Tree plan would be good for North Ridgeville

Only five cities in Lorain County have earned the designation Tree City USA: Avon, Avon Lake, Elyria, Oberlin and Vermilion. If North Ridgeville's master tree plan works, it could become the sixth. It's an admirable goal, and one that we believe North Ridgeville residents should welcome. More important than the designation, which is awarded by the National Arbor Day Foundation, is city officials' recognition that growing the number of trees in North Ridgeville is worthwhile. As the master tree plan, which the Planning Commission approved June 10, makes clear, there are numerous benefits to adding trees to the city. Anyone who's been outside in the heat wave during the past few days can attest that trees provide welcome shade. Thoughtfully planted trees also can help reduce heating and cooling costs inside buildings, the plan said. Trees produce oxygen, remove pollutants and improve air quality, the plan said. They can reduce stormwater runoff, which could save the city money on building facilities to manage stormwater. Trees also can improve water quality and serve as habitat for wildlife. Then there are the economic benefits to consider. Trees, the plan said, can stimulate economic development, helping bring in new businesses, residents and even tourists. Mature trees can add to home values. Development is something of a double-bit axe because trees are often cut down to make way for new buildings. "Development and other pressures are negatively affecting the health and longevity of the City's trees and limiting the areas in which trees can be planted," the plan said. "In addition to commercial and industrial projects, the significant expansion of single-family homes has resulted in the loss of trees and less space for planting new ones." Those are concerns that the plan would address by increasing the planting of trees along streets and in parks and other places. The plan calls for more trees to be planted than are cut down in any given year, with a target ratio of 1.5 trees planted for each one that comes down. It also would encourage private property owners, homeowner associations and community organizations to care for their trees. For example, the plan included a list of recommended trees to be planted. In total, the plan has four main goals: planting trees to expand the city's canopy, maintaining and caring for those trees effectively, managing the urban forest and providing community education and awareness. Such an undertaking needs to come not only from community leaders, but from everyone in North Ridgeville, as the city's arborist, Ryan Thomas, told our reporter Richard Perrins for a story we published Tuesday. "We need buy-in and action from the people who live, work and play under our canopy," Thomas said. "When people understand the value of trees, they protect them, and that shared responsibility multiplies the impact of every tree planted." There's plenty of room to do that. North Ridgeville's existing tree canopy covers 3,684 acres, but another 8,854 acres of "plantable" space remains in the city, according to a study completed using U.S. Forest Service research that was included in the report. Increasing that even by 10 percent would have a big impact on the city. North Ridgeville City Council should vote in favor of the master tree plan when it comes before members, and other Lorain County communities should consider similar efforts. It would create a greener, better and more beautiful county for all.