Texas Drought Kills Millions of Trees
By: Ny Lynn Nichols
Updated: February 15, 2012
(College Station) -- An estimated 5.6 million trees across Texas are dead because of last year's drought.
That number represents about 10-percent of trees found in the state's urban forest and could increase as trees continue to die.
Texas Forest Service foresters made the estimate after conducting a survey last month of trees outside homes, along streets and in parks across the state.
It will cost an estimated $560 million to remove the dead trees.
The economic and environmental impact is also at about $280 million each year, because the trees helped cut home heating and cooling bills and boosted property values.
(Copyright 2012 by VERTEXNews/Newsroom Solutions)
That number represents about 10-percent of trees found in the state's urban forest and could increase as trees continue to die.
Texas Forest Service foresters made the estimate after conducting a survey last month of trees outside homes, along streets and in parks across the state.
It will cost an estimated $560 million to remove the dead trees.
The economic and environmental impact is also at about $280 million each year, because the trees helped cut home heating and cooling bills and boosted property values.
(Copyright 2012 by VERTEXNews/Newsroom Solutions)
