DOT REVEALS SOME SURPRISES

By Susan Gilmore
Seattle Times staff reporter

One-third of Washington residents say they traveled exclusively by car to get from one place to the other last year, never walking, biking or using public transportation.

Of those who did walk, 92 percent said they walked at least 10 minutes during a usual week, while only 37 percent said they regularly bicycle.

These were among the findings of a report recently issued by Wilbur Smith Associates of Bellevue for the Washington State Department of Transportation.

It's part of the DOT's effort to update its bicycle and pedestrian plan, a plan that hasn't been changed since 1995.

The polling company surveyed 400 residents by telephone from April 5 through April 26 to determine public attitudes about bicycle and pedestrian planning.

Paula Reeves, who is working on the plan for the DOT, said two findings in the survey surprised her. When asked why people didn't bike more, many said either they never learned to ride a bike or didn't know how to bike in traffic.

"We do put some resources into supporting bike clubs and giving training," Reeves said. "This is something we need to put more resources behind."

Another surprising answer came when Washington residents were asked whether they would support new taxes to support pedestrian- and bicycle-safety programs.

"We expected an overall thumbs down," Reeves said, "But a lot of people said they want to bike and walk more and see funding shifted, and looking at new revenue isn't out of the question. That was a surprise and an interesting thing."

As a reason for supporting new taxes, 27 percent said they need a safer place to walk and 22 percent mentioned the health benefits. Those who opposed new taxes said they pay too many taxes already.

The survey found a wide discrepancy in the popularity of walking compared with bicycling. Nearly 40 percent of those surveyed said they had no bike, but if they did they'd be unlikely to use it for transportation compared with the 59 percent of people who said they walked. The average age of respondents was 51.

Asked whether they would like to bicycle more, most of those who have not bicycled, 69 percent, said they would not.

• 
  Among other findings:
  • Most of those surveyed who bicycle said they rode less than once a week and the average length of bike rides was 6.5 miles.
  • Among those who walk during an average week, 24 percent walked every day and 49 percent walked more often than once a week but not daily. The average distance walked was 1.9 miles.
  • Walkers cited lack of sidewalks and busy roads as reasons walking is difficult. Among those who have not walked at all during the past year, 71 percent named no sidewalks.
  • For those who said biking was difficult, 26 percent mentioned roads are too busy and 37 percent said there were no bike lanes or shoulders.
  • As for improving conditions for walking and biking, 48 percent said they strongly support redistributing funds to pay for improved conditions, but only 21 percent said they support the cause if new taxes are needed to fund it. In fact, 30 percent said they strongly oppose new taxes for bicycle and pedestrian improvements.
  • When asked to rate the influence of five factors on choice of transportation modes, amount of time was cited by half of the respondents. Cost was second, followed by weather, comfort and effect of global warming.

Reeves said all the data will be compiled and the state will identify specific needs for improving walking and pedestrian travel. That should be released next spring, she said.
"We hope this will continue to build the case that biking and walking are real modes of transportation, real ways to get around," she said.

While the state won't dictate city and county priorities, "we will establish priorities and make statements on the statewide needs."

Susan Gilmore: 206-464-2054 or sgilmore@seattletimes.com

Companies Convene to “Turn Wastes into Profit”

By-Product Synergy Northwest is helping Washington companies increase the amount of their output that is actually profitable. Through a process developed by the U.S. Business Council for Sustainable Development, a network of Northwest companies from a wide variety of business sectors is forming to identify and implement “synergies” that will allow one company’s waste to become another company’s feedstock. The rallying cry of the program is “Turn Waste into Profit!”

A Kickoff event to launch the By-Product Synergy Northwest initiative will be held on June 28th in the Bertha Knight Landes Room of Seattle City Hall from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm. Elin Miller, Regional Administrator, EPA - Region 10 and Andy Mangan, Executive Director United States Business Council for Sustainable Development, are among the speakers.

