The goal of The Tree Project - Integrated Urban Environmental Improvement Through Tree Selection and Management - is to identify how trees can be used to optimize energy and water conservation, mitigate climate change and improve air quality.

Purpose & Goals
Application & Outreach - Phase 3, 2008
Measurements & Analysis - Phase 2, 2007
Phase 2 Final Report & Appendices
Research & Study Design : Phase 1 Report & Appendices
Background
Process
Organization
Additional Research Proposals
Downloadable Project Documents

Trees – properly selected and planted – can reduce energy and water consumption, improve air quality, and mitigate the effects of global warming, in addition to providing other environmental and human health benefits.

The Institute for Environmental Solutions seeks to develop and implement a sound, scientific, effective plan to increase tree planting and improve urban environments.

PURPOSE & GOALS

	IES Tree Project team member, Ryan Moore, presents to the Stakeholder Workshop on July 18 at the Montclair Civic Center.

The purpose of The Tree Project is to enhance the urban greenscape through optimal tree selection and increased tree planting, thereby achieving significant improvements to the environment. The goal of The Tree Project is to identify how trees can be used to enhance energy and water conservation, carbon sequestration, and air quality.

The objectives are to reduce air pollution (e.g., ground-level ozone and greenhouse gas levels), outdoor water consumption, infrastructure costs, and energy consumption, and to improve stormwater quality, flood management, and habitat. Planting trees and other vegetation is often suggested to achieve multiple benefits; however, a multidisciplinary, scientific analysis is needed to evaluate the actual improvements, unit and long-term costs, and resource use intensity of this approach, and to integrate the scientific results across environmental media (air, water, soil, energy). It is especially important in our prairie ecosystem -- where native trees were historically very limited in their diversity and density -- to know which planting practices are effective and sustainable in the long-term. This project will assess vegetation benefits under various scenarios to establish optimal urban tree and shrub selection, planting and maintenance guidelines for practical, cost effective environmental improvements.

--> Top of page

APPLICATION & OUTREACH - Phase 3 - 2008

IES is seeking new partners to help carry out its mission in 2008. Phase 3 of The Tree Project will include implementation of results, project evaluation, expanded research and delivery of new educational products to help people optimize the benefits of trees.

Phase 3 Goals

Presentation : Front Range Urban Forestry Council, May 15, 2008 (Aurora, CO)

--> Top of page

Phase 2 of The Tree Project included independent data collection and analysis, strategy development and outreach.

	Andrew Britton and Katy Davis collecting soil samples.

City of Golden Field Program. In collaboration with the City of Golden's Department of Parks & Recreation, City Manager's Office and Mapping/GIS Department, Jefferson County Master Gardener Program, Tree Project staff members and volunteers completed a field data collection program in Golden in June. IES researchers collected data on trees, energy consumption, water consumption, and meteorology.  We used the i-Tree modeling program to quantify the environmental costs and benefits of Golden's urban forest.

Trees and Water Conservation. IES researchers and volunteers investigated the potential for trees to reduce landscape water use by observing soil moisture differences between treed and treeless sites in an intensive measurement program in August and September. Over 1,300 soil samples were collected in fourteen days at twelve irrigated turf sites around Golden.

Social Issues Surveying. Throughout August and September, IES researchers conducted surveys of Golden residents, probing attitudes and knowledge concerning the benefits of the urban forest as well as current planting practices.

Trees and Energy Conservation. Using a combination of computer modeling and fieldwork, IES researchers explored the potential for trees to reduce residential energy consumption.

Stakeholder Workshops. IES convened three stakeholder advisory workshops in 2007, attended by representatives of business, academia, industry, regional utility providers and local governments.

--> Top of page

PHASE 2 FINAL REPORT & APPENDICES

The Institute for Environmental Solutions (IES) is pleased to announce publication of the Final Report on The Tree Project -- Integrated Urban Environmental Improvement Through Tree Selection and Management.  This Report includes the complete results from Phase 2 of The Tree Project.

IES thanks its sponsors and stakeholders for critical help in shaping the design and implementation of the project.  We also thank our wonderful partners in The Tree Project pilot city, Golden.

You are welcome to download this report, including Appendices, at no charge. IES requests that you make a tax-deductible contribution to the IES Tree Project when you download this or other Tree Project reports, to further The Tree Project mission. Suggested contribution: $25 per download. Additional contributions are most welcome, and will be used to advance the work to reduce pollution and increase energy efficiency!

