Planting themselves is one of the only things that trees CAN‘t do

Pennsylvania is a water-rich state with over 85,500 miles of rivers and streams, which means we have a lot of natural water to keep clean. Trees naturally reduce polluted runoff and stabilize streambanks, supercharging our streams’ ability to cleanse themselves of pollution. Buffers planted along streamsides have been proven to increase a stream’s ability to process nutrients and organic matter itself by up to 8 times.

Trees impact our state’s economy in both obvious and surprising ways. The landscaping and nursery industries rely on income from tree sales, while Pennsylvania’s massive outdoor recreation industry relies on trees’ ability to shade, clean, and feed cold streams. Trees have also been linked to increased productivity in the farming industry.

On a per capita level, trees can reduce residential costs like heating and cooling, water treatment, and flood and stormwater treatment. They’ve also been proven to reduce health care costs and increase property values.