Photo Courtesy of WeirdNAnnoyed / Wikipedia
Photo Courtesy of PKM / Wikipedia
By Laney Norman
San Diego County Supervisor has gone out on a limb.
“There’s one program I’m super excited about,” she said. “It is super nerdy, I know. It’s our Comprehensive Tree Program.”
Vargas announced the County’s plan to plant 5,000 new trees this year and encouraging citizens to plant 5,000 more. She said trees promote human health, and all citizens have the right to clean air and pleasing surroundings.
“I believe in my heart that your zip code should not determine how long you live or whether you have access to clean air,” she said. “When we plant trees, we are doing our part to ensure that we have healthy, clean air for all of our children and all of our families.”
This tree planting initiative is part of the 2018 San Diego County Climate Action Plan to help reduce greenhouse gasses, clean the air in urban areas impacted by environmental racism and increase the tree canopy in the local biome. San Diego County will fund 5,000 trees and Vargas challenged the community to fund another 5,000.
Long term, the Climate Plan spells out goals to plant 3,500 trees each year and 49,000 by 2030. By 2050 the plan envisions 110,000 new trees.
In 2022, the County exceeded its goal with 4,113 trees of different size and maturity in 50 park locations across the region.
“The County includes mature, 10-year-old trees in its tree-planting program to maintain and restore a mature stock of trees and to help speed up the carbon sequestration process,” read the Climate Action Plan.
The City of San Diego is also turning its gaze to trees.
“Mature trees help to cool and freshen the air we breathe,” read the city plan. “Not only do they moderate the air temperature, but through photosynthesis, their leaves take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen for us to breath. A single, fully grown sycamore tree can transform 26 pounds of carbon dioxide into life-giving oxygen every year.”
Vargas said the new trees will help capture automobile and industrial emissions, particularly in areas affected by poor air quality. Urban areas without trees can be up to 11 degrees hotter during the peak of than neighborhoods with mature trees, she said.
The Department of Parks and Recreation has a geography-based prioritization of what trees would be most beneficial to different areas of planting.
“DPR tracks tree plantings and removals using the Tree Plotter Inventory System,” according to its annual report. “Tree Plotter allows us to map where trees have been planted, what species they are and how they support a full tree canopy.”
Coast Live Oak, a native species, was the most planted tree last year with 1,931. Native trees help preserve the local plants, animals and ecosystem of this region, according to the report.
Strategic tree planting can help to slow the effects of tree loss from prolonged drought and invasive species like the Goldspotted Oak Borer, a type of beetle that attacks oak trees. Native to Arizona the bug is responsible for considerable devastation in County parks. The tree maintenance program has taken this into account.
“For every tree that falls or is lost to disease or fire, the County replaces it at a 3 to 1 ratio to ensure a flourishing tree canopy over time.”
Vargas said raising trees take a community. It also takes time.
“No time like the present to get started,” she said. “Our kids are counting on us.”
