LEON — There is an opportunity to help mitigate the impact of Emerald Ash Borer on in Leon, and increase the urban tree canopy.
Operation ReLeaf is a program people can utilize to plant trees around their homes by purchasing landscape trees at the reduced rate of $25 per tree.
A few benefits that businesses, neighborhoods and communities receive from increased tree canopy are:
• Reduced crime rates — A study in Detroit found that a 12 percent increase in tree canopy resulted in a 10 percent decrease in reported crime.
• Urban forest can reduce annual storm water runoff by 2 – 7 percent, and a mature tree can store 50 to 100 gallons of water during large storms.
• Street trees prolong the life of pavement. Shaded roads can save up to 60 percent of repaving costs.
• People have more favorable perceptions of communities with green roads.
• Visitors to well-treed central business districts will spend 9 to 12 percent more for products.
• A study found 7 percent higher rental rates for commercial offices having high quality landscapes.
• Studies have found general increases of up to 37 percent in residential property values associated with the presence of trees and vegetation on a property.
Operation ReLeaf is a program to help Alliant Energy customers save energy in their homes using trees to provide shade during the summer and crease windbreaks during the winter.
For maximum energy efficiency, large-growing shade trees should be planted within 30 feet of the west and east of your home.
Low growing trees should be planted within 20 feet of your home, and can be used to shade air-conditioners. Evergreens should be planted as a windbreak at on the north and west side of your home. Before ordering, it is highly recommend people use the iTree design tools, which uses Google Earth to show where the best placement for their tree is to reduce energy usage.
Even if you don’t live in Decatur County, you are welcome to purchase a tree at this event as long as you are an Alliant customer.
Because of the spread of Emerald Ash Borer in Iowa, it is recommend planting a replacement tree within 30 feet of any existing ash trees which you do not intend to treat.
Be sure to plant a diverse mix of trees on your property and in your neighborhood to reduce the possibility of losing a large number of trees due to forest health threats.
Details about the distributions are below:
Decatur County - Leon
Partner: Decatur County Conservation
Location: Maintenance shed at Little River Recreation Area, west of Leon
Date: Thursday, Oct. 1, 4:30 pm – 6:00 p.m.
The trees will be 3 – 10 foot tall and are container-grown. This program is intended to reduce energy usage through proper placement around buildings, but community trees have been shown to provide many more benefits to the community than energy savings alone.
If you can’t attend a workshop, or have any questions about tree planting and care, go to the Iowa Grove Resources page for videos, brochures, planting guides and other urban tree information.