City pushes free tree program

Austin (KXAN) - The City of Austin is promoting a program that plants trees on private property. The purpose of Austin Community Trees (ACT) is to reduce the Urban Heat Island effect in Austin.  The addition of trees can potentially cool daytime temperatures in neighborhoods by up to 4 degrees. 

ACT was started in 2006 and the city puts together a big push promoting it going into fall, when the trees are planted. Since it began, the program has provided 2,177 trees to 1,491 properties in 8 different neighborhoods.  "It will probably take a few more years to be able to gauge the impact since these trees do not really provide enough shade right now," says Laura Patlove, Planning and Development Review Department.  "When they become larger we should see a cooling effect on the city."

ACT offers between 8 and 10 different species of large shade and small understory trees. Trees can be planted in both the front and backyards but not in a designated right-of-way .

To be selected for the Austin Community Trees program, a neighborhood must meet the following criteria:

- Has an adopted neighborhood plan
- Has an established Neighborhood Plan Contact Team
- Has low tree canopy

Based on this criteria, city staff sends out applications to eligible areas on an annual basis. Applications are reviewed, and one area is selected to receive free trees to be planted in the fall. Due to the high need and desire for trees in neighborhoods the success of this program relies heavily on having an organized neighborhood to recruit volunteers for tree planting .  "We also give trees away to businesses, schools and churches that can maintain the trees," says Patlove.

The ACT program is funded through the Urban Heat Island Mitigation Fund (Austin Energy) and is a partnership among neighborhood planning areas, the Planning and Development Review Department, Parks and Recreation Department, and Austin Energy.