Resources

To dateTreeUtah's Statewide Urban and Community Forestry program has planted thousands of trees and generated thousands volunteer hours. Our program aims to build public awareness and understanding of the needs and values of healthy community forests and to facilitate community-based tree planting projects throughout the State of Utah. We have two ways in which we do this; MetroGreening and YounGrowth. Our MetroGreening project focuses on building partnerships among local communities, government programs and private enterprises to help ensure the long-term health of our community forests. YounGrowth's goal is to educate young people about the environmental, economic, and energy-saving benefits of trees. Our 1 hour classroom program is coupled with a hands-on tree planting experience.

Trees renew our air supply by absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen. The amount of oxygen produced by one acre of trees equals the amount consumed by 18 people annually. Trees lower air temperatures by releasing water vapor through their leaves and shade trees can make buildings up to 20 degrees cooler. Trees also improve water quality by slowing and filtering rain water, as well as protecting aquifers. These are just a few of the benefits that healthy tree communities provide us.

Kendy Radasky coordinates this program which is being funded in part by generous grants from the Willard L. Eccles Charitable Foundation, Alliance for Community Trees and The Home Depot Foundation, USDA Forest Service Urban Resources Partnership Program through the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands. If you have ideas about corporations or people we should contact with information about this program or if you want more information call Kendy Radasky at (801) 364-2122.

We need your help to maintain and increase our community forests. Your membership in TreeUtah will help us to continue to plant, care for and protect your community forests.

MetroGreening Program! TreeUtah is launching an exciting new multi-tiered initiative called the MetroGreening Program. MetroGreening is aimed at developers, builders, realtors, local government officials, city planners, neighborhood associations and residents of Utah's most densely-populated regions including the Salt Lake Metropolitan Area, rapidly-growing areas on the fringes of the Metro Area and Southern Utah. Through educational workshops, targeted advertising, dissemination of educational materials, support of tree planting projects and hard data tracking, MetroGreening Program staff will help people in these areas see how properly planted and maintained trees can:
1. Reduce commercial and residential cooling costs from 20-75%
2. Reduce commercial and residential heating costs by as much as 40%
3. Diminish urban heat-island effects
4. Effectively counteract air pollution through absorption of carbon dioxide and respiration of clean oxygen 5. Boost property values from 10-20%
6. Lower neighborhood crime rates by as much as 52%
7. Stem erosion and increase ground water retention (which lessens wasteful watering practices)
8. Attenuate stress levels in humans
9. Provide habitat for urban wildlife
10. Build citizen investment in home, neighborhood, community and state