June 29 Ward 8 meeting
Covered by Documenters Britt Oliver Covered (see her notes here) and Wittman Sullivan (see his thread here)
Keep Akron Beautiful has big plans to improve the tree canopy in Akron. At a June 29 Ward 8 meeting, Executive Director and CEO Jacqui Ricchiuti introduced Planting Change: 100K Trees for Akron, an initiative that aims to plant 100,000 trees in Akron by 2034.
Ricchiuti said Akron’s tree canopy is projected to decrease to 30% (from 34% currently) by 2040. Akron loses about 6,540 trees annually.
Planting trees improves air quality and helps with water management, and tourism opportunities. KAB says on their website, studies show areas with abundant green space experience lower rates of property crime as well as reductions in both violent and minor offenses.
Trees also help reduce temperatures by 11 to 19 degrees Fahrenheit compared to communities with no tree cover.
Multiple factors contribute to canopy decline
Residents at the meeting asked what is contributing to Akron’s declining tree canopy. In his last meeting before announcing his resignation, Council Member James Hardy said a sewer project mandated by the EPA caused deforestation and replacements were delayed due to funding. He added that residents are the second factor in the decline. He used an example of a tree removed in his own yard due to potential safety issues.
Ricchiuti said part of the initiative is educating people on the importance of trees and how to maintain them, along with the importance of arborists.
She shared a personal experience about tree trimming versus tree removal. Where taking out her tree would have cost roughly $7,000, trimming the tree’s problem areas cost $500, and she got to keep the tree. Ricchiuti said this showed her the role of education when making decisions about tree care.
She said that a fourth-grade arborist curriculum update is in the works and will begin once approved. Prior to the pandemic, the KAB team taught Akron-area fourth graders the importance of arborists.
Residents are encouraged to volunteer to help plant trees, while businesses are encouraged to become landscape partners. KAB also accepts donations.