Last year, the Urban and Community Forestry Program assisted more than 10,000 communities by providing planning help, technical assistance and community based grants to support the protection and creation of urban green space. Glickman sent a letter Wednesday to all 50 state governors and the mayor of the District of Columbia, calling on them to establish Millennium Groves of trees in their capital cities.
Urban trees provide important environmental and economic benefits.
They help clean our water and our air. And they can help draw tourists and boost real estate values in American cities. The USDA has worked to protect urban forests in other ways as well. The agency s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services works to prevent the invasion of exotic species like the Asian long-horned beetle, which has ravaged treasured hardwood trees in Chicago and New York City neighborhoods. The Backyard Conservation campaign helps homeowners practice sound environmental stewardship in their lawns and gardens.