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D1. W ho will directly
<br />or indirectly benefit
<br />from your project?
<br />Please be as
<br />specific as possible
<br />on the
<br />characteristics of
<br />those who will benefit
<br />including, gender,
<br />race, age, income
<br />level and geographic
<br />location. (200 word
<br />limit)
<br />Our project prioritizes Orange County neighborhoods with high heat
<br />exposure, low tree cover, and elevated social vulnerability, based on
<br />combined data—Urban Heat Island patterns, road network buffers, EPA’s
<br />Disadvantaged Communities data, the CDC Social Vulnerability Index
<br />(SVI), and Tree Equity Score canopy gaps. These areas typically include
<br />economically diverse, lower-to-moderate income households, often
<br />incorporating Black, Indigenous, Hispanic/Latino, and other people of color.
<br />Although we do not collect participant demographics, area-wide Census
<br />data show higher proportions of BIPOC and lower-income residents living
<br />in hotter, canopy-deficient zones often correlated with historic
<br />disinvestment. Our Pay-W hat-You-Can model ensures that households of
<br />any gender, age, race, or income - especially those facing financial and
<br />vulnerability barriers - can access professionally planted native trees.
<br />Indirect beneficiaries include neighbors and community members who enjoy
<br />improved shade, reduced ambient temperatures, better air quality, and
<br />enhanced stormwater absorption. These benefits extend across urban,
<br />suburban, and forging resilience in disadvantaged and marginalized
<br />communities most impacted by heat and flooding.
<br />D2. W hat are the
<br />demographics of the
<br />area where your
<br />project takes place?
<br />(150 word limit)
<br />Orange County, NC has an estimated population of ~150,600. According to
<br />the 2020 Census, its racial composition is approximately 65% W hite (non-
<br />Hispanic), 10% Black or African American, 8.5% Asian, 10.6% Hispanic or
<br />Latino, and 5% multiracial/other. The median household income is about
<br />$88,553. Areas of focus - those with heat islands, canopy gaps, and higher
<br />SVI - frequently overlap with census tracts featuring lower-income
<br />brackets, greater racial diversity, and higher housing cost-burden or
<br />vulnerability, as suggested by SVI data.
<br />D3. Does your
<br />project help to
<br />address any racial
<br />disparities in the
<br />location it is
<br />proposed for? (200
<br />word limit)
<br />Yes. W e target census tracts flagged by the CDC’s Social Vulnerability
<br />Index and EPA Disadvantaged Communities data, where racial and
<br />socioeconomic minorities disproportionately reside. These tracts often
<br />display higher land surface temperatures, canopy deficits, and flooding risk
<br />- legacies of historic structural inequities such as redlining and
<br />disinvestment.
<br />National studies link low-income and racially marginalized neighborhoods
<br />with significantly lower tree coverage and elevated Urban Heat Island
<br />effects. By using the combined mapping - heat exposure (Landsat 8), road-
<br />network heat retention buffers, SVI, EPA data, and Tree Equity Score - we
<br />ensure our intervention directly targets communities where racial
<br />disparities in environmental conditions are most pronounced.
<br />By delivering native tree plantings through an equitable Pay-W hat-You-Can
<br />model, we actively reduce resource access barriers for BIPOC and lower-
<br />income families, promoting climate resilience, health equity, and
<br />environmental justice in the communities that need it most.
<br />Docusign Envelope ID: CB1A7685-96B7-4FBD-80E0-8CF756D5E579
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