Belle Glade Tree Canopy Report

Trees are the city’s ‘green infrastructure.’ Just as we manage our grey infrastructure (roads, sidewalks, bridges and pipes), we also need to manage
our ‘green infrastructure’ (trees and other vegetation). The city’s green infrastructure provides many values that support a vibrant, safe and healthful
community. Trees add to a city’s historic character and enhance livability by filtering storm water and reducing runoff, cleaning the air, providing oxygen, shade, natural beauty and enhanced property values. Planting a tree to shade a home can save 50% of annual air conditioning costs and can soak up thousands of gallons of stormwater each year to reduce street flooding.

This report describes the tree canopy and associated benefits for the community of Belle Glade, Florida in Palm Beach County. The tree canopy assessment was created by the Green Infrastructure Center Inc. (GIC) and funded by Community Greening, a nonprofit grassroots tree planting and tree advocacy organization. GIC analyzed the city’s tree canopy extent and plantable open spaces along with a ranking scheme to prioritize the most equitable planting areas first. Next, the environmental benefits including air quality improvements and shade benefits provided by the city’s trees were analyzed. There are plenty of planting areas in the community where trees can be grown to mitigate environmental harms such as increased heat or air pollution.

This is one of 3 reports produced for the “Glades” in Florida. You can see the other reports here:
• South Bay Tree Canopy Report
• Pahokee Tree Canopy Report

For more information about Tree Canopy Assessments, see our Tree Planning and Planting Campaigns page.