Malliotakis Introduces Urban Forests Act of 2021

(WASHINGTON, DC) - To celebrate Earth Day, Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11), member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, introduced the Urban Forests Act of 2021, bipartisan legislation that promotes the creation, enhancement and upkeep of urban forests in the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, urban forests include urban parks, street trees, landscaped boulevards, gardens, river and coastal promenades, greenways, river corridors, wetlands, nature preserves, shelter belts of trees, and working trees at former industrial sites.

“Urban forests provide a number of benefits to communities, including carbon sequestration, a reduction in air pollution and noise, conservation of energy for homeowners, habitation for animals and creation of forestry and manufacturing jobs," said Congresswoman Malliotakis. "As our country becomes a more urbanized nation, it's critically important that we continue to invest in green infrastructure projects that add essential economic and environmental value to our communities. My legislation offers a simple and practical solution to proactively combat many of the environmental issues we see in city centers across America today."

More specifically, the Urban Forests Act:

• Adds carbon sequestration as a goal of the Forest Service's Urban and Community Forestry Program and to the Ten-Year Urban Forestry Action Plan;
• Supports local job creation through Job Corps by establishing Civilian Conservation Centers in urban areas to teach important technical skills related to urban forestry;
• Creates a new pilot project that incentivizes innovative products made from urban wood sources;
• Reauthorizes the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council;
• Improves data collected on urban forests through the Forest Inventory and Analysis Program;
• Coordinates existing urban forestry programs and research areas between different departments and agencies.
• Creates a competitive matching grant program based on the Arbor Day Foundation's Tree City USA Program to enhance and maintain urban forests, particularly for communities with law tree or environmental quality;
• Increases the authorization of appropriations for the Urban and Community Forestry Program to $50 million for 5 years.

“The National Association of State Foresters is proud to endorse the Urban Forests Act, which will enhance the collaborative efforts of state forestry agencies, city arborists, and community-based organizations in support of urban and community forests, said Joe Fox, President of the National Association of State Foresters. "Nationwide, trees in towns and cities help maximize the lifetime of grey infrastructure, like stormwater systems, and are proven to bolster local economies, sustain green jobs, improve human health, and bring communities closer together. Put simply, community forests provide essential benefits we can’t live without.”

Malliotakis' bill is part of the larger Trillion Trees Act, bipartisan legislation that takes scientific studies showing how much carbon 1 trillion trees could sequester globally and creates actionable steps to accomplish this goal. Studies estimate that urban forests in the lower 48 states store at least 770 million tons of carbon and remove 784,000 tons of air pollution annually.

"There has never been a more important time for trees," said Dan Lambe, President of Arbor Day Foundation. "We celebrate an emphasis on the forests in our cities and towns across the country, our essential urban forests that make our communities healthier, happier, and more resilient. The Arbor Day Foundation's historic Tree City USA program engages thousands of small towns and big cities nationwide. This robust network is eager for opportunities to enhance, maintain and grow their urban forest resource."  

To learn more about Malliotakis' Urban Forests Act, click HERE.