Cool, Green Asheville
Climate Change and Asheville's Urban Forest
Background
The City of Asheville has been a Tree City USA for nearly 40 years. Asheville GreenWorks has been instrumental in helping the City attain and maintain that status by mobilizing volunteers to plant and care for trees throughout its 47-year history.
As the city has grown and changed, the focus of GreenWorks’ tree work has evolved from a focus on beautification and greening to a more holistic approach to protecting and enhancing Asheville’s urban forest. With the rapid pace of development in Asheville during the last decade, along with increased local threats of climate change such as extreme heat and flooding, GreenWorks is charting an innovative plan to address climate change at the local level through protecting and enhancing the urban forest.
The City of Asheville has been a Tree City USA for nearly 40 years. Asheville GreenWorks has been instrumental in helping the City attain and maintain that status by mobilizing volunteers to plant and care for trees throughout its 47-year history.
As the city has grown and changed, the focus of GreenWorks’ tree work has evolved from a focus on beautification and greening to a more holistic approach to protecting and enhancing Asheville’s urban forest. With the rapid pace of development in Asheville during the last decade, along with increased local threats of climate change such as extreme heat and flooding, GreenWorks is charting an innovative plan to address climate change at the local level through protecting and enhancing the urban forest.
Cool Green Asheville
A coalition has come together to initiate the Cool Green Asheville campaign, including the following key components:
As a result of the Cool Green Asheville campaign, it is our objective that the City of Asheville maintain its dedication to its urban forest through the following strategic actions:
A coalition has come together to initiate the Cool Green Asheville campaign, including the following key components:
- Asheville Climate Action Initiative (ACAI) envisions community-wide participation in meeting the challenges of a changing climate, such as:
- Urban heat island effect,
- Increases in the rate and volume of stormwater runoff,
- Decreases in air and water quality,
- Increases in energy consumption, and
- Loss of biological diversity
- Launch the #KeepAVLCool media campaign
- Green Climate Infrastructure™ framework implemented through:
- Urban tree canopy enhancement,
- Local forest conservation,
- Urban tree planting,
- Green roofs,
- Education and advocacy
As a result of the Cool Green Asheville campaign, it is our objective that the City of Asheville maintain its dedication to its urban forest through the following strategic actions:
- Adequate staffing, including the addition of an Urban Forester;
- Strategic planning, including the development of a comprehensive Urban Forestry Master Plan;
- Strengthening of private-public partnerships that engage volunteers, leverage the environmental interests of residents and visitors, and support the City’s urban forestry goals; and
- Innovation in vision and implementation, including the completion of an updated Comprehensive Plan, addressing the updating of City Ordinances, strengthening tree protections during development, and adoption of an urban tree canopy policy.