Agenda - Council - 09/27/1994 - Laserfiche WebLink

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CITY OF RAMSEY URBAN FORESTRY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN Motivational Statement: Why is Community Forestry important? Trees and forests add value to the quality of life in Ran-tsey. More than just economic value, trees add environmental, aesthetic, social, historic, and psychological value. Just as cities have a street and sewer infrastructure or a community infrastructure, cities also have a "green infrastructure". The mission of community forestry is to manage trees and vegetative components of the ecosystem. Environmental Trees contribute to the physical quality of our environment by modifying local climates, abating noise, visual and air pollution, and by mitigating impacts of development on soil and water. 1 )Climate Trees help provide micro-climate control . Streets, parking lots and buildings have adversely affected the climate of urban areas by absorbing solar radiation. Water that once percolated into the soil and later evapotranspired from soil and plants now drains away or dries on the hard surfaces. Because of these changes, city temperatures have increased and created "urban heat islands." Trees help moderate the "heat island" effect by providing shade and pumping hundreds of gallons of water through their foliage. This water evaporates, keeping the tree and its immediate surroundings cool. This cooling effect is so great that during hot weather, trees dramatically reduce cooling costs by buffering high air temperatures and blocking unwanted solar energy.At night, radiation moves heat in the opposite direction: from the relatively warm earth to the relatively cool sky. Again, tree cover steps in by blocking radiant heat loss from homes and people. 2) Air and Noise Pollution Trees improve urban environment air quality. A fair amount of toxic gaseous and solid particulates from the air are filtered or removed from the air by trees. The recent increase in carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere known as "the greenhouse effect" is also combatted by trees through photosynthesis. Plants "inhale" carbon dioxide (CO2) and "exhale" oxygen (02). In addition, noise pollution from highways, business and residential activities can be significantly reduced by using tree buffers. Used alone or in conjunction with earth berms, large foliage can create noticeable reductions in decibel levels. 3)Soil and Water Protection Soil and water quality are protected by trees. In urban areas covered with buildings, pavement, and other impervious surfaces, rainwater and snowmelt are concentrated and accelerated, increasing soil erosion, silt accumulation, and pollution in water bodies. Trees and other vegetation protect the soil from erosion by allowing percolation of water into soil. Ground water pollution is greatly reduced when rainfall is allowed to percolated into the soil. Near lakes and streams, roots and fallen leaves help hold the soil together and shield it against the cutting forces of surface water. Leaf mu]ch accumulates under trees and creates an environment for earthworms and other organisms that ensure soil porosity.