Tree Canopy Recovery: History and How We Can Move Forward

Written by Sam Mockert – Conservation Outreach Coordinator with Urban Roots MN

Trees have always been an important part of our built environment. Naps under trees, fruit collected from trees and homes built and repaired using many parts of a tree have been integral parts of how we understand the human lived experience since time immemorial. In the more recent past, visions of American suburbia and urban development were synonymous with streets lined with massive, vaulting elm trees that cast a cool shade over cars and houses of a thriving American middle class. Our understanding of the value of trees has since shifted, though not in a way that necessarily opposes these atomic-age ideals. It turns out that the shade and comfort provided by the American Elms planted to adorn the newly built Modern American City were more than ornamental. 

Dutch Elm Disease was discovered in the United States in 1928, and throughout the 1930s and 40s, heavy loss of American Elms continued. In response, municipalities began to replace dead and dying trees with those with similar structure, height, and appeal. These included Green and White Ash trees in similar volumes as the Elms before them. In what could either be considered the second part of a freak accident or an inevitable result of planting monocultures, Emerald Ash Borer- a death knell for ash populations throughout North America – arrived in America from China in 2003. In the decades since then, foresters have been working to rethink how we see urban forests and beginning to appreciate the socio-economic benefits of urban vegetation aside from beautification. 

Monocultures have since become an important locus of discussion when planning for future tree canopies. Especially in Northern States (such as Minnesota and Wisconsin), Maples and Oaks have taken the place as predominant species in urban tree canopies that threaten to become as prominent in our current treescape as Elms and Ashes have been previously – especially in communities where concerted efforts within municipal governments which have not come on board with efforts to prepare our human and nonhuman environments for our climate future. In places that are at the forefront of efforts to rectify past mistakes in environmental justice and create a healthy and future-oriented natural environment, such as the cities of Minneapolis and St Paul, we have seen a transition to a wider variety of trees being planted, and the introduction of species that can adapt to a warmer and drier climate in the next century. 

We at Urban Roots are poised to be a part of the transition on the East Side of St Paul towards a healthier, robust, and more sustainable urban canopy that works for the people living here. We have experimented planting species indigenous to the Southern United States such as Sweet Gum,  Paw Paw, and American Chestnut in order to set up our neighborhoods for a future that feels more like their homes than the Minnesota that we have grown up with. Introducing these species not only softens the blow of climate change, but prevents another epidemic of tree malaise wiping out an alarming proportion of the tree canopy.

Some of the aforementioned benefits of having a more robust tree canopy in an urban area include reducing the severity of the Urban Heat Island effect, improving air quality, reducing air pollutants, and in some cases decreasing the energy needed to cool houses in the summer. These impacts lead to higher education outcomes, decreased generalized distress, and more physical activity in the community which itself leads to more societal boons. Neighborhoods with trees are happier and healthier places to live, work, and raise a family in than those without as many trees. That being said, the systems in place to replace the tree canopy that has disappeared in the last decade or two (up to 15 million trees, estimates the US Forest Service), are limited and intended to plant trees on public lands where need arises. This has led to trees being taken down en masse and no tree being planted to replace it for years afterwards. Not to mention ash trees on private land that die with no clear plan to replant afterwards. This crisis has resulted in decreased tree canopy and higher Heat Island impact in communities where tree resources are scarce and public resources are not allocated towards targeted reforesting to the scale that is needed to avoid the worst effects of canopy decrease. 

One solution has come from the Inflation Reduction Act grants focused on improving  community tree infrastructure which funds many community organizations (including Urban Roots!) to activate their community members to increase tree canopy in their communities. Increasing tree canopy and tree diversity as soon as we can is an important and effective way to increase environmental equity and give back to the spaces in which we live and spend time. In order to get trees planted as quickly as possible and in the places they need to go, it is important to be transparent about the inequity that has existed in the way that communities have been communicated to in the past regarding trees. Many people in the communities that most desperately need more trees to be planted have just experienced a multiple thousand dollar expense when their tree suddenly died of no fault of their own and with no assistance or communication if it was on private land. I have spoken to many folks who are hesitant to get another tree because it can be seen as a hassle, an unnecessary expense, and potentially even a danger if they experienced tree damage to their house or property in the past. 

These factors make it more important than ever to deal with the topic of urban forestry in a responsible, respectful, and transparent manner and make decisions about what trees to be planted there with the people living in the community. 

Here’s what we can do about it:

Urban Roots gave away over 80 trees to community members last year, and planted over 400 trees on the East Side in accordance with our mission and grant stipulations. We need your help to get the word out, mobilize a force of tree planters, and host trees on your property if you are able to. Our trees come in all sorts of sizes and growth patterns, so even if you have a small lot, you can feel free to contact us and we will have a chat about what kind of tree would work best for your needs. Trees have all sorts of long and short term benefits that have been discussed in this blog, and are beautiful plants and essential parts of our ecosystem. We have a map of what areas we are allowed to give free trees to here at urbanrootsmn.org/free-trees/, along with additional information about our process and how you would go about getting your free tree. We are looking to increase our tree planting to over 100 trees by next year so please get in touch if you would like to be a part of this effort. 

Thank you for your time and hope you all make time to do something fun today. 

Best,

Sam “Tree Guy” Mockert

Conservation Outreach Coordinator