Let’s identify — and save — Chicago’s healthy, mature trees

A tree-lined avenue on West 33rd Street in Bridgeport. (Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times)

The recent Sun-Times editorial, “Chicago, don’t let healthy trees be cut down without good reason,” is the voice of multitudes of Chicagoans who are sick and tired of the aldermanic prerogative that allows 20 healthy, mature trees to be removed annually in public parkways of all 50 wards. That means this anti-environmental, costly policy allows 1,000 trees to be removed, with zero community input.  

In our hard-working urban forest, one mature heritage tree can remove up to 25,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide from the air. The tree canopy moderates urban heat surges and saves us thousands of dollars on utility bills. “Heritage trees” are defined by the City of Chicago as older, mature trees of historical and environmental value. Yet, they go unidentified, while New York City has identified 630,000.