不良研究所导航网址

ST. LOUIS 鈥� City officials are hiring contractors to plant, prune and remove thousands of trees in the city, part of an effort to boost tree cover in 鈥渧ulnerable areas that experience extreme heat.鈥�

The work stems from an $8 million grant to the city鈥檚 forestry division from federal spending contained within the Inflation Reduction Act. It must be spent in 鈥渄isadvantaged鈥� areas identified by the government, based on socioeconomic data.

In St. 不良研究所导航网址, nearly the entirety of the city north of Delmar Boulevard, plus areas that surround downtown and some southern parts of the city, such as Dutchtown.

The effort should help address imbalanced impacts and benefits tied to tree cover that often skew along racial lines. Across the nation, studies have shown that urban tree cover generally corresponds with race and income 鈥� as wealthier, whiter areas tend to have more trees than poorer areas where more residents are racial minorities.

The city鈥檚 deadline for contractor proposals fell late last month. Once the city inks an agreement with one or more contractors, ensuing work will encompass the planting of about 2,700 trees and the removal of approximately 1,600 鈥渉azardous and diseased鈥� trees over the next two years 鈥� part of a roughly 2-for-1 replacement goal targeted by city forestry managers.

Any chosen contractor will also be responsible for tree maintenance tasks, such as pruning a total of about 7,200 trees within five years 鈥� generally to remove dead wood that poses a potential hazard.

Experts and widespread research tout the benefits that urban trees can deliver, stretching far beyond beautification. Urban tree cover benefits air quality and public health, boosts the mental health of nearby residents, helps reduce flood risks by absorbing and slowing down water and can even assist with traffic calming.

鈥淎 tree-lined street tends to slow the traffic down,鈥� said Alan Jankowski, the city's commissioner of forestry.

Meanwhile, St. 不良研究所导航网址鈥� grant focuses on how trees can help take the edge off extreme heat, particularly in urban areas where paved surfaces can drastically exacerbate hot conditions 鈥� a phenomenon known as the urban heat island effect because temperatures in a city can far exceed those in the surrounding countryside.

Even within the same city, temperature differences can span 15 to 25 degrees, based on research from around the U.S. examining how widely temperatures can vary from shady parts of a city to pavement-heavy areas that are largely devoid of tree cover.

Improving the urban canopy is seen as an especially crucial step as greenhouse gases warm the atmosphere and make heat waves more common 鈥� raising city dwellers鈥� risks and exposure to extreme heat.

鈥淭he heat island effect is always right up there. That鈥檚 one of the main things, especially this time of year,鈥� said Jankowski. And, he adds, 鈥渋t鈥檚 getting worse and worse, every year.鈥�

Trees in the St. 不良研究所导航网址 region 鈥� like elsewhere 鈥� have been under siege from a combination of recent threats. Invasive bugs like the emerald ash borer have prompted a large-scale and long-term removal of St. 不良研究所导航网址鈥� widely planted ash trees. Past blights like Dutch elm disease have wiped out the city鈥檚 once-widespread elm trees. And present scourges, like oak gall, stress the region鈥檚 oak trees.

鈥淲e鈥檙e not just putting these trees out there,鈥� Jankowski said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e also caring for them with the mulching and watering, which is a key component to the survival rates for these trees.鈥�

The work is poised to help amplify benefits that go well past combating heat, and will also provide 鈥渁 big boost鈥� to the city鈥檚 current pace of tree-related work, said Jankowski.

鈥淭his is definitely going to accelerate our removal and trimming rates,鈥� he said.

Despite challenges at hand, Jankowski said he thinks the city鈥檚 urban canopy has been able to hold steady overall and has 鈥渟tayed roughly the same鈥� during his eight years as forestry commissioner.

He added that, while the work spurred by the federal grant will focus on disadvantaged areas, normal tree planting and maintenance will continue in other parts of the city, as dictated by the city鈥檚 own funding.

鈥淲e鈥檙e going to continue business as usual, but we鈥檙e going to add this grant to it,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what makes this exciting.鈥