Even corporations are involved in urban forestry. Retailer Eddie Bauer celebrated its 100th anniversary last year by handing out 2.5 million tree seedlings. The U.S. Forest Service, whose chief responsibility is to patrol and protect remote federal woodlands, maintains a program to assist states and communities with urban forestry programs. Linda Ries, a certified arborist and a graduate biologist Colorado State University, is typical of USFS community foresters. In one project, she started a native tree arboretum in Hailey, Idaho.
Trees are a foundation concept in dealing with the rest of the natural world and our own lives.
Trees can reduce heat by 10 to 20 degrees, depending on the location. Dust levels on streets with trees is as much as one-third less than dust levels on streets without trees. Trees reduce glare from buildings. Trees provide urban habit for wildlife, including songbirds and small animals. Trees contribute a sense of natural beauty in landscapes dominated by buildings and roads.