The event will provide information about the initiative and offer companies the opportunity to begin exploring products and materials synergy. Registration and information is online at www.pprc.org/synergy.

By-Product Synergy Northwest is being launched through a partnership that includes The Network for Business Innovation and Sustainability (NBIS), the Washington Department of Ecology, the Pollution Prevention Resource Center (PPRC), the King County Hazardous Waste Management Program and the US Business Council for Sustainable Development. The basis for by-product synergy is found in natural ecosystems where there is no waste -- everything is reused. In business terms, that equals 100 percent product, not zero waste. The Northwest partnership will facilitate development of synergies by engaging companies with diverse processes and products and providing technical support and analysis to determine which synergies make sense both economically and environmentally.

To learn more about the June 28 Kickoff event or By-Product Synergy Northwest, go to www.pprc.org/synergy or contact Debra Taevs at 503-336-1256; DTaevs@pprc.org.

Pilot Programs Protect Farmland

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

EVERETT -- Snohomish County has started two pilot programs to protect farmland from development after a study showed that only about 53 percent of the area's designated farmland is being used for agricultural purposes.

The county has about 63,000 acres of farmland, but a new study released by the county revealed that only about 33,110 acres actually were being used for farming, including raising cattle and crops and operating nurseries and orchards.

Most of the productive farmland is being used to grow grass for livestock, as well as green chop and corn silage for the dairy industry, according to the study.

Much of the farmland in floodplains is too wet to cultivate, some has too many trees and other parts include waterways, roads, houses, driveways and other structures.

The findings released last week could help change that.

100k Certified Green Homes

Green Building Programs Led to 100K Certified Green Homes
GreenerBuildings.com
WASHINGTON, JUNE 8, 2007 -- According to results of a survey by the National Association of Home Builders, voluntary, builder-supported green building programs have built and certified more than 97,000 green homes since the mid-1990s.

The new figures represent a more than 50 percent jump from the last survey, which in 2004 found that 61,000 green homes had been built in the U.S.

"This astounding number is yet another indication that market-driven programs, not mandates, are the best way to encourage the growth of green building," said NAHB President Brian Catalde, a Southern California home builder. "The home building industry is leading efforts to make homes more energy- and resource-efficient."

The NAHB has been behind several programs designed to encourage green building programs, including the publication in 2004 of its Model Green Home Building Guidelines, which aims to help its local associations establish their own climate-specific, market-appropriate programs. And by early 2008, the association plans to have created a residential green building standard, accredited by the American National Standards Institute.

NAHB is collaborating with the International Codes Council to develop the green building standard, which will bring uniformity to sustainable building. The standard will serve as a baseline for green building programs without abandoning the proven principle that voluntary, region- specific, flexible programs can be truly green and also allow for innovation.

"The success of these regional programs is something that's very important to keep in mind as the residential green building standard comes closer to completion," Catalde said. "The new standard won't replace these programs, but it will provide builders all over the country with common ground -- a green baseline that everyone can agree on."

The NAHB's survey cited several major success stories, including:

• 
  Built Green Colorado, a program of the Home Builders Association of Metro Denver, which has certified 33,000 homes since its inception in 1995 and hosts a "Built Green University" program to educate hundreds of area builders and other industry members around the country.
• 
  Built Green Washington's network of 10 regional programs, run by local home builder associations, has certified 15,000 homes.
• 
  The Southern Nevada Home Builders Association Green Building Partnership, which launched last fall, has been recognized as the official -- and voluntary -- green building program for the city of Las Vegas.

The Nevada program is based on the Model Guidelines, adjusted to reflect the desert climate and water scarcity."

The Southern Nevada HBA's program is a great example of the beauty of these guidelines," Catalde noted. "There is no one-size-fits-all solution to green home building. Programs must be flexible, dynamic and market-based -- that's the way that green building constantly improves."

