Because most people prefer to live, work, and visit beautiful places, trees are one of a community s most vital assets. Trees contribute to the beauty and character of the local landscape. Different native species distinguish one place from another. And trees shape the perception and feelings about our neighborhoods by framing buildings and enhancing open spaces.
Trees are critical to the overall quality of our environment.
Trees offset development impacts, significantly diminish noise pollution, lower air temperature, reduce smog, remove pollutants from the air, and decrease topsoil erosion. Trees are a critical component of numerous ecosystems and provide habitats for songbirds, small forest animals, wildflowers, and smaller understory trees. As important as trees are, their survival is often threatened by development. For instance, developers commonly clear-cut building sites to make construction faster and easier. Millions of trees are needlessly destroyed in this way each year, because many communities do not have strong tree preservation ordinances.