What's a Tree Worth?

The U.S. Forest Service has continued to refine the valuable i-Tree software program, which allows cities to calculate the benefits, in dollar figures, of the urban forest.

2 minute read

April 28, 2016, 8:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Trees

Jon Bilous / Shutterstock

Laura Bliss reports on the work of David Nowak, a lead researcher at the U.S. Forest Service’s Northern Research Station in Syracuse, New York, and one of the founding developers of the Forest Service's i-Tree software programs.

The i-Tree system uses GIS and a complex set of algorithms, to provide "detailed inventories of their urban canopies, and calculate their dollar value." Bliss details how the i-Tree program worked for a study of Austin's urban forest in 2014 [pdf]:

A recent i-Tree analysis of Austin, Texas, led by Nowak, estimated that trees save that city nearly $19 million annually in reduced building-energy use, some $5 million in reduced carbon emissions, and account for about $16 billion as standalone physical assets. Past that, they’re worth $3 million per year in their reduction of air pollution (based on avoided respiratory health problems), and nearly $12 million per year in the amount of carbon they sequester.

The i-Tree system has been collecting new metrics since it was first released in 2006, but Nowak is still working to add more ways to quantify the benefits of trees. "Right now, some of Nowak’s work is focused on calculating the dollar value of the reduced air temperatures and absorbed UV radiation that trees provide," according to Bliss.

The article includes more about the additional potential for the i-Tree program, as well as additional findings the program has revealed about urban forests around the country.

Thursday, April 21, 2016 in CityLab

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Historic homes in St. Augustine, Florida.

Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs

Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.

March 18, 2025 - Newsweek

Bird's eye view of manufactured home park.

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing

Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

March 25, 2025 - Shelterforce

Aerial view of suburban housing near Las Vegas, Nevada.

HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands

The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.

March 17, 2025 - The Wall Street Journal

Glass building with green tree behind it.

EPA Terminates $116 Million in Grants for Reducing Emissions from Construction Materials

C-MORE grants were earmarked for industry trade groups and universities.

March 27 - Inside Climate News

White BART trains passing each other on elevated track in Fruitvale, California.

BART Closes $35 Million Deficit

Cost control and revenue generation measures prevented service cuts.

March 27 - Mass Transit

Black hearse seen from behind driving on multilane road.

The New Parisian Hearse is a Bicycle

Sleek, silent, and sustainable, a green trip to the graveyard has hit the streets of the French capital.

March 27 - Momentum Magazine