Contributions may be made conveniently by credit card at www.GivingFirst.org.  Type in "Institute for Environmental Solutions" for the Organization Name.  The Community First Foundation pays all credit card fees for donations through GivingFirst, so 100% of your contribution helps the environment.  Please mail contributions by check to:

IES
761 Newport Street
Denver, CO 80220-5554

IES will be happy to mail printed copies of the 240-page full report.  The cost is $150 each. Please let us know if you would like one or more copies by mail. Disk copies are available for $25.

STRATEGIC TREE PLANTING FOR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT

We have completed the Strategic Tree Planting For Environmental Improvement for the City of Golden, Colorado, our pilot city, along with the City of Golden Model Municipal Environmental Tree Guidelines. Printed copies of these two reports are also available for $50 each (disk: $25).

THE TREE PROJECT CONTINUES - PHASE 3

IES is continuing to optimize the environmental benefits of urban trees in the third phase of The Tree Project in 2008. The purpose of Phase 3 is to apply the findings of the studies conducted in last year in a useful set of urban forestry tools, to expand our outreach activities, to provide important guidance to related public policies and to evaluate the Project. IES also aims to establish new partnerships during Phase 3. Below are some of the highlights of the current work.

A. GOALS

B. OBJECTIVES

IES is delighted to begin work this year in collaboration with the Colorado Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects and with Plant-It 2020.  We are very grateful for the continued support of the Xcel Energy Foundation.

We are looking for partners and sponsors to complete these important tasks.  Please contact IES at 303-388-5211 or Solutions@i4es.org with suggestions for The Tree Project, collaboration, and funding.

The Phase 2 Report consists of the Report and 26 Appendices, listed below:

The Tree Project Phase 2 Final Report

Appendix A - UFORE Sample Plots
Appendix B - Letter to Landowners
Appendix C - Forester Manual Excerpt
Appendix D - Tree Comparison Values
Appendix E - UFORE Results
Appendix F - Quality Control Measurements
Appendix G - Golden Municipal Tree Analysis
Appendix H - Recommended Tree Species
Appendix I - Step-by-Step Process of Data Collection
Appendices J-T - Plot Profiles
Appendices U-W - Survey Tools Comparison, Pilot Survey, Final Survey
Appendix X - Results Modeled with i-Tree Species Selector Utility
Appendix Y - IES City of Golden Municipal Environmental Tree Guidelines
Appendix Z - The Tree Project Stakeholders

IES City of Golden Strategic Tree Planting Plan for Environmental Improvement

Appendix B
Appendix C

IES City of Golden Model Municipal Environmental Tree Guidelines

RESEARCH & STUDY DESIGN - Phase 1 - 2005-2006

The Tree Project Phase 1 Final Report, completed in January 2007, is presented in the following documents, which may be downloaded from the following links.  If you would like an electronic copy of the Report via e:mail or a printed copy, please contact IES using the link on our Contact Us page .

	IES Tree Project team member, Ryan Moore, presents to the Stakeholder Workshop on July 18 at the Montclair Civic Center.

Phase 1 Report consists of the Report and eight Appendices, listed below.

The Tree Project Phase 1 Final Report

Appendix A : The Tree Project Phase 1 Bibliography
Appendix B : Technical Tutorials - Urban Forest Environmental Services & Impacts
Appendix C : Colorado Tree Ordinance Guide
Appendix D : Tree Ordinance Comparison Spreadsheet - Part 1 / Part 2
Appendix E : Recommended Tree Species Spreadsheet - Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3
Appendix F : Cost/Benefit of Urban Forests Spreadsheet - Part 1 / Part 2
Appendix G : Background Research / Relevant Studies Spreadsheet -
Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6
Appendix H : The Tree Project Phase 1 Stakeholder Workshop Documents
- Agenda and Evaluation Sheet
- Stakeholder Workshop Memo
- Stakeholders List

This report documents Phase 1 of the Institute for Environmental Solutions' (IES) Tree Project - Integrated Urban Environmental Improvement through Tree Selection and Management. IES initiated The Tree Project in 2005 with formative research and consultation with experts in tree-related fields.

