URBAN FORESTS AS NATURAL ASSETS: ESTIMATING AND COMMUNICATING THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT IN URBAN AND COMMUNITY FORESTRY RESOURCES
Urban forests - including trees in public parks, along streets, and on private property - are vital to people living in densely populated areas. Tree canopy offers beauty, habitat, cooling effects, mental, and physical benefits for residents. However, urban forests are not equally distributed, creating a disparity in benefits across many cities. Many challenges exist for expanding and funding urban forests, including maintenance and protection of existing canopy. 

The EFC received funding from the Forest Service National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council (NUCFAC) Cost-Share Grant Program to design a methodology to inform investment decisions by private, public and nonprofit urban forestry stakeholders. The project designed an asset accounting framework to help communities estimate the benefits and costs of urban and community forestry resources. Tracking and reporting specific “canopy assets” by estimating benefits and costs enables calculation of the “net benefit” (benefit minus the cost) the canopy as an asset provides. Some canopy assets are sparse and provide “negative net benefits,” which point to disparities in canopy cover and investment. Through partnership with organizations versed in carbon credits, natural resource impact investing, research and urban forest management, this work advances treating urban forest canopy as a natural asset that needs continued and expanded funding to provide equitable benefits to people in urban spaces. The guidance will be available in the spring on the UMD EFC website - stay tuned!
UNCOVERING THE IMMENSE VALUE OF PARKS IN NEW YORK CITY
Parks in urban areas provide aesthetic, recreational, and health benefits which are vital to the urban resident’s well-being. New York City is experiencing challenges to funding public parks – even though these spaces have provided much needed respite from the impacts of the Covid-19 Pandemic. 
 
The Trust for Public Land (TPL) received funding from the NYC Green Relief & Recovery Fund, administered by City Parks Foundation, to document the value of parks in NYC. In partnership with TPL and a parks technical advisory committee, EFC and the University of Delaware StatLab conducted analyses to estimate the economic benefits of NYC parks. Benefit categories included recreational use, healthcare cost savings, reduction in stormwater runoff, reduction in air pollution, enhanced property value, economic development opportunities, and tourism. The findings and final report will be available this spring on the EFC website.
TAP INTO RESILIENCE SUMMIT
Join local water leaders, EFC, the WaterNow Alliance and the Penn Water Center for the 2022 Tap Into Resilience Summit on April 13-14 in Philadelphia. The 2-day Summit is a unique opportunity, bringing together local water managers and decision makers with innovators, experts and thought leaders to explore innovative, climate resilient, and affordable water strategies. The Summit will focus especially on the unprecedented new level of federal financing for cities, towns and local water utilities, and is designed specifically for city councilmembers, members of special districts, water utility staff and others with responsibility for water policy decision making.
 
Nominations are open for the Impact and Emerging Leader Awards, which will presented at the Summit. Nominate a local water manager by February 1st! 

*The health and wellness of our community is a priority, and all attendees will be required to be fully vaccinated against the Covid-19 virus. If necessary, we will pivot to a virtual event.
ONLINE TRAINING: NITRATES IN DRINKING WATER AND THE PROMISE OF PARTNERSHIPS
High nitrate levels in drinking water present a growing challenge for many small water utilities in rural and agricultural regions. In this webinar for small water systems and their partners, participants will learn about the impacts of high nitrates in drinking water, as well as promising approaches to address this challenge and broaden support for source water protection in rural areas. 


Hosted by the University of Maryland Environmental Finance Center and The Water Center at the University of Pennsylvania, the Nitrates in Drinking Water and the Promise of Partnerships workshop will be held on February 10 from 1:30 - 3:00 pm. It will feature presentations by Cory Trego (Chester County Water Resources Authority), Jenna Mitchell (Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay), Matt Kofroth, (Lancaster County Conservation District), Kurtis Wagner (Pennsylvania Rural Water Association), Justin Evans (Mt. Joy Township, PA), and Anita Martin (Chester Water Authority). The event is open to small systems, homeowners and agricultural producers with private water wells, conservation groups, and anyone interested in protecting sources of drinking water, especially in rural areas throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.
FOLLOW EFC ON SOCIAL MEDIA
You can follow EFC and some of our programs on social media: EFC is on Twitter @EFCUMD, Sustainable Maryland is on Facebook, and the Municipal Online Stormwater Center (MOST) is on Twitter @TheMOSTCenter
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