The City of Bowling Green Tree Commission is hanging tree tags around town to show the environmental benefits city trees provide in a year. Tags will be displayed for two weeks between April 17 and May 1 which overlaps with both Earth Day and Arbor Day.
Benefits of trees can easily be listed, but until recently it has been difficult to actually put dollar values on these benefits. Tag values were calculated using the MyTree app which estimates benefits of individual trees. The stormwater avoidance provides the largest value as falling rain collects on leaves and bark until it evaporates rather than running off and entering storm drains.
Factors that influence each tree’s value include: tree species and condition, trunk diameter (DBH), and proximity to a building. Residents can calculate the value of their trees by visiting itreetools.org/mytree on your computer, tablet, or smart phone. The free MyTree app is available from the US Forest Service through the iTree suite of programs. iTree programs are a tool to estimate environmental benefits of trees and all calculations are based on peer-reviewed research.