Many tasks were included in Phase 1.  IES staff, volunteers, and interns conducted research revealing gaps in current urban forestry cost-benefits analyses.  IES identified key stakeholders through staff and committee meetings.  The IES planning team worked for several months prior to the Stakeholder Advisory Workshop to ensure that anyone with a stake in the project was invited and fully informed.  Phase 1 of The Tree Project, as documented in this report, successfully achieved its goal to engage key stakeholders in developing the approach and methods to fulfill The Tree Project's purpose and to promote commitments for participation in subsequent Phases. Phase 1 tasks included:
Identify and invite key stakeholders . Stakeholders include electric power suppliers, water suppliers, landscape industry, consumers, local governments, state and federal government agencies, foresters, developers, and builders. Special guidance was provided by a dedicated volunteer steering committee.

Tree Project Steering Committee (.pdf file)

Prepare and implement stakeholder advisory workshop . First, IES identified common goals and questions regarding the project's objectives and its design.  Stakeholders were provided with an initial outline of the study's design, components and scope.  IES engaged our stakeholders to brainstorm a wish list of results to be obtained from the study and to conceptualize implementation of those results.  Other aims of the workshop included:  to establish a plan for communication and dissemination of results and to determine measurement of environmental improvement / progress.  IES hosted the workshop at the Denver Botanic Gardens on November 2, 2006.

Prepare workshop results . IES prepared a summary of discussions from the workshop, incorporating stakeholders' input into the project plan, Phase 2 organization and to establish the next steps required

--> Top of page

BACKGROUND

Trees in urban areas provide energy and air quality benefits by:

Many cities have contemplated and undertaken significant urban tree selection and planting programs to mitigate the heat island effect and improve air quality. However, emissions of volatile organic compounds from trees and other vegetation can cause the formation of ozone. Also, reduced temperatures can decreased the strength of breezes and vertical mixing of the air, potentially increasing ozone pollution by restricting ventilation. These competing effects of trees need to be well characterized in considering improvements to urban greenscapes.
Additional potential benefits of increased tree planting include:

In addition, improvements in tree and shrub selection and planting may be able to significantly reduce water consumption with increased shade lowering irrigation requirements. Locally, Denver Water has studied the potential for tree selection and planting programs to reduce water demand, but significant questions remain regarding optimal species selection and planting practices.

--> Top of page

PROCESS

	The Tree Project Team: Kristen Gray, Ryan Moore, Annmarie Barnes, and Desirée Thorp.

The project approach will build on urban forest research in Boulder and Fort Collins, Colorado and other relevant studies across the country that recognize that trees and shrubs can offer significant environmental benefits. Broadly, the project scope encompasses the following:

The project will be undertaken in three phases:

Phase 1 - Scoping workshop

The goal of Phase 1 was to engage key stakeholders in developing the approach and methods to fulfill the project purpose and to promote commitments for participation in subsequent phases.

Phase 2 - Study implementation

Phase 2 consisted of measurements and analysis, strategy development and outreach.

Phase 3 - Evaluation and measurement of outcomes

Phase 3 consists of implementation oversight and measurement of outcomes.


--> Top of page

ORGANIZATION

The project will be governed by a Project Steering Committee equivalent to a Board of Directors for the project. It will be responsible for oversight of project planning and implementation, and for adherence to the budget and schedule. The Steering Committee will be composed of members representing the community, government, and the private sector, appointed by the Board of Directors of IES. A Project Manager will direct the project.

The Project Manager, working with the Steering Committee, will establish the Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC). The goal will be to include strong representatives of all potentially affected entities, for example, energy providers, water providers, landscape professionals, property owners, city foresters, urban drainage and flood control agencies, water treatment departments, and plant growers and suppliers. The SAC will be established to provide technical advice and guidance for project design, implementation, and evaluation. SAC members will be asked to assist IES with obtaining sufficient funds to implement the project.

IES uses this problem-solving process to ensure that the best solution possible is conceived from the steps described above.  Stakeholder feedback from diverse industries and interests is critical to secure overall adoption, support, and successful implementation of the solution.  Experts from various fields who are also IES Associates and volunteers provide necessary insight to guide preliminary research and document production, as discussed below.

--> Top of page

IES prepared three Research Proposals to advance this project, described below.  Recommendations for funding would be welcome.

1. Low Income Neighborhood Outreach and Education Program

This proposal is for one of the critical goals of Phase 2 of The Tree Project:  to assist low-income residents in using trees to reduce their energy demand and improve their local environment.  IES proposes to create an educational outreach program for low-income neighborhoods, along with a plan to increase the urban forestry benefits and services in these underrepresented areas.