Other special projects built based on the NAHB's new guidelines include "The New American Home" in Orlando, Fla., a 2007 demonstration home built in conjunction with the International Builders' Show; a student-built home by a Lancaster County, Pa., technical school program and the Mainstream Green Home in Raleigh, N.C.

"We know that green building has left the niche-market category: 97,000 certified homes in just over a decade is incredible," Catalde said. "This also demonstrates how market acceptance, rather than mandates, really benefits both the consumer and the industry."

Quinn's Crossing, LLC (Street of Dreams 2007)

The board of Echo-Paradise Community has entered into a tentative settlement with Quinn's Crossing, LLC. The parties have agreed to end two lawsuits pending agreement by Superior Court and Snohomish County:

• QCLLC filed the first lawsuit against EPC and Snohomish County , suing to remove phasing that required aquifer monitoring of the first 21 lots for two years (Phase 1). Development of Phase 2, (27 more lots of the total 48) could only occur after review of the monitoring and approval by the Hearing Examiner.
• The second lawsuit was filed by EPC against the County and QCLLC based primarily on illegal septic designs that placed drainfields too close to aquifer wetlands and other final plat problems on Phase 1 [See note below.]
  
  The main points of the settlement:

Phasing and conservation: The settlement allows 37 lots to go forward during Phase 1. Eleven lots (lots 26-36) on the most sensitive 20 acres, will be left reserved in the southwest corner of the site for Phase 2, subject to monitoring review and further land use consideration by the Snohomish County Hearing Examiner. Phase 1 and its monthly monitoring will end two years after occupancy of the first 21 lots of the 37 lots allowed to go forward. QCLLC has also agreed to leave the 11 reserved lots available for conservation purchase with a negotiable sales price, subject to a cap.

EPC will be searching for funding for permanent protection of the reserved lots for its high conservation and water shed value - the twenty acres adjacent to the Paradise Valley Conservation Area consist of heavily timbered hillside and Bear Creek headwater wetlands and salmon streams with direct hydrologeological connections to Cross Valley Aquifer.

Higher septic standards: High-tech septic systems that provide advanced levels of treatment will be installed with developer seed money for maintenance and septic replacements in case of failure, under authority and enforcement by the Home Owner's Association.

No Pesticides: Covenants for each lot prohibit the use of halogenated pesticides and herbicides.

Improved monitoring: In addition to the well installed in the northwest portion of the site, a second monitoring well in the southwest corner will improve data collection and eliminate "battles of the experts" over the true impacts of the development on the aquifer. Good data will support good decision making by the Hearing Examiner at the end of the Phase 1 monitoring period. Additional funding is also provided for Cross Valley Water District to continue monitoring of both wells forever. These wells will help provide an early warning system for the area's water supply.

In sum, the agreement has the benefit of getting all parties out of expensive lawsuits in exchange for certain aquifer protections. Where before we had one well in the wrong place for inadequate monitoring, we now have two wells for credible scientific assessment of the development impacts, something the responsible agencies should have provided in the first place. We have increased options for conservation on the most sensitive portion of the site for a much more proactive effort. Clearly, if monitoring shows trends of severe groundwater problems, it is likely that no more than 37 lots will be allowed to be developed.

NOTE: After an email to the Governor's office, the state health department looked into Snohomish Health District's review of the QCLLC septic designs and has acknowledged that changes will have to be made of several designs, thus providing more savings from court battles.

Citizens have accomplished what the county agencies failed to do - provide a credible scientific route for aquifer protections and come to agreement with the developer.

What's next? EPC in the Community.

Laura Hartman and Neal Friedman are representing EPC as stakeholders in the Cross Valley Water District work group for updating its Comprehensive Wellhead Protection Plan. Discussions are underway with county and state agencies to improve the process to allow earlier and more thorough review of projects, to prevent just these kinds conflicts. Earlier intervention by the water district would provide useful direction to Planning staff at the county level and help the developer before heavy expenditures on engineering, etc. are made, for ultimately better projects and happier citizens.

