VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Virginia Beach is quantifying the benefits that more than 3.2 million trees provide to the city.
Virginia Beach adopted the Urban Forest Management Plan in 2014 as part of the city's comprehensive plan.
The plan provides policy guidance, goal and objectives to grow the urban forest in Virginia Beach.
Within the past year, Virginia Beach adopted a Cyclical Residential Tree Maintenance program that addresses the needs of regular pruning of healthy street tress in neighborhoods.
They've also carried out tree preservation and replacement projects at places like the Virginia Beach Municipal Center and the Francis Land House.
Virginia Beach has also quantified the economic benefits the urban tree canopy provide to the city at more than $263 million.
Included in that is $84.6 million in benefits per year of stormwater runoff reduction and $18.4 million in benefits per year of air quality improvement.
"It's a very optimistic thing and we are just going to keep on growing and keep on increasing our tree canopy and increasing the benefits for the people," City Arborist Susan French told NewsChannel 3's Todd Corillo.
You can read the 2015-2016 State of the Urban Forest report here.
