Arbor Day Saves Money, Increases Property Value

Planting trees in a recession

For 13 years now, Arbor Day has been celebrated on the fourth Friday in April. Traditional observance of this holiday is to plant a tree. It’s also a good day to reflect on the environment, raise awareness and encourage green-living habits.

Most environmentalists recycle, reduce waste and plant trees on Arbor Day simply because they feel it’s the right thing to do. But did you know that going green has numerous financial benefits, too?

Saving green

Founder of the Arbor Day Foundation John Rosenow, in the Kansas City Star, says “challenging economic times offer unique opportunities to plant trees.” He also writes:

“Tough times provide an ideal opportunity to practice the spirit of Arbor Day, to add trees to the canopies of our cities and towns and to replant our nation’s forests.”

So how can planting trees help individuals and cities avoid needing cash advance loans and debt relief? Planting trees is a natural, inexpensive way to reduce pollution because trees clean the air. They also clean water and mitigate storm water runoff.

Making green

It is also proven that trees increase property value. This is true of both residential and city properties. Cities that have more trees have higher property values overall, regardless of whether the properties themselves have trees. However, properties that do have trees generally are valued higher as well. Rosenow says:

“Trees are rare components of a city’s infrastructure that actually increase in value and service over time. … History shows that when civic and national leaders make planting and caring for trees a high priority, it strengthens and adds value to the entire community.”

Remembering green

Rosenow writes that all the way back during the Civil War, New York City made the sometimes controversial decision to continue investing in a large, centrally located city park. Central Park now gets more than 25 million visitors per year, and the city reaps environmental, economic and social benefits.

During the Great Depression, the federal government created the Civilian Conservation Corps. The corps created millions of jobs. During the same time the country gained 13 million acres of national forest, now a valuable resource to the public.

Future green

Rosenow points out that this period of high unemployment is a great time to create jobs in tree-planting. There is a 1 million-acre replanting backlog in our national forests. Rosenow says trees also help fight global warming.

The air-cleasing quality of trees could also cut down some health care costs by keeping the air breathable and keeping people healthier. The Arbor Day Foundation encourages everyone to sieze the day and benefit future generations by planting a tree.