Finally, THANK YOU for your support and involvement. The monumental community support was crucial to the success of this effort. Thanks to you this case is already showing up in discussions over long term policy improvements at the county as well as the water district and the health district.

Street of Dreams Link

Rails for Trails

Sims hopes to buy time for rails-for-trails

Coalition wants corridor left intact while negotiations continue

By CHRIS McGANN
P-I CAPITOL CORRESPONDENT

King County Executive Ron Sims hasn't been able to seal the deal on a plan to buy the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Eastside Rail Corridor for a bike trail.

But on Tuesday he teamed up with cyclists, environmentalists and transit advocates in an effort to buy time and keep the 40-mile-long right of way intact while negotiations continue.

Sims and other supporters signed a statement outlining their intent to develop the corridor for a transit line as well as the bike path. Even if the current plan to purchase the rail line comes together, there's not enough money to develop the proposed transit element.

With the formal statement, the coalition promised to work with local, state and federal agencies for money to build a rail line on the corridor, which is being sold by the railroad.

The underlying plan seems simple: Convert an old Eastside freight line to a bike trail and eventually add a commuter rail line to go alongside.

Bicyclists and the other groups see the Burlington Northern Santa Fe train track connecting Renton, Redmond and Snohomish as a rare open lane through the suburbs that is perfect for pedestrians and pedal pushers.

But crafting the plan that would provide the money to pay for the transformation has proved anything but easy.

Since October, Sims has been trying to broker a deal that would transfer ownership of Boeing Field to the Port of Seattle in exchange for nearly $170 million to finance the rail line acquisition.

Under the proposal, the port would pay BNSF $103 million for the little-used rail corridor, which stretches 33 miles from Renton to Snohomish with a seven-mile spur from Woodinville to Redmond. The port also would give the county up to $66 million to develop the corridor as a hiking and biking trail.

In exchange, the county would give the port Boeing Field, officially known as King County International Airport, now used mainly for air freight and private planes. Operations there would not change at least until 2022, when Sea-Tac Airport, which is owned by the port, is expected to reach capacity, Sims said.

The idea has hit several obstacles, including opposition from some King County Council members who had reservations about transferring the airport as well as the timeline for converting the corridor.

King County Councilman Larry Phillips said he still disagrees with Sims' plan to transfer the airport but he lauded that commitment to keeping the corridor open for bikes and trains.

"Finally, we are headed in the right direction," he said.

Phillips said the proposal was originally billed as the "granddaddy of all trails." "Now we are solidifying the fact that it's going to be dual use, and that's a good thing. That's not were we started out -- and that was what was so alarming to so many people. In effect we are starting over."

The Port of Seattle commissioners were concerned the deal might be too costly.

But as the negotiations drag on, trail advocates fear parts of the right of way might be bought out from under them as BNSF moves to liquidate the property.

"It is important for all stakeholders to work to save the corridor," Sims said. "We cannot let slip away this once in a lifetime opportunity to keep this corridor in one piece in public hands."

He said the plan has always been to eventually add rail transit to the bike trail.

"If the money were available, we'd build modern commuter or high capacity transit rail immediately," Sims said.

The statement of principles will be turned into a plan to seek state and federal support for a new rail line on the corridor that is being sold in a three-way project being negotiated by the railroad, the county and the port. The King County Council and the Port of Seattle Commission must approve the deal.

P-I reporter Chris McGann can be reached at 360-943-3990 or chrismcgann@seattlepi.com.

Save the Trees at Upper Ridge Road

My name is Judy Lowell and I have lived in South Everett for over 30 years
at 7915 Upper Ridge Road, Everett, WA 98203. I am developing my two acres
of land which is one of the few remaining undeveloped sites in the
neighborhood to build six “green” homes, Upper Ridge Cottages, using Low
Impact techniques and I need your help.

