Tree City USA

The City of Polson is proud to be designated a Tree City USA community through the Arbor Day Foundation for 31 years! 

Each year the City must meet the four Tree City USA standards:
1) The City must have an active Tree Board
2) The City must have a tree care ordinance
3) The City must spend at least $2 per capita annually on urban forestry (in 2022, the City spent $4 per capita on urban forestry)
4) The City must observe Arbor Day (in honor of Arbor Day, on April 29th, 2022 the community held a tree planting event at the 7th Ave. Skate Park)

TREE BENEFIT CALCULATOR --The Tree Benefit Calculator allows anyone to make a simple estimation of the benefits individual street-side trees provide. This tool is based on i-Tree’s street tree assessment tool called STRATUM. With inputs of location, species and tree size, users will get an understanding of the environmental and economic value trees provide on an annual basis.
RIGHT TREE IN THE RIGHT PLACE --Available space is probably the consideration most overlooked or misunderstood when deciding what tree to plant. Before you plant, it is important to know what the tree will look like as it nears maturity. Consider its height, crown spread, and root space.
THE TREE GUIDE --This tree guide is a wealth of information on height and spread, soil and sun requirements, leaves, history, wildlife habitat and more.

The Value of Trees to a Community (Arbor Day Foundation):

The net cooling effect of a young, healthy tree is equivalent to ten room-size air conditioners operating 20 hours a day. U.S. Department of Agriculture

If you plant a tree today on the west side of your home, in 5 years your energy bills should be 3% less. In 15 years the savings will be nearly 12%. Dr. E. Greg McPherson, Center for Urban Forest Research

A mature tree can often have an appraised value of between $1,000 and $10,000. Council of Tree and Landscape Appraisers

In one study, 83% of realtors believe that mature trees have a ‘strong or moderate impact’ on the salability of homes listed for under $150,000; on homes over $250,000, this perception increases to 98%. Arbor National Mortgage & American Forests

Landscaping, especially with trees, can increase property values as much as 20 percent. Management Information Services/ICMA

One acre of forest absorbs six tons of carbon dioxide and puts out four tons of oxygen. This is enough to meet the annual needs of 18 people. U.S. Department of Agriculture

There are about 60– to 200-million spaces along our city streets where trees could be planted. This translates to the potential to absorb 33 million more tons of CO2 every year, and saving $4 billion in energy costs. National Wildlife Federation

Trees properly placed around buildings can reduce air conditioning needs by 30 percent and can save 20–50 percent in energy used for heating. USDA Forest Service

Trees can be a stimulus to economic development, attracting new business and tourism. Commercial retail areas are more attractive to shoppers, apartments rent more quickly, tenants stay longer, and space in a wooded setting is more valuable to sell or rent. The Arbor Day Foundation

Healthy, mature trees add an average of 10 percent to a property’s value. USDA Forest Service

The planting of trees means improved water quality, resulting in less runoff and erosion. This allows more recharging of the ground water supply. Wooded areas help prevent the transport of sediment and chemicals into streams. USDA Forest Service

In laboratory research, visual exposure to settings with trees has produced significant recovery from stress within five minutes, as indicated by changes in blood pressure and muscle tension. Dr. Roger S. Ulrich Texas A&M University

Nationally, the 60 million street trees have an average value of $525 per tree. Management Information Services