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affordable for low-income households to plant and maintain trees in their backyards.” 7 The reality is that “[t]rees grow on money,” 8 and instead of investing in the long-term goal of canopy coverage, marginalized neighborhoods turn to lawns and shrubbery. For, when money is short, it is better to suffer tall grass than dangers from a tall tree. If, as our population grows, the goal is to maintain and increase healthy tree canopy coverage throughout Orange County, then the costs of tree care must be taken seriously. Other measures open to the County and its municipalities, such as tree protection ordinances and community tree planting initiatives, need to be combined with a direct addressing of this root cause of why many homeowners, especially in lower-income neighborhoods, are averse to increased canopy coverage and large-growing trees: trees are too expensive. In order to increase our tree canopy, we have to reduce the cost of tree care. To that end, we have made it an integrated part of our operations to provide pro bono tree work for our neighbors in the Rangewood Community of Chapel Hill. 9 As of July of this year, we have completed over $18,000 worth of needed tree work. We are committed to continuing this work and, more generally, to make premium tree care within the reach of more residents of Orange County. We can do this by lowering our operating costs through elimination of inefficiencies and waste in managing woody materials. The proposed zoning amendment will directly lower our operating costs, thereby allowing us to make premium tree care services accessible to more Orange County residents, facilitating the following: ●ED Goal 2: Infrastructure that supports desired development. ●Objective H-3.1: Achieve residential neighborhoods that are attractive and well maintained. ●Objective H-3.3: Expand assistance in the retrofitting, repair, and maintenance of existing homes owned by financially challenged households, particularly those that are senior citizens. 9 Every Wednesday, as well as on some Saturdays, David Ricks, the co-owner of the Treeist, leads a crew in pro-bono work for the Rangewood Community. Contact us for a list of services we have provided. We can also provide references upon request. 8 Schwarz K, Fragkias M, Boone CG, Zhou W, McHale M, Grove JM, et al. (2015) Trees Grow on Money: Urban Tree Canopy Cover and Environmental Justice. PLoS ONE 10(4): e0122051. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0122051 7 Seo, Y. Varying Effects of Urban Tree Canopies on Residential Property Values across Neighborhoods. Sustainability 2020,12, 4331.https://doi.org/10.3390/su12104331 7 24