California Center for Sustainable Energy

A tree may seem like a rather low-tech tool for helping us build a more sustainable future – they’ve been around far longer than humans. But as we have proliferated and grouped into cities and towns, trees generally have been cut out of the scene. At CCSE, we want to help bring trees back to the urban environment.

With a $400,000 grant from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), CCSE has established an urban forestry program to promote the many benefits of trees and landscaping as means for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and conserving water and energy resources in the region.

The grant is for an Urban Forestry Advice and Technical Assistance Center, or ATAC, that will serve as a public resource for individuals, businesses and municipalities to learn about sustainable landscaping practices. It will be a central place for those involved in or those who want to learn more about urban forestry issues and management with workshops, community events and outreach. We’ve also added urban forestry and landscaping books and DVDs to our popular lending library.

On March 2, we opened a new section of our Energy Resource Center that focuses on urban forestry, with displays, reference materials and a computer workstation where you can sit and study on your own or speak with one of our on-site experts. You can explore such topics as the growth properties of trees, how to select a healthy specimen and planting and maintenance techniques. And if we don’t have the resource you need, we can direct you to the appropriate source.

The ATAC will also provide information and solutions for decision makers, government agencies and others who are working to meet pressing water conservation and greenhouse gas emission reduction goals under Assembly Bill 32 (Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006) and the Integrated Regional Water Management Plan. Our goal is to help quantify the role trees can play in clearing the air, reducing storm water runoff, sequestering carbon dioxide and saving energy.

Like a healthy tree, our Urban Forestry ATAC will send out branches throughout the community. Grab on and climb up to where we can see a cleaner, more sustainable future.

Continue reading March's newsletter.