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14 <br /> affordable for low-income households to plant and maintain trees in their backyards."'The <br /> reality is that "[t]rees grow on money,"' and instead of investing in the long-term goal of canopy <br /> coverage, marginalized neighborhoods turn to lawns and shrubbery. For, when money is short, <br /> it is better to suffer tall grass than dangers from a tall tree. <br /> If, as our population grows, the goal is to maintain and increase healthy tree canopy coverage <br /> throughout Orange County, then the costs of tree care must be taken seriously. Other measures <br /> open to the County and its municipalities, such as tree protection ordinances and community <br /> tree planting initiatives, need to be combined with a direct addressing of this root cause of why <br /> many homeowners, especially in lower-income neighborhoods, are averse to increased canopy <br /> coverage and large-growing trees: trees are too expensive. In order to increase our tree canopy, <br /> we have to reduce the cost of tree care. <br /> To that end, we have made it an integrated part of our operations to provide pro bono tree work <br /> for our neighbors in the Rangewood Community of Chapel Hill.'As of July of this year, we have <br /> completed over $18,000 worth of needed tree work. We are committed to continuing this work <br /> and, more generally, to make premium tree care within the reach of more residents of Orange <br /> County. We can do this by lowering our operating costs through elimination of inefficiencies and <br /> waste in managing woody materials. <br /> The proposed zoning amendment will directly lower our operating costs, thereby allowing us to <br /> make premium tree care services accessible to more Orange County residents, facilitating the <br /> following: <br /> • ED Goal 2: Infrastructure that supports desired development. <br /> • Objective H-3.1: Achieve residential neighborhoods that are attractive and well <br /> maintained. <br /> • Objective H-3.3: Expand assistance in the retrofitting, repair, and maintenance of <br /> existing homes owned by financially challenged households, particularly those that are <br /> senior citizens. <br /> ' Seo, Y. Varying Effects of Urban Tree Canopies on Residential Property Values across Neighborhoods. <br /> Sustainability 2020, 12, 4331. https:Hdoi.ora/l 0.3390/su12104331 <br /> 8 Schwarz K, Fragkias M, Boone CG, Zhou W, McHale M, Grove JM, et al. (2015)Trees Grow on Money: <br /> Urban Tree Canopy Cover and Environmental Justice. PLoS ONE 10(4): e0122051. <br /> httr)s:Hdoi.org/10.1371/iournal.pone.0122051 <br /> 9 Every Wednesday, as well as on some Saturdays, David Ricks, the co-owner of the Treeist, leads a <br /> crew in pro-bono work for the Rangewood Community. Contact us for a list of services we have <br /> provided. We can also provide references upon request. <br /> 7 <br />