The City of Everett codes say that the road must be wider and have on street
parking to support the six new homes. We feel, and the neighborhood
petition with over 50 signatures supports our contention that the street
should not be widened and that putting an improved sidewalk of pervious
material behind the trees and removing the existing non-pervious asphalt
that cover the roots of the trees will be an enhancement and add to the
lives of the trees. We have met on numerous occasions with the City of
Everett, specifically Don Wood, Michael Brick, Ryan Sass, and Gordon Witcher
to no avail, “the code is the code”.

It is our contention that irregular street widths encourage slower driving
and traffic safety statistics argue that 30’ wide street is safer then a 36’
road. Removal of our 70 feet locust trees will destroy the visual beauty of
the property and its appeal to the community. Tearing out the 50 year old
trees compromises the storm water hydrology that naturally drains into our
wetlands. We are providing each home a private garage and an additional
parking spot off street as well as 1 more guest parking spot for a total of
13 parking places. We feel the existing 5 to 6 on-street parking spots on
the west of Upper Ridge Road (which are rarely used) are more then adequate
to offset the proposed 5 to 6 additional on-street parking the 36 foot
proposed street will provide.

We have presented our dilemma to the Everett Tree Committee on April 19th.
They applauded our efforts to keep the trees and maintain the hydrology that
is currently on the site which drains into the wetlands.

Chuck, my partner, presented at the Snohomish County Sustainable Task Force
on May 11th to solicit support to keep the street and trees as they are. The
group was extremely interested in our project and agreed to write a letter
of support and to testify in front of the City Council Hearing that we
should be allowed to keep the trees and to keep the street narrow

The Everett 2005 - Comprehensive Plan- Transportation Element, Chapter 5
states…..

“Everett's approach is to support a planning strategy that will shape travel
behavior to match its vision, rather than have travel behavior shape the
vision.”

I would like to invite you to visit my home, walk the property with me and
discuss how we can best make this project a success for our neighborhood and
the City of Everett. I am asking for your support and expertise to
encourage the City of Everett to do the right thing for the community and
allow us to keep the current street width and add a pervious surface
sidewalk which will curve behind the trees.

We plan to submit our site plan to the City of Everett in the next week or
so and are prepared to challenge the city engineering recommendations
regarding the widening of the street and removal of the trees.

Upper Ridge Cottages will be the first clustered development in the City of
Everett in an R-1 zoned neighborhood. The Public Hearing will be with the
Everett City Council sometime in late July 2007.

Upper Ridge Cottages - “An Environmentally Friendly Community”


Thanks for your consideration

Judy Lowell, Owner
7915 Upper Ridge Road,
Everett, WA 98203
425-353-8150

Afforadable Housing Green Standards in WA

Affordable housing gets green standards

P-I STAFF

State officials released a green-building standard for state-funded affordable housing projects.

The Legislature voted in 2005 to require all major state-funded buildings to meet at least a "silver" rating in the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program. But lawmakers exempted affordable housing projects, directing state officials to come up with a green affordable housing standard by July 1, 2008.

The new Evergreen Standard is an adapted version of the Green Communities standard from Enterprise Community Partners, a Maryland-based non-profit that supports affordable housing efforts nationwide. Evergreen based Green Communities on the SeaGreen Affordable Housing Guide that the city of Seattle put in place in 2002.

The state will require the Evergreen Standard for all affordable housing projects beginning with projects funded in the fall 2008 Housing Trust fund round. State officials, working with Enterprise, will have workshops and training for developers starting June 13th in Spokane and June 14th in Seattle.

For more details online, visit goto.seattlepi.com/r787.

Home Depot Launches $100M Development Plan

Source: GreenerBuildings.com

ATLANTA, May 30, 2007 -- The Home Depot's charitable, nonprofit foundation today announced a 10-year, $100 million plan aimed to make communities healthier and more stable. The funds, addressing two main areas, will help support the development of 100,000 affordable, healthy homes, and the planting and preservation of more than 3 million trees over the next decade.

