Community forestry is a very important municipal responsibility. Trees provide beauty and countless practical benefits to our city including reducing heating and cooling costs by modifying temperature, cleaning the air we breathe by producing oxygen, creating pleasant views and landscapes, increasing property values, enhancing the economic vitality of business and residential areas and offering source of pride and inspiration. D.C. Global warming is caused by excess carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere when fuels like coal and oil are consumed.
Trees use up excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and turn it into life-giving oxygen.
These trees will replace those trees, which have been removed because of disease, damage, hazard, or death. They will also occupy new planting spots in new subdivisions and areas where there are fewer or no existing trees. There are over 100 different species of trees represented with Honey Locust, Hackberry, Sycamore, American Elm, Green Ash, Northern Red Oak, and Sugar Maple being the most common. It is important to keep a diversity of species to ensure the safety of the entire urban forest to disease and insect attack. The public can receive information about the Street Tree Planting Program by contacting the Manhattan Parks and Recreation Department at 587-2757.