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Lifespan Value
Trees serve an economical function within the urban forest, providing various monetary benefits. It is estimated that there are around 3.8 billion trees in urban areas around the United States, equating to $2.4 trillion in overall structural value. In addition, environmental and social benefits such as air quality, climate change, water flow, real estate, and even community well-being can be quantified to determine their economical impact. Examples of the economic values created by the urban forest includes an annual $4.7 billion of air pollution removal, $3.8 billion in carbon sequestration. Additionally, recreational experiences have the potential to surpass $2 billion in annual value. Furthermore, while these are national estimates for the United States, it is necessary to note that all of these estimates may vary by location.

The value of an urban forest is estimated by quantifying social and ecosystem services, then assigning those services monetary worth, which are often based on market value. Modeling tools, such as i-Tree, are used by urban foresters to accurately assess the effects of an urban forest’s structure; this information is used to quantify ecosystem services and ultimately the economic value of the forest across a variety of locations. By creating these models, urban foresters are able to quantify and communicate the value of the urban forest to stakeholders and the general public. These evaluations can be used to influence the amount of money allocated to tree management by the government and general populace. Trees may live a long and healthy life if they continue to receive proper management in the form of maintenance and pruning, which sustains the value of the urban forest. Moreover, after death, trees have the potential to remain profitable to the community— if utilized correctly.

Post Life Value
Typically, wood products such as lumber and wood pellets are associated with rural forestry and logging. Annually, urban forestry creates 14.8 metric tons of wood waste in the United States through pruning and removal. Within urban forestry there are initiatives to use this waste as wood products such as fuel, lumber, art, and more. These initiatives seek to extend the value of urban trees after their lives. One such initiative is the Virginia Urban Wood Group, a nonprofit with the mission to, “enhance the quality of life through the Stewardship of our Commonwealth’s urban and community trees.” The Virginia Urban Wood Group promotes the production and sale of wood products sourced from urban wood waste. The group connects governmental and commercial professionals such as arborists, municipal foresters, mills, carpenters, and more. Another group contributing to the urban wood waste industry is Wisconsin Urban Wood. This group collects suitable removed trees from local businesses and arborists and sells the wood to local mills. While urban lumber may not be as high of a grade quality as forest grown lumber, these products are suitable for smaller projects such as woodworking and artisan furniture. Some localities use their urban lumber to reduce costs on amenity construction— they use their wood to build their picnic tables and benches. Additionally, some urban wood initiatives seek the use of reclaimed wood to decrease the use of freshly cut lumber.