Local News in Brief : ‘Major Urban Forest’ Proposed by Bradley
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Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley proposed Thursday that the city establish a “major urban forest” tree-planting program to help reduce air pollution and cut down on power usage.
In a letter to Andy Lipkis, founder of TreePeople, Bradley invited the environmental group to help devise a planting program at a meeting with city officials on Sept. 26. Bradley’s proposal contained few specifics, but he said studies have shown that strategic planting of trees can reduce the need for air conditioning by shading homes and buildings.
“After an urban forest planting project, power needs in the Los Angeles Basin will be reduced, thus saving consumers money and reducing air pollution,” Bradley wrote. A spokesman said money for the trees would probably come from the Department of Water and Power. Lipkis, whose group led a campaign to plant more than 1 million trees in the city before the 1984 Summer Olympic Games, estimated that the city would need to plant between 2 million and 5 million trees. “We’re excited. We think it’s great vision,” he said.
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