Benefits of Parklands Chart
| Urban Forest Benefits | How the Forest Works for the City |
|---|---|
| Reduces Stormwater Runoff |
Tree canopies reduce the fast rate at which rain falls to the earth. Water enters the ground more slowly under trees and is better absorbed and filtered into ground water than when it runs off surfaces. Conifer and other evergreen plants and trees grow year-round. This process moves water up from the ground, through plant tissues and into the atmosphere as water vapor. The amount of water in the top 2 feet of the soil is reduced, leaving more room for additional rain water to flow into the soil. |
| Improves Water Quality |
Tree roots absorb soil water that contains both nutrients and pollutants. Some of these pollutants are transformed by plants through metabolism. Others are trapped in woody tissues released only when a tree decomposes. |
| Reduces Erosion |
As the canopy of trees slows the speed of rain falling on the earth, that rain water has less energy to displace soil particles. Soils under a canopy and thick layer of leaf litter are protected from the erosive energy of rain water. |
| Increases Property Values |
Homes that back up to greenbelts may be valued up to 15% more than comparable structures not nearby park. Forested parklands provide residential properties an adjacent natural area for walking and passive recreation activities such as bird watching. |
| Improves Air Quality |
Tree leaves absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen through photosynthesis. The surface of leaves trap airborne dust and soot. |
| Makes Communities More Attractive | Trees and other plantings provide visual relief from the built environment. Trees and stretches of parkland can soften the angular edges of buildings, while the natural tones of bark and foliage are easy on the eyes. |
| Reduces Global Warming | Trees absorb “greenhouse gases” like carbon dioxide and store that carbon in woody tissues. Trees also modify “albedo,” the reflectivity of sunlight on the earth’s surface. The combination of the two effects can make the urban forest a remarkably cool spot in the urban heat island. |
| Provides Wildlife Habitat |
Wild animals have unique requirements for food and shelter. Raccoons or crows adapt well to urban environments. Many native species don’t. They require a variety of plants and multiple layers of canopy to forage and nest. |
| Buffers Noise |
Tree canopies dampen sound by intercepting sound waves. |
The overall goal of the Green Seattle Partnership is to promote a livable city by re-establishing and maintaining healthy forested parklands throughout Seattle. By 2025, all 2,500 acres within the Green Seattle Partnership program will be healthy and free of invasive plants.
To get there, we will need to be restoring 160 acres a year at the program’s peak in 2010. That means removing invasive plants and planting 110 native trees per acre. We’ll achieve that goal by increasing City resources and better supporting volunteers with an active community leader, called a “Forest Steward,” for each forested area. The following are the four basic outcomes of the Green Seattle Partnership:
- Restore all 2,500 acres of Seattle forested parklands by 2025.
- Establish financial and volunteer resources to provide long-term maintenance and ensure sustainability of forested parklands.
- Galvanize an informed, involved, and active community around forest restoration and stewardship.
To achieve these outcomes, the Green Seattle Partnership is undertaking an ambitious fundraising and volunteer recruitment campaign.
