We really care about trees at TTF! Trees are important in so many ways: they absorb and filter stormwater. The cleaner the water and the less of it that gets into our pipes, the healthier are our creeks. Trees also cool our neighborhoods, many of which face higher temperatures caused by the urban heat effect. Trees remove air pollutants and carbon dioxide from our air. Trees also make us feel calmer. Plus — fruit and maple syrup!
We are excited about the Philly Tree Plan because many of our Philadelphia neighborhoods aren’t home to enough trees. So please, let’s all be sure to provide our input for the Philly Tree Plan. It’s up to us!
This blog is a repost from Philly Tree Plan. You can find the original post here.
PHILLY TREE PLAN ENGAGEMENT HUB
Growing Our Urban Forest
We collectively acknowledge that the City of Philadelphia occupies the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary Lands of the Lenni-Lenape people. We honor the Lenape and other Indigenous caretakers of these lands and waters, the elders who lived here before, the Indigenous today, and the generations to come.
The City is developing a strategic plan for Philly’s trees. The plan will identify long-term goals and interests with a roadmap to achieving them. View the Philly Tree Plan Draft below to understand the goals and recommendations that will be included. Then, click the link below to share your feedback.
If you have time to dive into more topics about trees in Philly and want to know why and how the plan was made, visit the Virtual Open House. Find out what the urban forest is, why it is where it is, and what the Plan can do about it.
Over 8,000 people contributed their priorities and concerns to the development of the Philly Tree Plan. Check out the Engagement Feedback to see how they participated, what was said, and how the feedback was incorporated into the Plan.
People across the city shared their #PhillyTreeStories highlighting how they interact with the urban forest. Visit this page to see the submissions and read their stories.
According to the Tree Canopy Assessment Report, conducted in 2019, Philadelphia has seen a relative loss of 6% tree canopy cover over the last 10 years. In a city where the current average tree cover is only 20% this constitutes a crisis that needs to be addressed.
The Philly Tree Plan will give long-term strategies for growing and protecting every part of Philadelphia’s urban forest including:
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Natural areas
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Park lands
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Private land in development
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Public properties
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Trees along our streets
Most of the canopy loss has happened in our residential neighborhoods where it is needed the most. The Philly Tree Plan needs your help to tell us the best ways to get the most benefit out of our urban forest in your neighborhood!
Explore the interactive map to see how tree canopy has changed in your neighborhood.
