Pittsburgh named a 'reforestation hub' by startup that aims to use, plant urban trees

Pittsburgh will be going greener this year.

The Steel City is one of four cities across the country selected to receive an assessment about how it can be reforested. A national startup, Cambium Carbon, is leading the effort.

The company launched last year and has lines of products made from fallen trees in New Haven, Conn., and Baltimore. On Monday, it announced Pittsburgh, New York, Denver and Eugene, Ore., were selected to be assessed for becoming what it calls “reforestation hubs” — places where fallen trees are used and new trees are planted in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation.

Pittsburgh’s Urban Forest is critically important to the health & wellbeing of our residents. We are very excited to be selected for this opportunity to explore new methods to enhance our tree canopy & greenspaces. https://t.co/8JtEa7X5c6

— bill peduto (@billpeduto) January 4, 2021

“The City of Pittsburgh is very excited for this timely opportunity to explore new methods of ecological and financial resilience that seek to enhance our tree canopy and greenspaces to improve resident well-being,” Mayor Bill Peduto said in a statement.

Dan Gilman, Peduto’s chief of staff, also lauded Pittsburgh’s involvement in the program.

“These projects will lay the groundwork for a circular urban forestry system that will include urban wood reuse and carbon credits to finance healthy forests, restoration of public lands, and the recovery and expansion of the tree canopy,” Gilman tweeted.

These projects will lay the groundwork for a circular urban forestry system that will include urban wood reuse and carbon credits to finance healthy forests, restoration of public lands, and the recovery and expansion of the tree canopy https://t.co/KAqxuVUfPh

— Daniel Gilman (@danielgilman) January 4, 2021

The coronavirus pandemic has made evident the need to provide healthy outdoor spaces, Peduto said.

Pittsburgh’s tree canopy covers about 36% of the city. About 6% of its canopy was lost between 2010 and 2015 because of development, pests and diseases, lack of maintenance and funding, officials said.

The city has 1,200 acres of green space in its Greenways for Pittsburgh program.

Being a reforestation hub will allow the city to find ways to use trees that are removed to make products that generate revenue, as well as and plant and maintain new tree growth.

Pittsburgh and the other hub cities will work with Cambium Carbon to find ways to reuse wood from fallen trees and handle wood debris. It also will sell carbon credits to pay for planting new trees.

The program will help implement the city’s Climate Action Plan 3.0 that calls for increases in the coverage of the city’s tree canopy.

“Resources are needed to make all of our greenspaces the community assets they should be,” City Forester Lisa Ceoffe said.

Being a reforestation hub will help in that endeavor, she said.

“These pilots are step one in building a circular economy for urban forestry,” said Marisa Repka, a co-founder of Cambium Carbon who leads its city partnership program.

The company’s founders, which include Theo Hooker and Ben Christensen, are on the latest Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list for the social impact of their work.