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Advocates seek expanded urban forestry funding and legal updates to protect canopy and cut building energy use
Summary
Urban‑forestry witnesses told the committee that tree canopy expansion reduces heating and cooling energy use, improves public health and lowers carbon emissions; they urged passage of a municipal reforestation program, $30 million in tree funding proposed in the Mass Ready Act and an update to the public shade tree law.
Speak for the Trees Boston and other urban forestry witnesses told the committee that trees in cities and towns reduce building heating and cooling demand, improve public health and deliver co‑benefits for climate, biodiversity and equity.
The nut graf: Witnesses described several state programs and proposals that would expand canopy in low‑coverage neighborhoods: the Greening the Gateway Cities program has planted about 49,000 trees since 2014 and this year funded nine…
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