Casey Trees says D.C. gets a C for care of its trees - Washington, DC

D.C. gets a C for care of its trees - Post Now - The Washington Post

You might think one of the best things about Washington is its tree canopy, its beautiful flowering trees and its support of residents who want to plant new and different species along its streets.
A couple is silhouetted against blossoming cherry trees in April. (Matt McClain - THE WASHINGTON POST)

Think again. The Casey Trees’ Tree Report Card, which is billed as the only independent assessment of D.C.’s trees on both public and private lands, gives the nation’s capital a C for 2010, dropping from 2009’s grade of B-minus.

“The lower grade is due in large part to the F assigned to tree protection,” the organization said in a press release.

The organization takes particular issue with the city’s officials who moved $539,000 from its tree fund to the general fund because of a serious local budget shortfall.

Th report also said the city has not kept records to show if 10,000 trees that should have been planted since 2002 are alive, or even if they were planted.

The District’s Urban Forestry Administration, within the Department of Transportation, has not yet responded to our request for comment.