Celebrating Rural Georgia

1. Celebrating Rural Georgia Georgia Forestry Commission August 2006 Susan Reisch Urban & Community Forestry Coordinator

2. Urban & Community Forestry • All trees, vegetation, watersheds and wildlife in urban areas, developed areas or communities. • State and local govt. highway rights-of-way, greenspace, undeveloped forests, parks, private and commercial land. • Management of these resources.

3. Community Forestry Partners • Cooperative Extension • Georgia Conservancy • Master Gardeners and Garden Clubs • RC&Ds • RDCs • Land Trusts • NRCS • Developers/Homebuilders • USDA Forest Service • Georgia Urban Forest Council • State and local govt’s. • Utilities • Tree care companies • Contractors and landscapers • Tree groups • Sierra Club

4. Benefits of Urban Trees • Environmental • Social • Economic • Health

5. Did you know? • Surgical patients heal faster with a view of trees • Shoppers spend up to 10% more in tree-lined business districts • Trees lure people outdoors to walk, bike and hike leading to an increase in physical activity • Children with ADHD are better able to concentrate after activities in green settings

6. Resources • Tree City USA • Urban & Community Forestry Grants - management plans, tree ordinances, arborists, tree groups • Five-Year Plan for Georgia’s Urban & Community Forest • Georgia Model Urban Forest Book • www.gatrees.org - Georgia Forestry Commission

7. Celebrating Rural Georgia Georgia Forestry Commission August 2006 Larry Morris Sustainable Community Forestry Program

8. Georgia’s Growth 2000-2006 County Annual Growth Rate Henry 7.82 % Paulding 7.32 % Newton 7.17 % Forsyth 6.82 % Cherokee 5.95 % Barrow 5.72 % Walton 4.88 % Gwinnett 4.77 % Douglas 4.75 % Jackson 4.62 % Coweta 4.56 % Bryan 4.39 % Dawson 4.27 % Effingham 4.25 % Gilmer 4.15 % White 4.14 % Pike 4.09 % Pickens 4.08 % Carroll 4.07 % Fannin 4.01 % Lumpkin 3.89 % Union 3.87 % Lee 3.84 % • 23 of Top 100 growth counties in US • 10.8% growth rate in last five years • From 9MM to 18MM by 2030

9. Georgia Housing Density More than 50% of Georgia homes are currently in the wildland-urban interface areas.

10. So What? Who Cares? Why Trees? • Water • Air • Economics • Fragmentation/Development

11. Trees and Water • WaterQuality/Quantity Drought & water wars 1,000 more miles impaired streams Watershed issues • Impaired Waters In 2002, Georgia had 447 impaired waters 554 causes of impairment

12. Riparian Buffers • BMPs and Streamside Management Zones • Riparian Buffers Stream health rating of “good” strongly correlated to less than 10% impervious surface and more than 60% riparian forest cover (Goetz, 2003).

13. Trees and Air • Air Quality Non-attainment growth PM 2.5 & prescribed burning

14. Georgia Burning Restrictions

15. Why Trees? • Atlanta: Trees removed 1,196 metric tons of air pollution in 1994 – estimated value of service $6.5 million (Nowak, 1994.) • Atlanta: A 20% loss of forest canopy due to urbanization has led to a 14% increase in ozone concentrations (Nowak, 2005.)

16. Trees and Local Economics • Land divestitures Property tax Development and Growth

17. Industrial Timberland Tax Change1999 - 2003

18. Metro Atlanta – Forest Canopy

19. 54 acres of forest canopy are lost each day in the Atlanta region Forest Canopy 1992-2001Loss per day

20. Metro Atlanta – Impervious Surface

21. Impervious Surface 1992-2001Increase per day 28 acres of impervious surface is added to the Atlanta region each day

22. The Next Step • 2006: Statewide canopy loss and impervious surface gain (2002-2005 - metro areas) • 2007: Remainder of the state (2002 – 2005)

23. Other Steps • Tree Ordinances • Conservation Easements

24. Georgia Forestry Commission P.O. Box 819 Macon, GA 31202-0819 1-800-GA-TREES www.gatrees.org It’s your urban forest - learn it, grow it, maintain it, enjoy it!