urban watershed forestry Archives - Center for Watershed Protection

Trees and Stormwater Runoff

What is Stormwater Runoff and Why Do We Need to Reduce It? Stormwater runoff is rainfall that flows over the ground surface. It is created when rain falls on roads, driveways, parking lots, rooftops and other paved surfaces that do not allow water to soak into the ground. Stormwater runoff is the number one cause of stream impairment in urban areas. Where rain falls on paved surfaces, a much greater amount of runoff is generated compared to runoff from the same storm falling over a forested area. These large volumes of water are swiftly carried to our local streams, lakes, [...]

admin2020-02-12T20:19:36-05:00September 11th, 2017|

Planting and Maintaining Trees in Urban Areas

Approximately 80% of the U.S. population lives in cities. As a result, more and more people are disconnected from natural areas such as forests and are unable to reap the daily benefits they provide. This makes urban trees extremely important for providing shade, removing air pollutants, reducing stormwater runoff, and providing recreational and aesthetic benefits. If you don’t think urban trees are important, consider this: Properly placed trees can reduce heating and cooling costs by 10-20% on average within 10-15 years after planting (Heat Island Group 1996). Sales prices of homes with trees increased by 3.5% to 4.5% over similar [...]

admin2019-06-24T15:39:15-04:00August 6th, 2015|

Forest-Friendly Development

What is Forest Friendly Development? Each year, over 1.5 million acres of land in the U.S. is developed. Conversion of rural land to urban and suburban uses often results in significant forest loss, particularly where mass clearing is a standard practice at construction sites. The Forest Service estimates that nearly 1 million acres of forest were converted to developed uses each year in the 1990s, and projects that by 2050, an additional 23 million acres of forests may be lost due to development. Municipalities and developers in urbanizing areas can take steps to protect existing forest resources and prevent forest loss [...]

admin2022-03-01T08:24:57-05:00August 6th, 2015|

Forests and Drinking Water

Forests capture rainfall and replenish and cleanse our water supply. Although these ecological services provided by forests are widely accepted in the scientific community, they have not really been translated into the language that most often drives planning and land use decisions at the local level: dollars. Local government officials often make tough decisions about growth at the expense of natural resource conservation, and they must make these decisions without the benefit of economic data that measures the true costs of development and values of natural resources. For decades, technology has replaced, to some extent, the services provided by forests [...]

admin2020-03-19T09:58:45-04:00August 6th, 2015|

Urban Watershed Forestry

What is Urban Watershed Forestry? Urban watershed forestry is an integration of the fields of urban and community forestry and watershed planning. Urban and community forestry is the management of the urban forest for environmental, community, and economic benefits, while watershed planning promotes sound land use and resource management to improve water resources within a watershed. This integration of urban forestry techniques into urban watershed planning acknowledges the importance of trees and forests in protecting water resources. The urban watershed forestry approach sets watershed-based goals for managing the urban forest as a whole rather than managing forest resources on a [...]

admin2020-02-10T10:02:26-05:00August 6th, 2015|

Urban Tree Canopy

What is Urban Tree Canopy? Urban tree canopy (UTC) is the layer of leaves, branches, and stems of trees that cover the ground when viewed from above. In urban areas, the UTC provides an important stormwater management function by intercepting rainfall that would otherwise run off of paved surfaces and be transported into local waters though the storm drainage system, picking up various pollutants along the way. UTC also reduces the urban heat island effect, reduces heating/cooling costs, lowers air temperatures, reduces air pollution, increases property values, provides wildlife habitat, and provides aesthetic and community benefits such as improved quality [...]

admin2021-02-04T12:44:38-05:00July 31st, 2015|

Forest Planning and Assessment

Why Plan for Forest Management? Human activities have dramatically altered the landscape of the U.S over the past 400 years. While conversion of forest land for agricultural use was a primary cause of forest loss over this time period, the rate of forest conversion for urban uses has greatly increased more recently, reinforcing the need for greater integration of forest and land use planning. American Forests estimates that tree cover in urban areas east of the Mississippi has declined by about 30% over the last 20 years, while the footprint of urban areas has increased by 20%. In fact, tree [...]

admin2017-09-22T11:55:09-04:00July 31st, 2015|