The National Small Business Tree Planting Program was authorized from 1991 to 1997 and was administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA). The SBA provided grants to state forestry agencies to contract with local nurseries, arborists and landscapers to plant trees along neighborhood streets, courthouse squares, city parks, and school playgrounds.
More than 18,000 small landscaping businesses with fewer than 100 employees were employed to plant over 23 million trees across the country as a result of the program. These trees have encouraged consumers to spend more time and money in retail and business locations, decreased heating and cooling costs, and improved the overall livability of communities.
Here in Texas, the Texas Forest Service granted over $5 million dollars and nearly 50,000 trees were planted on public land by contractors in 475 projects.
The economic conditions we are facing today with unemployment hovering around 10% in most parts of the country reminded a few lawmakers of those faced back in the early 90’s and they decided to resurrect the old bill, literally changing the dates from 1191-1997 to 2011-2015 and adding some money for state forestry agencies to administer the program.
HR 4509 reauthorizes the SBA program at $50MM for each of FY2011 to FY2015 and will provide green-collar jobs and support increases in urban tree canopy that:
• Reduce energy demand,
• Clean the air of harmful pollutants including carbon and other greenhouse gasses,
• Increase aesthetic value,
• Reduce ultraviolet radiation,
• Enhance storm water treatment practices, and
• Reduce the urban heat island effect.
This is a great bill for the green industry, as it provides an opportunity to publicize the many benefits of trees and landscapes and funds jobs in both tree production and landscape installation. Let your congressional representative know how you feel about this proposal. He or she is probably ready to talk about something other that healthcare.