"The Home Depot Foundation views houses as providing more than just shelter and thinks about trees as providing more than just shade," said Kelly Caffarelli, executive director of The Home Depot Foundation. "We believe in creating environments -- both inside a home and outside in a community -- that contribute to the financial stability, personal success, physical health and overall well-being of our neighbors."

One reason behind the foundation's push for affordable homes is the extreme shortage of such housing nationwide. The organization said that there demand for 5.3 million more affordable housing units than are available, and that more than 14 million families pay more than 50 percent of their income for housing, leaving little for their expenses.

A related crisis is the near-epidemic rates of asthma here, with more than 6.5 million children experiencing breathing problems associated with unhealthy indoor air quality, which can be significantly more polluted than outside air.

The Foundation touted their planned homes as being environmentally responsible, bringing reduced utility bills, better indoor air quality, lower maintenance expenses of durable materials and easy access to transportation, employment and recreational spaces.

Planting and preserving trees in urban and suburban areas is another way to improve human health and the environment. Trees can reduce energy use by cooling urban areas in the summer and providing shelter in the winter. The organization estimates that placing trees properly in a yard can reduce a home's energy usage by 30 percent.

Trees also provide natural infrastructure that controls stormwater runoff and erosion, reducing the need for cities to undertake expensive public works projects. Moreover, areas with adequate tree cover experience less crime, and residential property values increase by up to 20 percent. Over the past three decades, America has lost 30 percent of its urban forest, which is equal to the removal of more than 600 million trees.

"Whether we are helping a policeman afford to live in the city he protects or providing a healthy, safe place to play for hundreds of children in Minneapolis by planting 100 shade trees in their local park, our 10-year pledge is aimed at impacting people's lives in a positive, personal way," Caffarelli said. "The projects and organizations we support provide tangible benefits to individuals and families as they save on their monthly bills, have fewer visits to the doctor and enjoy a better quality of life."

Sustainable Development

Built Green Low Impact Development and Green House Tour

Last month you heard about the very successful 2007 Annual Built Green Conference & Expo. This month we want to tell you about the success of the accompanying Built Green Low Impact Development and Green House Tour. Sponsored by the Sustainable Development Task Force of Snohomish County, the tour was held March 14 and featured visits to Cottage Wërks’ small plat development and 3-star home in Mukilteo.

Four tour buses headed out from Paine Field to the tour the nearby sites. The LID tour focused on how to incorporate low impact development strategies into smaller projects. The original plans for the plat’s twelve homes proposed retaining many of the large trees to provide vital stormwater management and privacy. Cottage Wërks developer, Chris Chase, wanted to retain these trees to help intercept, store or convey precipitation into the soil before it reached surrounding impervious surfaces. These impervious surfaces lead stormwater directly to adjacent Puget Sound. Unfortunately, many of those trees fell during last winter’s wind storms.

The revised plat calls for new bio-swales and retention of a few of the fallen tree snags to enhance soil stability. The remaining windfall will be ground up and used to help condition the soil for greater stormwater absorption. Other low impact strategies, including native plant retention and replanting, pervious surfaces, minimized footprint, compost berm installation, and optimal home orientation, will be used to compensate for the loss of the large native trees.

The second stop on the tour focused on the Built Green features of Cottage Wërks’ 3-star home. Participants were led through the house by Built Green verifiers, either Alistair Jackson of O’Brien & Company or Dan Wildenhaus of Atmosphere, Inc. The tour guides pointed out Built Green features incorporated into the design, material selection, and heating and cooling components of the home construction.

For more information on Cottage Wërks please visit the Sustainable Development Task Force’s http://www.SustainableSnohomishCounty.com

FREE Workshop Healthy Places, People, Planet

Healthy People, Healthy Places, Healthy Planet:

Growth Management Strategies for Air and Climate Friendly Communities

Thursday, June 14, Everett 9:00 a.m. to Noon, Snohomish County Council Chambers

The land use choices local governments make not only affect where people live, the types of homes they live in, how far they travel, whether they drive alone or travel with others. These choices also impact public health, air quality and global climate.

