Despite their substantial impact on the urban environment, maintenance programs for large trees are rare in comparison to tree planting programs. This may be primarily due to the unrecognized value of large trees. A Windows-based computer model was developed to demonstrate the breadth, and to quantify the size, of the economic value of these environmental benefits relative to forecasted maintenance costs. Benefits estimated by the model are influenced by tree location (property level and national scale), tree species, site quality, and tree-health. Based on entry of this tree specific information, the program grows the tree and accrues a range of environmental benefits and related economic values over a 15-year period. Graphical and numerical formats are used to summarize the projected results, which provide tree care professionals, educators, researchers and the general public with an educational tool. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded an $85,000 grant toward the $170,000 project. For further information, contact Martin Novom, Director, Development, National Arborist Association, Route 101, P.O. Box 1094, Amherst, NH 03031-1094. Phone: (603) 673-3311.

1994 Costs and Benefits of Urban Forests Project