they are all part of our urban forest. More than just making our city look nice, Seattle’s trees are hard working too. From cleaning our air and water to storing carbon and reducing cooling costs, they have a big job to do. A recent study by the Green Cities Research Alliance estimated that Seattle has approximately 4.35 million trees, with a replacement value of about $4.9 billion! Our trees also remove 2%, or a full 7 days, of the city’s total annual emissions and save roughly $5.9 million in annual energy costs. That’s pretty remarkable for an asset that can also increase property values, lower stress levels and reduce crime!
To see what other cities made the list, you can see the full report here.