Miami-Dade wants its tree canopy to cover 30% of the county.
It’s part of the county’s Urban Forestry Plan that aims to use trees as a means of flood prevention, heat reduction and air purification.
At a recent news conference, Miami Dade’s Chief Heat Officer, Jane Gilbert said shade afforded by trees can reduce temperatures by up to 9 F.
"Trees work hard for us. Trees are a critical infrastructure. We talk about bridges and roads. Trees are the only infrastructure that actually appreciates in value overtime," Gilbert said.
To reach its goal, Miami will have to double its existing tree canopy. It’s a mission, Miami-Dade's Director of Environmental Resources Management Lisa Spadafina said they can’t accomplish without the help of residents maintaining their own trees.
"I think it's gonna be an all encompassing buy-in to this plan and understanding that the county can’t do it alone. I think that a huge part of what our analysis revealed is that we don't have the land necessary to make this happen, particularly in the urban core," said Spadafina.
The plan will be executed in phases with the county adding trees covering 5% of target areas each year or until they reach 30% coverage.
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