The following snippets are taken from the Urban Ecology Institute's (UEI) Urban Tree Canopy study in Boston:


In 2006 the Urban Ecology Institute and Boston’s Urban Forest Coalition completed the first-ever comprehensive inventory of Boston’s urban forest. The inventory included both a detailed survey of Boston’s street trees and an analysis of Boston’s overall tree cover using aerial imagery.

We have used data collected through the inventory to analyze Boston’s existing tree canopy. Our findings have shown that:
o    As of September 2006, Boston had 34,497 street trees. 26,527 trees are in “Good” condition, 5,967 are in “Fair” condition, and 2,003 are in “Poor” condition. There were 699 dead trees, and 2,731 empty tree pits.
o    Overall, Boston has 29% canopy cover (this includes all trees, such as trees in parks, private yards, and along streets).

Support
We have identified several potential sources of support for this initiative [to increase Boston's tree canopy], including:
o    Federal government support
o    Commonwealth of Massachusetts support
o    Municipal Regulatory initiatives
o    Local and National Foundation support (John Merck Fund, Home Depot, Ford Foundation)