Minneapolis uses satellite imagery to track a valuable resource: trees - Minneapolis, MN

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Minneapolis uses satellite imagery to track a valuable resource: trees

From QuickBird’s perch — in an orbit roughly 280 miles above the earth’s surface — Minneapolis in June looks awfully green.

That high-resolution imaging satellite was just one of the high-tech tools a team from the University of Minnesota used to produce the most detailed map ever of the city’s urban canopy. We now know trees shade about 31.5 percent of the city, and that number will serve as the new benchmark for Minneapolis as it plans new investments in its urban forest and devises strategies to protect it.

“That’s the whole goal here: Can we grow the canopy?” said project coordinator June Mathiowetz.