Officials on the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) Board of Directors adopted a new regional tree canopy goal yesterday, as area leaders work to meet broader climate goals for 2030 and beyond.
The COG Board, briefed on recommendations from the Regional Tree Canopy Subcommittee (RTCS), endorsed a goal of maintaining a minimum tree canopy coverage of 50 percent across the metropolitan Washington region. The board is also calling on local jurisdictions to use Conserving Trees and Forests in Metropolitan Washington, a new COG report on the development of the goal, as a resource and reference document to aid in the development of an action plan guiding local tree canopy efforts. In addition, the board recommends that COG’s Climate, Energy, and Environment Policy Committee (CEEPC) and RTCS regularly evaluate regional progress toward the goal.
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The next best time is tomorrow. While many COG jurisdictions have tree canopy goals and tree conservation efforts, if we adopt a regional tree canopy goal, we can help ensure we hit our climate goal of a 50 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions below 2005 levels by 2030,” said Charles Allen, COG Board Chair and District of Columbia Councilmember. “Maintaining healthy tree canopies and preserving our region's natural assets is one way we get closer to a more sustainable, livable, prosperous, and equitable future.”
In 2023, an estimated 49.6 percent of the region’s 2.2 million acres of land was covered by tree canopy according to Chesapeake Bay Program data, down from 51.3 percent coverage in 2014. COG experts noted that an average of 4,383 acres of tree canopy are lost each year due to development and other factors. If this trend continues through 2050, the region’s tree canopy coverage would drop to 44.4 percent.
“The ecological benefits of tress and forests have long been known and appreciated,” said Michael Knapp, COG Regional Tree Canopy Subcommittee Chair and Tree Specialist with the Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services. “But more recent research highlights the positive relationships between urban forests, public health, equitable communities, and vibrant economies, which are all additional reasons why trees should be considered an indispensable component of public infrastructure to maintain and expand.”
The Metropolitan Washington 2030 Climate and Energy Action Plan, adopted by the COG Board in 2020 and included in its Region United planning framework, established widespread adoption of urban tree canopy as a priority action for area governments and partners to meet the region’s climate and energy goals.
“Achieving a 50 percent tree canopy coverage across metropolitan Washington is both feasible and critically important. Through regional and local efforts, our neighborhoods will have more trees, offering numerous benefits including reducing air pollution, providing shade and cooling, improving water quality, enhancing biodiversity, and creating more attractive and livable communities for residents,” said COG Principal Environmental Planner and Regional Urban Forester Brian LeCouteur.
COG staff will share Conserving Trees and Forests in Metropolitan Washington with area jurisdictions and provide guidance on how to write and implement a tailored Tree Canopy Action Plan. Early next year, COG will be releasing a regional tree action plan. Regular reassessment of the regional goal and supporting target goals is scheduled for every five years and will ensure that the region prioritizes trees as an essential component of sustainable development and environmental stewardship.
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Report: Conserving Trees and Forests in Metropolitan Washington
Resolution R14- 2024