The biggest challenge facing forestry professionals and urban planners seeking to improve the greenscape in cities like Denver is increasing the tree canopy cover in low-income neighborhoods. IES has researched the absence of environmental awareness and improvement projects in low-income areas. Residents of these communities are least likely to have the extra income, leisure time, or desire to plant and maintain trees, or remove them if needed.  Yet it is these underprivileged neighborhoods that would benefit most from a reduction in energy use and reduction in pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Often these neighborhoods are located near major highways or streets, or other major sources of particulate pollution.  Trees would greatly reduce this threat to human health by absorbing a considerable portion of this pollution.  Also, underprivileged neighborhoods often have the highest crime rate.  Studies have shown that the presence of trees actually reduces crime, by up to 52%.

The goals of the proposed IES low-income neighborhood outreach and education program are to: 

This effort will create community pride and environmental awareness that will translate to reduced carbon emissions and air pollution.  This reduction will occur because, as homes are shaded and blocked from wind, air conditioners and heaters will run less, saving homeowners money.  In addition, as the demand for energy decreases in the Front Range, fewer power plants will have to be built to accommodate the increasing demand that has historically corresponded with population growth in Colorado. 

2. Thoroughfare Tree Canopy Improvement Pilot Program

This proposal is for one of the goals of Phase 2 of the Tree Project - to increase the tree canopy cover on Colfax Avenue in Denver or on 28th Street in Boulder by properly selecting and planting tree species that will provide energy and water conservation for local businesses, in addition to air quality improvements and global warming mitigation.

Many areas in cities do not have adequate street trees to benefit from the potential environmental services, such as Colfax Avenue in Denver and 28th Street in Boulder.  These prominent arterial roadways have many retail shopping opportunities and offices. Many portions are currently unattractive and not conducive to pleasant walking, shopping or working. A lack of shade contributes to a high energy demand and the urban heat island effect - the process by which impervious surfaces like asphalt, concrete and rooftops retain heat during the day, causing temperatures in cities to be higher than areas with vegetation.

The goals of the IES Thoroughfare Tree Canopy Improvement Pilot Program are to:

This pilot program will provide the potential for long term reductions in carbon emissions and air pollution, along with decreased water consumption.  This reduction will occur because as buildings are shaded, air conditioners will run less often, saving money and preventing excessive energy production. Street trees will help to reduce airborne pollutants resulting from traffic by absorbing the particles and gases in their leaves, branches, and trunk. Long term water consumption may be reduced because trees create porous soil, which retains more water, and provide shade for turf grass, so it can be irrigated less often. By providing shade, trees reduce the high temperatures caused by the urban heat island effect, leading to a reduction in evaporation.  Finally, the program will improve environmental awareness and the sense of pride in the community that will increase the desire to maintain the urban forest, and to improve the canopy in nearby areas.

3. On-line Searchable Tree Science Database

This proposal is intended to gain support for one task of Phase 2 of the Tree Project - the creation of an online, searchable, tree science database available for public use.

The Tree Project began with the discovery that scientific studies have shown that trees can be effective in reducing energy use, preventing and reducing air pollution, conserving water, and in mitigating global warming. However, because most trees are not native to the Front Range of Colorado, their potential to improve environmental quality has not been realized. Much of the work during in Phase 1 of the Tree Project involved gathering background research on the benefits and costs of trees. This included searching for existing scientific studies, tree programs in other states, and information on the scientific processes by which trees affect air, water, energy, global warming, and human health. In performing this search, IES staff discovered that it was difficult to find peer-reviewed, scientific studies related to the costs and benefits of trees. 

It would be of great help to community, forestry, and governmental organizations, as well as to landscape businesses and property owners, to be able to simply find reliable references in one location that would help them optimize the environmental and human health benefits of trees.  For example, certain tree species are optimal for the Front Range of Colorado in terms of air quality. If existing studies were readily available, a Colorado community tree planting initiative aimed at improving air quality could be supported by scientific data. The user would have access to other programs in other cities or states.  This would help launch a successful environmental improvement campaign.

Without this database, residents, government officials, city planners, or other community leaders may not know where to turn for scientific data on trees, or may not be aware that it exists or the extent to which it exists.  Currently there are a handful of electronic databases that provide information on tree species.  For example, Friends of Trees, the University of Illinois, Virginia Tech and the World Agroforestry Centre have electronic databases accessible on their websites that provide the user  information on topics like plant identification, native species, and appropriateness for various climates. However, no database exists that provides the user actual studies or other publications on trees, particularly urban trees, and how they affect their surrounding environment.

