Newburgh Trees

WHY DOES NEWBURGH NEED MORE TREES & TREE CHAMPIONS?

Trees provide essential environmental, economic, social, and public health benefits. The City of Newburgh and a growing number of local organizations are helping to plant trees to increase our tree canopy. Our Department of Public Works and volunteer Conservation Advisory Council contribute expertise, time, energy, and funding to plant and maintain healthy street trees throughout the city, as well as caring for sick trees, but many vital priorities compete for a limited city budget. The City has lost nearly 4,000 trees in recent decades, not including blocks that never had, but desperately need trees. It will take a village to restore, expand and care for our precious urban forest. Please join us!

WHAT BENEFITS DO TREES PROVIDE?
MORE THAN YOU MIGHT THINK!

Environmental Benefits: 

• Trees absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. 

• Trees remove ozone, pollution and particulate matter from the air.  

• Trees serve as food and shelter for other lifeforms (animals, fungus and other plants)

• Trees help retain stormwater, reduce flooding and prevent pollution from entering groundwater, streams and rivers. 

• The environmental benefits of trees are directly related to tree size. Trees absorb carbon dioxide and water from the environment. Because this process takes place in a tree’s leaves and branches, the benefits increase as a tree grows in size. So it is in everyone’s interest to help trees grow and thrive!  

Public Health Benefits: 

• Trees filter the air and reduce pollutants in the air that trigger respiratory ailments such as asthma. 

• Trees shade playgrounds, sidewalks and parks, encouraging physical activity and overall fitness. 

Mental Health Benefits: 

• Trees are aesthetically pleasing—beautifying our neighborhoods and streets. 

• Trees can help to reduce crime. 

• Trees enhance our emotional and mental health. 

• Trees can even encourage drivers to slow down.  

Energy Savings:

• Trees reduce the need for air conditioning in the summer by shading buildings. 

• Trees help cool down the City of Newburgh

• Trees reduce the need for heat in the winter by serving as windbreaks.  

Economic Benefits:

According to the City’s Tree Inventory, Newburgh’s street trees bring the City an annual economic benefit value of over $500,000.

• Greenhouse Gas Benefits by CO2 absorption: $4267.76

• Water Benefits by preventing flooding and runoff : $42,390.66

• Energy Benefits from shading and cooling: $208,445.08

• Air Quality Benefits by producing oxygen: $31,089.04

• Property Benefits from beautification: $222,083.22

  TOTAL: $508,275.76

Trees also help to raise property values and to discourage redlining practices that harm black and brown neighborhoods in many ways, such as higher than market mortgage rates that put homeownership out of reach.

HOW YOU CAN TAKE ACTION

Restoring our tree canopy for the good of all Newburghers will take many residents, organizations, and businesses working together. Replacing 4,000 trees requires a growing network of tree champions to educate, inspire and support the planting and care of thousands of new trees in the coming years and to protect the trees that already grace our city streets.

Become a tree champion today!