How Nassau County’s Green Infrastructure Revolution is Creating New Opportunities for Professional Tree Services
Nassau County’s comprehensive approach to stormwater management through green infrastructure is transforming how property owners think about trees – not just as landscaping elements, but as essential components of environmental protection and flood prevention systems. The Nassau County Soil and Water Conservation District and NYSDEC have produced an educational film highlighting stormwater runoff impacts throughout New York State and showcasing several green infrastructure solutions to help mitigate these issues, with goals to educate the public, municipal officials and developers about stormwater pollution and to encourage the use of green infrastructure, smart growth principles and best management practices.
Understanding Nassau County’s Stormwater Challenge
Nassau County is among the most developed areas in New York State, with concentrated development in urbanized suburban areas substantially increasing impervious surfaces, such as paved streets, driveways, parking lots and sidewalks on which pollutants settle and remain until a storm event washes them into nearby storm drains, creating large amounts of “dirty” stormwater runoff during precipitation. The Nassau County Storm Water Management Program (NCSWMP) is a comprehensive program to reduce the levels of contaminants in Nassau County’s storm water runoff and educate the public about their impacts on storm water.
Stormwater is collected in almost 1,000 groundwater recharge basins or directed to the south shore bays or Long Island Sound through 3,720 storm water outfalls or almost 60 miles of open stream corridors, meaning that contaminants that are picked up by storm water flow directly into the groundwater system that we use for our drinking water, or into the sensitive open waters surrounding our island.
The Role of Trees in Green Infrastructure
At the scale of a neighborhood or site, green infrastructure refers to stormwater management systems that mimic nature by soaking up and storing water, including raingardens, bioswales, green roofs, and permeable pavements. Trees play a crucial role in this system through multiple mechanisms.
Research indicates that trees interact with substantial volumes of stormwater particularly through the processes of canopy interception and evapotranspiration, suggesting that urban trees can provide appreciable stormwater control and are compatible with green infrastructure technologies designed to infiltrate stormwater. Urban trees can reduce stormwater runoff and mitigate flood risk by increasing infiltration, and storing water in the soil, while reducing nutrient loading, and improving water quality in developed areas.
According to a study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, a tree can hold up to 0.008 inches of rainwater per unit area of canopy cover in a given rainfall event, and for a typical tree with a canopy area of 3000 square feet, this translates to about 13 gallons of water.
Nassau County’s Active Green Infrastructure Projects
The Conservation District has designed and installed numerous rain gardens across Nassau County through many partnerships and grant programs, with plans to continue maintaining them. Rain Gardens are designed to capture excess stormwater runoff and filter it of pollutants as it enters the groundwater system, using native plants with extensive root systems that capture and clean water as it passes down their roots.
Native plants have a multitude of environmental benefits, like extensive root systems that absorb polluted stormwater, sequestering carbon, lower maintenance requirements, and less need for fertilizer, mowing, and irrigation. They also have environmental benefits like extensive root systems that absorb polluted stormwater (especially when used in rain gardens), the ability to take in carbon dioxide and other air pollutants, lower maintenance requirements, and less need for inputs like fertilizer use, mowing, and irrigation.
How Professional Tree Services Support These Goals
Professional tree service nassau county companies like Competition Tree are uniquely positioned to support Nassau County’s green infrastructure objectives. Competition Tree Service has been providing Long Island homeowners and business owners with high-quality tree care for more than two decades, with a fully-licensed and insured company staffed by highly-trained experts that are passionate about providing the highest level of service and maintaining the beauty and integrity of clients’ homes, yards and properties.
Research shows that strategic urban stormwater management requires documenting the performance of trees as a stormwater control with respect to species and life stage, considering the influences of local soil, atmospheric, and landscape conditions, and developing policy and economic mechanisms that encourage strategic tree planting and maintenance on public and private lands.
Strategic Tree Management for Stormwater Benefits
Tree water use and their impacts on stormwater runoff can vary widely, depending on various tree characteristics, including tree species, stem size and leaf area, as well as management context and climate factors, with the interactions among microclimate, management context, and species-specific characteristics driving variability which has implications for evaluating and quantifying the influence of urban forests on the hydrological cycle.
Competition Tree provides a wide array of tree services tailored to the specific requirements of clients in Suffolk County, NY, and Nassau County, NY, with a team of certified arborists and tree care professionals with years of experience in tree removal, pruning, and maintenance, ensuring that trees stay healthy and properties remain safe.
The Economic and Environmental Benefits
Historically, cities have considered trees as a landscaping value, not as a stormwater management asset, but with increased urbanization, many traditional grey or green stormwater management systems have become overburdened with the amount of water they are required to handle, and research has shown that adding trees to these systems is an inexpensive way to combat these issues.
The stormwater benefits lost due to the death of one large tree cannot be replaced for decades, even if multiple trees are planted to replace the tree that was lost, and given that storms and pest outbreaks tend to cause rapid, widespread tree losses across a city, strategies must be in place to minimize disruption in stormwater control from trees in the event that many mature trees are lost during a disaster.
Professional Expertise Makes the Difference
Competition Tree, Inc. has been serving Atlantic Beach and surrounding Nassau County communities with professional tree services, understanding the unique challenges coastal Long Island trees face from storms, salt air, and seasonal weather patterns, with team knowledge of Atlantic Beach’s tree species, local regulations, and the importance of protecting property investment.
Tree species selection is critical for stormwater tree pits, and in order to be a cost-effective stormwater management tool, tree longevity is important. Competition Tree uses state-of-the-art equipment and employs the latest tree care techniques to ensure the best results for clients, with commitment to staying updated with the latest industry advancements setting them apart from other tree service providers in Long Island.
Moving Forward with Green Infrastructure
The emphasis on reducing nitrogen discharge, enhancing stormwater management, and promoting green infrastructure aligns with broader sustainability goals, including those outlined in New York State’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, with integration contributing to statewide targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting renewable energy.
For Nassau County property owners, partnering with experienced tree service professionals ensures that trees can fulfill their dual role as both aesthetic landscape elements and functional components of the county’s stormwater management infrastructure. Competition Tree Service’s goal is to enhance the beauty of homes and businesses throughout Nassau and Suffolk Counties by providing the highest quality tree services, earning recognition as the leading tree service company on Long Island.
As Nassau County continues implementing its comprehensive green infrastructure plan, the expertise of professional tree services becomes increasingly valuable in creating sustainable, effective stormwater management solutions that protect both properties and the environment for future generations.