The Dallas City Council has approved the city’s first Urban Forest Master Plan.
It will guide the city’s effort to restore forests in the city, Mayor Eric Johnson said on Twitter.
“With this vote, we have committed to building for the future by protecting and growing our tree canopy in the years ahead,” the mayor said. “Our new Urban Forest Master Plan includes recommendations that will help us build for the future by recognizing that while we build and grow our city, we can’t pave over everything. We are saying we can talk a little less about concrete, and a little more about the jungle.”
The city plans to plant 350,000 trees over the next decade, CBS 11 reported. The plan calls for replacing trees destroyed by the 2019 tornado, the station reported.
One advantage of more trees is a cooler temperature, the story said.
“By 2050, it is estimated that Dallas could have 30 to 60 more days with temperatures over 100 degrees,” Councilman Omar Narvarez told the station.
The Texas Trees Foundation is collaborating with the city on the project.
“Trees add to the vibrancy and overall quality of life whether they exist in residential, recreation or business districts,” the foundation said. “When properly managed, trees provide a variety of important benefits to communities including water quality improvement, stormwater mitigation, erosion control, heat reduction, air quality improvement, health and wellness benefits, wildlife habitat and jobs.”
Dallas has joined the World Economic Forum’s 1 Trillion Tree Initiative, the mayor’s office said. The Dallas effort will be part of that worldwide effort, the mayor said.
According to the Texas Tree Foundation, trees in Dallas have an economic value of $9 billion. That includes replacement costs and benefits to the ecosystem, the foundation said.
