118 Zhang and Zheng: Assessments of Citizen Willingness to Support Urban Forestry Arboriculture & Urban Forestry 2011. 37(3): 118–125 Assessments of Citizen Willingness to Support Urban Forestry: An Empirical Study in Alabama Yaoqi Zhang and Bin Zheng Abstract. Using a survey conducted in Alabama, U.S., this study investigates the attitudes of urban residents toward urban trees and how they would like to support urban tree programs. An ordered logistic model and ordinary least square regression were applied in the analyses. It is found, in general, that people prefer to have trees on their property and in their community for all gender, age, race, income, and other fam- ily background, but individuals with higher education had a tendency to like more trees. The most desirable amenity of trees is the improved ap- pearance. The potential risks and hazards would discourage them from having trees in their communities. It is found that each person’s vol- untary willingness to donate is significantly less than the amount that he or she feels everyone should contribute to support the programs (e.g., taxation). The awareness of the presence of a tree agency and service can significantly increase the amount of donation a person is willing to make. While private donation is widely agreed upon as an important source of support, using alcohol and tobacco taxes as funding for financ- ing urban tree programs receives more support than the idea of using corporate income tax and property tax. The results indicate that the citi- zen willingness to support urban forestry are affected by various factors, therefore, a holistic approach is needed to promote city tree programs. Key Words. Green Infrastructure; Ordered Logistic Model; Public Participation; Taxation; Willingness to Pay. Amenities have been driving urban growth and becoming mag- nets of the cities (Clark et al. 2002). For example, a lot of beautiful cities are chosen as technological innovation centers as they are more capable of attracting more talented people nationally and internationally. In any specific city, the U.S.’s growing population is increasingly spreading into the countryside and the rural-urban interface in search of green areas and associated amenities. Trees and greenspace play a special role in enhancing the livability of communities. Urban and community trees, an important part of a city’s green infrastructure, provide valuable services just like other forms of municipal infrastructure. The services provided by trees and greenspace to communities include energy savings, improved air quality, aesthetics, health benefits, habitats for birds and other wildlife, and recreation opportunities. These values are reflected in higher real estate prices, lower electric bills, and an influx of tourists, as well as talented people and businesses (Clark et al. 2002; Dwyer et al. 1992; Orland et al. 1992; Bradley 1995; Jim and Chen 2006; Deng et al. 2010; Zheng et al. 2011). Community involvement is critical for the continued vitality of urban forests (Dwyer et al. 2002). The number of local urban and community tree programs and related activities has increased in re- cent years. Hauer and Johnson (2008) found a significant increase in local urban forestry activity, which had increased on average by 2.1% annually from 1997 to 2002, through reported Performance Measures and Accountability System (PMAS) data to the federal Urban & Community forestry program. There are more than 3,400 communities that are currently a Tree City USA. The number of Alabama, U.S.’s towns and cities that are certified in Tree City USA has grown from one in 1979 to more than eighty in the 2000s. Financial assistance has been suggested as the most effective means to promote urban forestry programs (Wray and Prestemon ©2011 International Society of Arboriculture 1983; Studer 2003; Straka et al. 2005). Different kinds of activities in urban and community forestry programs are provided through various funding. The most important activities include tree plant- ing, public awareness, and volunteer training. Now, many other activities are also occasionally supported, for example, carbon dioxide emission reduction credits, and shade tree programs for energy conservation, stormwater management, and air pollution mitigation. Financial assistance provides money for activities to increase tree inventories and natural resources, develop manage- ment plans, and conduct workshops to train community members. Individuals and business sectors are also an important source, providing an assured source of income for many nonprofit orga- nizations once a solicitation program is in place. An organiza- tion supported by its community will also find it easier to secure funding source and corporate support. Corporate entities provide funding to signal this greenness (Majumdar and Zhang 2009). Traditionally, individuals make gifts of either money or time. Members are volunteers who provide the manpower necessary for membership drives, fundraising events, and lobbying. Volunteers can serve as a link between a nonprofit and a potential donor, es- pecially a corporate donor. For example, Trees Atlanta, founded in 1985, has been a prime force in addressing Atlanta residents’ loss, creating and increasing greenspace. Nearly 25 years after its inception, Trees Atlanta has inspired thousands of Atlanta citizens to advocate for better tree ordinances to protect the city’s urban landscape. The activities have been largely supported by thou- sands of volunteers, as well as private donations (Tree Atlanta). Although volunteers and individual and corporate donors pro- vide much needed assistance, financial support for urban forestry is still short and often inconsistent (Center for Urban Forest Re- search 2003). Securing financial resources, as well as develop-
May 2011
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