IES proposes to create an electronic database similar in style to 'wikipedia.com' to offer the stakeholders and the public access to scientific data on tree research, programs, and projects.  This will allow other experts to contribute additional publications, articles, or other current information to the e-library.  The concept is to allow the dissemination of information to the general public and sharing of information among stakeholders and researchers while gaining supplemental information from additional sources.  Contributors can submit information and articles in a submission page that will be carefully reviewed by IES staff members and experts. 

4.  Roots to Grow Green: students planting trees to grow environmental stewardship (Currently under review by EPA)

This project is a four-part model environmental education project. With the help of its partners, IES will research and develop a four-part outdoor learning and classroom experience for students and teachers. Our goals are to:

The purpose of the project is to promote community stewardship by designing and implementing a four-part model environmental education program to educate the public and encourage critical thinking and problem solving surrounding key environmental issues. The program will be designed for administration at the high school level, and will involve other members of the community in addition to parents, teachers, and students. Local forestry professionals, members of the Colorado Tree Coalition, Project Learning Tree and Grounds for Learning will all take part in the planning and execution of the program. This program will invoke community stewardship by educating participants about their carbon footprint and impact on air pollution. It will then encourage critical thinking about pollution and greenhouse gas mitigation on a personal, community, and national level, with a focus on planting and maintaining trees as a means to reduce the effect on human health and the environment. Finally, participants will actually carry out the mitigation plan (involving tree planting) in the final stages of the program. This action instills a sense of ownership for pollution prevention and mitigation, for the trees planted, and for the community's environment as a whole. As the model program is adopted by other schools in Colorado, Region 8, and nationwide through Project Learning Tree, environmental education and community environmental stewardship will increase, and sustainable methods of pollution mitigation will be adopted.

5. Treescapes for Home Energy Conservation

IES will implement Treescapes for Home Energy Conservation ,a community-based research and outreach program to improve the environment of a Colorado municipality and the lives of its residents by (1) analyzing the impacts of trees on energy use in buildings to develop strategies for home energy conservation and (2) incorporating this new understanding into development and landscape practice. In accordance with IES' mission and core values, this program will be implemented under the guidance of a broad-based group of local stakeholders, though it will have regional and national significance.

Trees, properly selected and planted, can reduce energy and water consumption, improve air quality, and mitigate the effects of global warming, in addition to providing other environmental and human health benefits. In The Tree Project, IES has built upon work by the U.S. Forest Service and others to identify how tree selection, planting and maintenance can be optimized to enhance energy and water conservation, carbon sequestration, and air quality. Using a combination of computer modeling and field data collection, IES has determined that the City of Golden's trees are saving residents about 300 MWhs of electricity worth $50,000 each summer. This benefit is the result of shading by tree canopies as well as cooling of the local climate, reducing the need for air conditioning. Other studies have found similar savings. In the winter, however, the impact of trees on home energy use is more complicated. Our modeling has shown that trees have the potential to provide an effective windbreak, significantly reducing heating demand in winter months. We also found some homes where trees seem to be largely preventing sunlight from heating buildings during the winter - enough so that trees may be costing homeowners more in increased winter heating bills than they save in summer cooling. The potential for developers, landscapers and homeowners to use trees for energy conservation and, therefore to reduce greenhouse gas emission is great, but more work needs to be done!

Our objectives are:

IES will accomplish these objectives by performing the following tasks :

Strategy development

Outreach

IES will seek to apply our residential energy conservation process in another community.


--> Top of page

DOWNLOADABLE PROJECT DOCUMENTS

The Tree Project Phase 1 Final Report

Appendix A : The Tree Project Phase 1 Bibliography
Appendix B : Technical Tutorials - Urban Forest Environmental Services & Impacts
Appendix C : Colorado Tree Ordinance Guide
Appendix D : Tree Ordinance Comparison Spreadsheet - Part 1 / Part 2
Appendix E : Recommended Tree Species Spreadsheet - Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3
Appendix F : Cost/Benefit of Urban Forests Spreadsheet - Part 1 / Part 2
Appendix G : Background Research / Relevant Studies Spreadsheet -
Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6
Appendix H : The Tree Project Phase 1 Stakeholder Workshop Documents
- Agenda and Evaluation Sheet
- Stakeholder Workshop Memo
- Stakeholders List

Tree Project Steering Committee (.pdf file)