Over 14 mature trees are pending removal in the Andersonville neighborhood due to Chicago's water main replacement project. Other City of Chicago neighborhoods are at risk of losing their valuable parkway trees too.
Mature trees add beauty and shade to neighborhoods, making Chicago a desirable place to live and reducing energy use required on hot summer days. Large trees mitigate climate change with continuous, massive carbon dioxide absorption. Studies have shown that they also mitigate crime by virtue of their influence toward calming and civilizing human behavior. Small, replacement saplings are not a commensurate replacement for these trees, many of which are 75- to 100-years old. In fact, replacement of mature trees isn't possible.
There are several solutions available to the City to work around the trees and preserve them.
As a resident of Chicago, I urge Lori Lightfoot, Mayor of Chicago to place a moratorium on cutting down trees in the neighborhood of Andersonville and other Chicago neighborhoods until every option is exhausted to protect and save the trees in Chicago – and preserving City of Chicago's motto "Urbs in Horto" (City in a Garden), as officially adopted on Chicago's incorporated seal.
