The $3 billion earmarked by the House Agriculture Committee would be doled out to state, local or tribal governments for “tree planting and related activities to increase community tree canopy and associated societal and climate co-benefits, with a priority for projects that increase tree equity.”
According to the conservation non-profit American Forests, “tree equity” refers to the idea that there should be “enough trees in specific neighborhoods or municipalities for everyone to experience the health, economic and climate benefits that trees provide.”
“Trees are more than scenery for our cities,” American Forests says on its website. “They are critical infrastructure that every person in every neighborhood deserves — a basic right that we must secure.”
https://nypost.com/2021/09/27/biden-dems-3-5t-bill-includes-money-for-tree-equity-bias-training/
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The $3 billion would be an "investment in planting equitable tree cover across our cities as protection against climate-fueled extreme heat and air pollution," the statement said. "This new federal funding can feed the growing movement in cities across America, from Tucson to Boston, to make tree equity part of their push to equitably protect every neighborhood from climate change. This comes as some projections show we could see as many as 100,000 deaths per year in the U.S. from extreme heat before the end of the century."
https://www.politifact.com/factchec...quity-part-35t-bill-targets-low-income-areas/
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Why Does Urban Tree Canopy Matter?
As climate change threatens the world with unpredictable weather patterns, including heat waves and poor air quality, these underserved neighborhoods with low Tree Equity Scores can experience the "urban heat island effect."
The effect forms small pockets of dangerously hot temperatures that bring up health issues, including heatstroke and heat-related deaths, to these low-income communities. The heat pocket can be up to 7 degrees Fahrenheit (-14 degrees Celsius) hotter than the rest of the city.
"Trees cool down the whole planet," Levine says. "But people don't often think about how it cools down their own neighborhood."
"We had a test on the Atlanta BeltLine — the center of the BeltLine was 22 degrees F (12 degrees C) higher than underneath a tree that was just about 15 yards (2.7 meters) away from the center of the path. This shows you how much places can heat up when you don't have shade."
Trees Atlanta is doing its part by working with various metro Atlanta municipalities to bring more shade trees to people's yards and sidewalks. Since its founding in 1985, Trees Atlanta has planted more than 140,000 trees. The urban tree canopy in Atlanta varies largely by zoning and land use, but neighborhoods can take charge of that. Through the nonprofit's front yard free tree program, for example, residents can receive up to three shade trees in their front yard by just submitting a request.
"In Atlanta, we're a little different than some other cities. It's more about where you're located versus necessarily your economic levels," Levine says. Often, mixed-income areas like Downtown, Midtown, Old Fourth Ward and Summerhill have low tree coverage. While to the Northwest, you start seeing higher tree coverage.
Unfortunately, that's not the case with other cities where the income gap is more glaring, Levine says. "We believe that everyone should be able to walk somewhere under the shade."
The Tree Equity Score alerts cities of tree inequality and can also function as a data point to enact policies and requirements within the city. They can pass laws that protect existing trees and require new ones to be planted.
https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/conservation/issues/tree-equity-score.htm
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we could go on for days
not even to mention the trees must be bought locally and planted by wage earners
sounds like it will in fact, pay for itself
