The Smyrna City Council voted 7-0 on Aug. 17 to support the Trees Atlanta One Million Trees Project.
The project's goal is to participate in the overall preservation and planting of 1 million trees throughout Metro Atlanta from February 2020 through February 2030.
Through this collaborative effort to preserve Atlanta's tree canopy, the One Million Trees Initiative is an innovative collaboration of 10 Metro Atlanta cities and 10 local nonprofits to plant and save 1 million trees in the metro area over the next 10 years.
Trees Atlanta will lead the One Million Trees Initiative, the first of its kind in the United States to connect diverse communities and approaches that protect and improve the urban forest in this region.
The initial nonprofit partners committed to the initiative are Atlanta Audubon Society, Atlanta Botanical Garden, Georgia Conservancy, Park Pride, The Conservation Fund, The Nature Conservancy, Trust for Public Land, WABE, West Atlanta Watershed Alliance and Trees Atlanta.
The 1 million trees will include those planted on city land and in public projects, preserved in forested areas and installed by individuals on private property, including residences and businesses.
Planting and saving 1 million trees in Metro Atlanta could mean capturing 1.4 billion gallons of rainwater annually, reducing stormwater runoff on the region’s streets and improving water quality.
Also, these trees can help lower urban heat island temperatures, reduce air pollution and capture 530,000 tons of CO2 each year.
By improving air quality, trees reduce rates of asthma and heat-related illnesses in urban areas, according to Smyrna’s resolution.
The city of Smyrna has strong partnerships with the Smyrna Tree Board and Keep Smyrna Beautiful.
The Smyrna Tree Board implemented the first tree scarf initiative in Smyrna last fall and was instrumental in the revision of the Smyrna Tree Ordinance.
Keep Smyrna Beautiful has an Adopt-A-Tree initiative and gives out seedlings at Bring One for the Chipper.
Both organizations work together each year on Arbor Day to educate and promote planting trees.
Information: https://ClimateKids.nasa.gov/heat-islands, https://www.TreesAtlanta.org/get-involved/events
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