Strategic Tree Planting as an EPA Encouraged Pollutant Reduction Strategy: How Urban Trees can Obtain Credit in State Implementation Plans

"In September, 2004, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a guidance document titled “Incorporating Emerging and Voluntary Measures in a State Implementation Plan (SIP)”. This EPA guidance details how new measures, which may include “strategic tree planting”, can be incorporated in SIPs as a means to help meet air quality standards set by the EPA. Due to the new ozone standards2, many urban areas are designated as non-attainment areas for the ozone clean air standard, and are required to reach attainment typically by 2007 – 2010 (but up to 2021 for Los Angeles). As many of the standard strategies to meet clean air standards may not be sufficient to reach attainment, new and emerging strategies (e.g., tree planting, increasing surface albedo) may provide a means to help an area reach compliance with the new clean air standard for ozone. “In light of the increasing incremental cost associated with stationary source emission reductions and the difficulty of identifying additional stationary sources of emission reduction, EPA believes that it needs to encourage innovative approaches to generating emissions reductions.” This paper is a brief summary of the EPA guidance report and details actions to help facilitate the inclusion of urban tree canopy increases within SIPs to meet clean air standards." [Introduction]

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