The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency is your air quality planning and management resource for King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties and the cities within them.

Our clean air policies, adopted by the agency’s Board of Directors on February 22, 2007, are intended to promote public health, clean air and climate protection by focusing on six key action areas:

1. Air and climate friendly development

2. Cleaner travel

3. Reducing exposure to air pollution

4. Cleaner heating

5. Environmental justice

6. Using environmental laws for better public health and air quality

Come to one of our four workshops to learn more about our policies and how you can use them, and help us design implementation tools and resources that will meet your needs.

Register here

Green Building Program of the Year Award

Feature

Built Green^TM Receives NAHB Green Building Program of the Year Award!

Built Green Director Aaron Adelstein was present at the NAHB National Green Building Conference in St. Louis, Missouri to receive the prestigious Green Building Program of the Year Award. This award was given to Built Green of King and Snohomish Counties for the incredibly successful year the program had in 2006. Other local winners included CMI Homes, Inc. which won the NAHB award for Green Home Marketing Project of the Year for the Built Green Showcase Home at Suncadia, and Mithun Inc. which won Multi-Family Project of the Year for the Built Green certified High Point community.

2006 was a banner year for Built Green of King and Snohomish Counties. We certified 3,107 homes in 2006, twice as many as were certified in 2005, and capped off the year by completing our ten-thousandth certified home since the inception of the program in 2000.

For more information on CMI Homes, Inc.'s Built Green showcase home, please see the Built Green case study here, or the project website.

For more information on Mithun and the High Point community, see the Built Green case study here, or go to the High Point website.

For a full list of the NAHB Green Building award winners please visit the NAHB website.

Communities Healthier and more Stable

Home Depot Launches $100M Development Plan

ATLANTA, May 30, 2007 -- The Home Depot's charitable, nonprofit foundation today announced a 10-year, $100 million plan aimed to make communities healthier and more stable. The funds, addressing two main areas, will help support the development of 100,000 affordable, healthy homes, and the planting and preservation of more than 3 million trees over the next decade.

"The Home Depot Foundation views houses as providing more than just shelter and thinks about trees as providing more than just shade," said Kelly Caffarelli, executive director of The Home Depot Foundation. "We believe in creating environments -- both inside a home and outside in a community -- that contribute to the financial stability, personal success, physical health and overall well-being of our neighbors."

One reason behind the foundation's push for affordable homes is the extreme shortage of such housing nationwide. The organization said that there demand for 5.3 million more affordable housing units than are available, and that more than 14 million families pay more than 50 percent of their income for housing, leaving little for their expenses.

A related crisis is the near-epidemic rates of asthma here, with more than 6.5 million children experiencing breathing problems associated with unhealthy indoor air quality, which can be significantly more polluted than outside air.

The Foundation touted their planned homes as being environmentally responsible, bringing reduced utility bills, better indoor air quality, lower maintenance expenses of durable materials and easy access to transportation, employment and recreational spaces.

Planting and preserving trees in urban and suburban areas is another way to improve human health and the environment. Trees can reduce energy use by cooling urban areas in the summer and providing shelter in the winter. The organization estimates that placing trees properly in a yard can reduce a home's energy usage by 30 percent.

Trees also provide natural infrastructure that controls stormwater runoff and erosion, reducing the need for cities to undertake expensive public works projects. Moreover, areas with adequate tree cover experience less crime, and residential property values increase by up to 20 percent. Over the past three decades, America has lost 30 percent of its urban forest, which is equal to the removal of more than 600 million trees.

"Whether we are helping a policeman afford to live in the city he protects or providing a healthy, safe place to play for hundreds of children in Minneapolis by planting 100 shade trees in their local park, our 10-year pledge is aimed at impacting people's lives in a positive, personal way," Caffarelli said. "The projects and organizations we support provide tangible benefits to individuals and families as they save on their monthly bills, have fewer visits to the doctor and enjoy a better quality of life."