A new partnership means more trees for Saint Paul

A new partnership between the city and Green Cities Accord and City Forest Credits will result in more trees planted on streets and boulevards in Saint Paul, and better maintenance and protection of those trees over time. 

Green Cities Accord is a nonprofit conservancy with a mission to foster climate resilient communities through investments in tree canopy infrastructure. The City of Saint Paul joins Hennepin County and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board as participants in the Urban Tree Carbon Offset Program.

Green Cities Accord Board Chair David Wilson said, “Trees combat climate change and enhance the livability of urban communities. When our organization was founded 10 years ago, we were focused on the aesthetic of trees and beautifying downtown Minneapolis. By now we’ve learned that trees are so much more important than that.”

 

In this time of climate change and rising temperatures, trees are a hard-working ally. As trees mature, they store increasing amounts of carbon dioxide in their trunks and release oxygen. A mature tree canopy provides shade – this reduces ambient temperatures, and will keep the city cooler as there are more extreme heat events. 

Wilson continued, “Trees are also very good at capturing storm water. Why not use the technology of trees to our advantage? About 60% of precipitation is captured by the leaves and roots of mature trees; leaves minimize erosion by softening the impact of heavy storms, and roots absorb water that otherwise runs into the storm water system and is lost. The benefits of climate mitigation expand as the tree canopy expands.” 

                                   

Michaela Neu is director of programs and operations for Green Cities Accord. She said, “Urban trees have been hard hit by the emerald ash borer, development, and a lack of funding to replace trees and maintain them. One way we assist our partners is by soliciting corporate and philanthropic funding from entities interested in sustainability for tree planting and maintenance.” 

“With this new partnership, more trees will be planted and carefully monitored for 26 years – the time it takes, on average, for trees to reach maturity. Saint Paul Parks and Recreation planted more than 11,000 trees on streets and in parks between 2021-2023, and these trees are projected to sequester an estimated 39,152 metric tons of carbon over the project duration. Trees can be enrolled in our project that have been planted within the last 36 months, as well as those that will be planted as we move forward.” 

In addition to measuring carbon sequestration, the project quantifies improvements in air quality, storm water capture, and energy use reductions attributable to trees.

Wilson and Neu estimated that over 40 different species of trees will be planted as the city of Saint Paul continues to rebuild its tree canopy. This is one of the hard-learned lessons of previous infestations like emerald ash borer and Dutch elm disease: diversify, diversify, diversify, to avoid obliteration. 

 

The third party involved in the new partnership is City Forest Credits. They’re a non-profit carbon registry that manages carbon and impact standards for cities across the U.S. This summer, City Forest Credits will issue the first 10% of the project’s estimated 29,755 offsets projected over the duration of the project.

Green Cities Accord is responsible for the sale of these carbon offsets. Wilson explained, “Each metric ton of stored carbon is like a share of stock in a company. It’s a guarantee that one metric ton of carbon has been removed from the atmosphere. Companies can buy those carbon offsets to compensate for emissions that they can’t reduce.” 

Proceeds from sales of carbon stored in enrolled trees, after administrative fees, will be reinvested in additional tree planting and maintenance by the city of Saint Paul. 

Wilson added, “This carbon offset piece is creating a very interesting dynamic. For the first time, the city of Saint Paul is legally committed to maintaining and protecting trees enrolled in our project. None of the trees can be cut down, and there’s a contractual obligation to care for them. Trees have a lot of value for the jurisdictions that plant them. There’s even talk amongst some of our partners of putting enrolled trees on their balance sheets as assets; the trees are an investment in every sense of the word. Between our partnerships, we now have over 50,000 trees enrolled in our program.”

For more information about the partnership between the City of Saint Paul, Green Cities Accord, and City Forest Credits, contact Michaela Neu at mneu@greencitiesaccord.org.