Trees are an asset worth saving!

Download the Stratum data here.

Publicly owned trees - and, collectively our urban forest, help conserve and reduce energy use, reduce local carbon dioxide levels, improve air quality, mitigate storm water runoff, and provide other benefits associated with aesthetics, property value increase and quality of life. Trees contribute to the vitality of a city like any other component of community infrastructure.  Like streets, sidewalks, public buildings, and recreational facilities, trees are a major capital asset.  

The 2005 City of Pittsburgh Street Tree Inventory data establishes a basis for a complete cost-benefit analysis of Pittsburgh's street tree program using new software developed by the USDA Forest Service called STRATUM:  Street Tree Resource Analysis Tool for Urban Forest Managers.  The analysis provides a dollar value indication of the environmental work provided by each tree.  According to STRATUM, Pittsburgh's street trees provide cumulative benefits to the community valued at an average of $81 per tree annually, for a gross total value of $2.4 million annually.

With proper maintenance, trees are an asset that gains value as they mature.  According to the US Forest Service, as trees grow larger their ability to provide environmental services and benefits increases dramattically.  Forest Service researcher David Nowak has stated, "a big tree does 60 to 70 times the pollution removal of a small tree."

  Download the full report here.

The Pittsburgh STRATUM report was made possible through the generous support of the PA Community Forestry Council.