Why Sacramento Is Proposing To Plant More Trees In Certain Neighborhoods

The city of Sacramento is proposing to plant more trees in order to fight climate change and lower energy costs in underserved neighborhoods.

The Trees Act would allocate $50 million a year for five years to plant 300,000 trees across the city, reports CBS13.

The trees would be planted in neighborhoods that don't have a lot of trees, which are often lower-income neighborhoods. The goal of the plan is to help clean the air in the surrounding areas and lower residents' energy costs.

“There are no trees, as you can see. I have palm trees, but we hardly get any shade from those,” South Sacramento resident Valerie Ramirez told CBS13.

Although California is currently in a severe drought, city leaders say that the initiative won't need a lot of water.

“If we choose the right trees it doesn’t need a lot of water,” said Alex Binck with the Sacramento Tree Foundation.

According to Binck, each tree would need the equivalent of two extra toilet flushes three times a week. City trees are not subjected to Sacramento's drought watering restrictions.

The valley oaks that would be planted in Sacramento neighborhoods could grow up to 60 feet tall but it would take time.

"We’re not just correcting a historical wrong, but we’re working with the community to figure out where those trees should grow," said executive director of the Sacramento Tree Foundation Dr. Jessica Sanders.