Neighbors urge Raleigh leaders to protect and plant more trees
STAY.
>> WE SEE THIS HAPPENING ACROSS
RALEIGH AS THE CITY OF ROAD
OAKS. IT GROWS TREE COVERED.
LOTS ARE CLEAR. CUT TO MAKE WAY
FOR NEW DEVELOPMENT. SO WE HAVE
A MAP HERE AND IT GIVES YOU AN
IDEA OF THE CITY.
>> AND WHERE IT'S LOST, SOME
OF THE SHADE COVER FROM THAT
TREE CANOPY, THE RED AREAS,
MOSTLY AROUND DOWNTOWN
SOUTHEAST EAST RALEIGH, SOME
MORE THAN 10% OF THE TREE
CANOPY JUST DISAPPEAR OVER THE
LAST DECADE. WRAL'S MATT
TALHELM TELLS US HOW ONE GROUP
IS PUSHING THE CITY TO LIVE UP
TO ITS NICKNAME.
THE NOISE OF CONSTRUCTION
BECOMES PART OF NATURE AND A
GROWING CITY.
>> WE KNOW HE'S NOT ACTUALLY
PUSHING ANYTHING AROUND OVER
THERE. SAM LIVES AROUND THE
CORNER FROM THE SLOT IN WEST
RALEIGH. IT WAS 2 HOUSES ON A
LOT OF TREES WHERE AN ORANGE
TREE PROTECTION AREA FENCE
SURROUNDS A SOLO TREE OF THIS
CLEAR CUT PLANT. YOU REALLY
CAN'T BLAME THE DEVELOPER FOR
THAT BECAUSE THE CITY MAKES NO
EFFORT TO DISCOURAGE THAT
APPEAR. SO AS PART OF THE NEW
FOLK COLLABORATIVE ALONG WITH
KATE DIXON LIVING IN THE CITY
OF OAKS AND WATCHING OUR TREES
VANISHED. HAS INSPIRED ME TO
GET ENGAGED WITH THIS ISSUE.
>> THEY'VE SENT THIS LETTER TO
THE ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL IN
URGES THEM TO TAKE BOLD ACTION
NOW TO ADOPT A NEW TREE
CONSERVATION ORDINANCE TO
PROTECT THE TREES DURING THE
DEVELOPMENT PROCESS. THEY ALSO
WANT THE CITY TO FORM A TREE
TASK FORCE. WE HOPE THAT THEY
JUST THEY JUST MAKE A QUICK
TO MOVE FORWARD. AND THEN WE
CAN DEVELOP THE PLANS THAT ARE
NEEDED TO TO TAKE ACTION AND
SAVE OUR TREES AS RALEIGH'S
POPULATION GREW 16%. THE CITY
LOST 2.2% OF ITS TREE CANOPY.
THAT'S ALL LAID OUT IN THIS
ASSESSMENT DONE FOR WAKE COUNTY
LAST YEAR. IT FOUND RALLY LAST
1305 ACRES OF TREES IN A
DECADE. THE REPORT ALSO
IDENTIFIES MORE THAN
974,000 SITES WHERE NEW TREES
COULD BE PLANTED. THE CITY'S
ALREADY STARTED A STREET TREE
EQUITY PROGRAM PLANTING TREES
LIKE THIS WHEN EARLIER THIS
YEAR ALONG THE STREET BY CHAVIS
PARK, THE CITY'S GOAL IS TO
PLANT 1000 OF THESE TREES OVER
THE NEXT 3 YEARS IN AND AROUND
DOWNTOWN, WHERE THE CITY OF
OAKS.
>> IT'S PART OF WHAT MAKES THE
CHARACTER OF THIS CITY SO
SPECIAL. THESE NEIGHBORS HOPE
IT'S JUST THE START OF
REGROWING RALEIGH, STREET
CANOPY, PEOPLE WHO WANT TO MOVE
HERE. PEOPLE WHO WANT TO THRIVE
HERE PEOPLE AND TO RAISE THEIR
FAMILIES HERE.
>> THEY DON'T WANT TO DO IT ON
10TH ANCHOR LODGE WITH SAAD
LYING ON RED CLAY. MATT
TALHELM, WRAL NEWS, RALEIGH,
THE OAK FOLK COLLECTIVE IS ALSO
ASKING THE CITY TO INCREASE
ITS NEW TREE PLANTINGS TO 3,000
THIS YEAR.
>> CITY COUNCILOR JANE HARRISON
TELLS WRAL SHE PLANS TO BRING
THE ISSUE OF TREE PRESERVATION
AND PLANTING OF FOR DISCUSSION