"We invite citizens, policy-makers, business leaders, and tree professionals across the
country to share their input where urban forests have been hit hardest by Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Coast region, ice storms in the Midwest, tornadoes, devestating wildfires and other storm events," said Joe Wilson, Council Chair.  This is a call to action.   Your input will be recorded as part of NUCFAC's 2007 recommendatios to the Secretary of Agriculture.

 

PLAN: community blueprint ideas

Your input can play an important part in planning, policy making and preventing the long-term impact of catastrophic storms on urban forests.

 

• Hurricane Katrina produced 1.2 million acres of damaged forest land
• The 2003 Cedar Fire in San Diego County, CA burned 273,000 acres, burned over
  70% of the watershed that supplies water to metropolitan San Diego
• Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota - The Red River Valley flood of 1997 produced over 2 million cubic yards of debris

 

PROTECT: increase advocacy & awareness

• Urban communities represent 25% of the U.S. land mass and are home to 80% of Americans.  Together, we have a chance to develop a national strategy to protect the urban forests that
• Reduce stormwater runoff, improve air quality and provide temperature cooling shade and energy savings
• Remove "green-house gases" like sulfur dioxide;nitrogen dioxide and carbon
  monoxide
• Provide important ecosystems for people and wildlife