Trees and their benefits unfairly distributed in Iowa

• Jayme Renfro is an associate professor at the University of Northern Iowa and an advisor to the student-led Cedar Valley Tree Organization.

In many urban landscapes across the United States, including Iowa, an invisible line divides not only communities but also their access to nature’s bounty, particularly tree canopy cover. This division can often be traced to historical discriminatory policies such as redlining, which resulted in stark differences in environmental quality and access to green space between affluent and low-income neighborhoods. Addressing this inequality is not only a matter of ecological justice but also of economic necessity.

Trees do much more than just enhance their beauty. They are important economic engines and key elements of urban infrastructure. Their presence in cities can significantly reduce summer temperatures, reduce cooling energy costs, and mitigate the urban heat island effect (temperatures in urban areas are higher than in rural areas). This cooling also extends the life of the street surface and reduces the need for repairs, saving millions of dollars in city budgets in the long run.