Our city’s roadside trees and green infrastructure are crucial and valuable to me. DOTD must budget for replacing trees as a critical element of the I-10 widening project. Community trees within the proposed project area intercept almost three million gallons of storm water every year; collect over one thousand pounds of greenhouse gases and fine particulate pollutants in the air each year; and scrub almost 240,000 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) out of the air every year. All trees that are removed during this process should be accounted for and replaced at a ratio of 3:1 in a effort to recover the loss of ecological and environmental services that the current trees provide.
Response:
DOTD will be replacing trees in accordance with their Significant Tree policy and will replant where, possible in coordination with Baton Rouge Green.
Comment:
Our city’s roadside trees and green infrastructure are crucial and valuable to me. DOTD must budget for replacing trees as a critical element of the I-10 widening project. Community trees within the proposed project area intercept almost three million gallons of storm water every year; collect over one thousand pounds of greenhouse gases and fine particulate pollutants in the air each year; and scrub almost 240,000 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) out of the air every year. All trees that are removed during this process should be accounted for and replaced at a ratio of 3:1 in a effort to recover the loss of ecological and environmental services that the current trees provide.
Response:
DOTD will be replacing trees in accordance with their Significant Tree policy and will replant where, possible in coordination with Baton Rouge Green.