Athens-Clarke County is taking a look this summer at trees around the county, in a Community Tree Study.
The county’s Community Forester, Rodney Walters, working with UGA, the Georgia Forestry Commission, and the Athens Community Tree Council, will be looking at 228 randomly selected plots across the county to get more data on the species, size, and health of trees. And in Athens-Clarke County, that’s a big deal – the county’s sustainability office says that ACC has the highest documented tree canopy of any community with over 100,000 residents.
For the study, UGA students, working in teams of two, will visit the randomly selected plots of land and collect data using an app developed by the US Forest Service. A final report is expected the fall.
ACC officials say that trees are beneficial in a number of ways – including in reducing stormwater runoff, increasing residential energy savings, and improving air quality. More information on the tree study can found at ACCGOV dot com.
