How a $12M federal grant has jump-started Philly’s plan to grow its tree canopy

The Philly Tree Plan, the city’s ambitious goal to greatly increase the number of trees over a decade, received $12 million in federal funds to kick-start the program last year.

As a result, officials have been able to finance and create a new group, the Philly Tree Coalition, that will have two-full time paid staff members. The staff will implement the plan, oversee fundraising, and coordinate with local, state, and federal governments in what’s expected to be the planting of thousands of trees on public property, sidewalks, and residences — as well as helping maintain the trees.

The coalition will be housed at the Center City headquarters of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.

“The Philly Tree Plan is a blueprint for urban forestry in Philadelphia,” said Matt Rader, president of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, calling the plan, “a beacon of hope.”

Rader spoke Thursday at an update for partners in the plan, which include the horticultural society, Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, Public Health Management Corp., PowerCorpsPHL, Fairmount Park Conservancy, Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia, the city’s school district, and Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems.

The Philly Tree Plan received the $12 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which, in turn received it from the Biden Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act.

“It is such an inspirational plan and vision,” said Meryl Harrell, deputy under secretary for natural resources and environment at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, who attended the event.

Rader said the grant money will go toward expanding tree canopy in seven priority neighborhoods and improve “the overall well-being of residents.”

Partners in the plan said more trees will address environmental justice issues, such as the urban heat island effect, which is most pronounced in neighborhoods with more pavement, houses, and businesses and the fewest amount of trees. Heat islands see higher temperatures than outlying areas because buildings, roads, and other infrastructure absorb and reemit the sun’s heat more than natural landscapes, such as forests. Daytime and nighttime temperatures can be much higher than in leafier neighborhoods as a result.

The Philly TreePlan will help lessen heat exposure, officials said. Thursday’s gathering took place at the Public Health Management Corp.’s headquarters in the Cobbs Creek neighborhood, which officials said is a heat island.

But the plan will also help with air quality and asthma rates, they said, noting more trees enhances local quality of life.

A 2020 research paper by the USDA Forest Service estimated that tree canopy in Philly ranges from 2% to 88%, depending on the neighborhood. Overall, the city averages about 20% tree canopy. The researchers found that increased tree canopy could prevent between 271 and 400 premature deaths a year in Philadelphia through cleaner air, less heat, and encouragement of people to get outside and walk or move, especially in lower-income areas where tree canopy is often lowest.

A separate study by Philadelphia and the University of Vermont’s Spatial Analysis Lab found that the city’s tree canopy declined by 6% between 2008-2018, or about the equivalent of 1,000 football fields. The loss was due to development, lack of maintenance, removal of yard trees, invasive pests and diseases, and climate change. The biggest amount of tree canopy was lost on residential properties, but also significant amounts along streets too.

The goal of the plan is to bring the tree canopy up to approximately 30% across neighborhoods. Original estimates said the tree plan would cost $25.5 million per year to achieve that, so more grants and fundraising are needed to sustain it.

In the first year of implementation, the key partners have focused on planning and capacity building to support and grow existing tree programs. This includes efforts to grow tree canopy and protect existing trees, build workforce skills around tree care and maintenance, develop community trust, and ensure ongoing community engagement in the Philly Tree Plan.

The Philly Tree Plan was started under the administration of former Mayor Jim Kenney. But Susan Slawson, Parks and Recreation commissioner, called the plan “a critical part of achieving Mayor Parker’s vision of a safer, cleaner, and greener city.”

Slawson said the plan will lessen the burden on residents for caring for street trees. Residents sometimes complain about dying trees, fallen branches, and other issues. The trees will “improve commercial corridors where businesses and residents can both see and feel the benefits of an increased tree canopy,” Slawson said.

Officials said they received responses from 7,000 people who took a survey while the plan was being crafted.