As businesses and city leaders statewide look for ways to produce clean energy and reduce the ecological impact of human activity, one lakeshore research group has discovered some good news: the benefits provided by the trees in Muskegon alone surpass much of the ecological advantage of many of the other efforts.
According to excerpts from the story:
What is the value of a community's trees — in monetary, not philosophical, terms?
That was the question facing researchers at Grand Valley State University's Annis Water Resources Institute, who assessed the value of ecological services provided by Muskegon's urban forest canopy.
Their conclusion: Muskegon's trees provide $88.5 million in ecological services annually by absorbing air pollutants and large quantities of rainfall, which otherwise would cause more frequent flooding.
One-third of Muskegon, about 2,738 acres, is covered by tree canopy. Collectively, the trees remove 177,000 pounds of air pollutants each year and absorb millions of gallons of rainfall, according to the GVSU study.
The city's tree canopy saves about $451,390 in pollution treatment costs.
Read the complete story here.
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