Urban tree cover, for the most part, is increasing in the region.
A reporter at the Washington Post, Niko Kommenda, mapped out data compiled by the Arbor Day Foundation, the U.S. Forest Service, and consultancy firm Plan-IT Geo.
Tree cover is valuable for several reasons, including reducing urban heat island effect and reducing illnesses due to heat, and because studies have shown people tend to be less stressed in areas with trees.
A recent story from my colleague Rachel Mintz explored that for a story for Arbor Day.
Most metropolitan areas in Michigan saw tree cover increase in the last five years, but not all. The Grand Rapids metro area was down by less than 1%. Still, one-third of that region is covered in trees.
Flint has 35.2% tree cover, an increase of 2.3% from five years ago.
Metro Kalamazoo was down slightly and its neighbor, Battle Creek, up slightly with each now having about 40% tree cover.
Detroit, Toledo, and Saginaw saw small increases in tree cover, but all of those metro areas have less than 28%.
Traverse City has more than 43% and rising.
The Muskegon-Norton Shores metro area has almost 46% tree cover and Lowell has 48%.
Last year, during a visit to Lansing, a Biden administration official and the Sierra Club president outlined a $33 million grant program for more urban tree planting.
