TreesLouisville was launched in March 2015 in response to the findings of the 2015 Louisville Urban Tree Canopy Assessment. THE CHALLENGE
Between 2004 and 2012, Louisville experienced a steady decline in tree canopy coverage, about 54,000 trees lost per year, due to issues such as storms, development, invasive species and not enough new trees planted to replace old, dying trees. Did you know? In Louisville, the majority of tree planting opportunities are available on private, not public, property, meaning that the public sector alone cannot tackle the tree canopy problem. The greatest opportunities for substantial and long-term canopy gains will come through efforts on privately held lands, i.e. by local home- and business-owners. THE BENEFITS
Trees are a solution to many modern urban challenges, including prevention of water pollution, lowered energy consumption, cleaner air, temperature moderation, reduced asthma in children and higher property values. Overall, Louisville's existing canopy provides its residents with almost $330M in benefits per year. Carbon stored over the lifetime of Louisville trees contributes an additional $230M, bringing the collective benefit amount to $560M! WHY TREESLOUISVILLE? Although Louisville has organizations involved in aspects of tree canopy improvement, none have the single focus of Louisville’s tree canopy. TreesLouisville will support these efforts while partnering with Metro Louisville to keep the overall expansion of our urban tree canopy primary.
