Washington, DC (March 5, 2003)?March 10 is the deadline for nearly 8,000 municipalities with populations under 100,000 to file their stormwater management plans under Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tormwater Phase II?of the Clean Water Act. As water pollution is still a top concern for many of America waterways, AMERICAN FORESTS, the nation oldest citizen-based conservation organization, is letting towns and cities know that trees should be incorporated in local plans for cleaner water.

More trees mean less stormwater runoff. Trees slow stormwater flow, reducing the volume of water in urban areas and decreasing the amount of runoff that containment facilities must store. Trees intercept rainwater on leaves, branches, and trunks, reducing the volume of runoff and slowing its movement into channelized drainage areas. Without tree roots, water saturated ground becomes unstable, causing devastating floods and landslides. Even in light rain, trees provide their greatest benefit by increasing soil permeability, enabling rain to be soaked properly into the soil.

How does stormwater add to pollution problems? Stormwater runoff accumulates pollutants such as oil and grease, chemicals, nutrients, metals, and bacteria as it travels across land and buildings. Heavy precipitation or snowmelt can also cause sewer overflows which, in turn, may lead to contamination of water sources with untreated human and industrial waste, toxic materials and other debris.

Despite impressive progress, according to the EPA, many of the nation's rivers, lakes, and coastal waters do not meet water quality goals. Some waters face the threat of degradation from diverse pollution sources which affect citizens' quality of life by reducing recreational opportunities, undermining local economic prosperity, and threatening drinking water supplies and impairing public health. States report that close to 40 percent of the waters they surveyed are too polluted for basic uses like fishing or swimming.

According to AMERICAN FORESTS officials, studies conducted by the organization reveal that urban areas could reduce their stormwater runoff and save millions of dollars by increasing their tree cover. According to an analysis by American Forests, in Fayetteville, Arkansas, increasing tree canopy from its current 27 percent to 40 percent would reduce stormwater runoff by 31 percent value of $43 million in capital improvement savings. In San Antonio, Texas, the organization calculated a savings of $70 million in improvements, just by increasing tree cover from 20 percent to 25 percent.

AMERICAN FORESTS has conducted studies in more than 20 cities across the U.S. with a process called Urban Ecosystem Analysis (UEA). Each analysis maps tree cover using the satellite data and Geographic Information System software and a American Forests?application ITYgreen.?The end result is a green data layer accurate enough to be used on a daily basis by local government and city decision-makers. The most dramatic results are seen with stormwater benefits ften saving cities millions of dollars in storage costs. To view AMERICAN FORESTS?analyses, visit www.americanforests.org. For a copy of AMERICAN FORESTS?Stormwater Phase II Action Alert visit AMERICAN FORESTS on the web at www.americanforests.org/graytogreen/stormwater/

Note: Reporters interested in more information about stormwater and trees in your local area, please contact Gary Moll, AMERICAN FORESTS?senior vice president at 202/955-4500 X 220.