Chicago has long had a history of planting trees and maintaining urban forests. Mayor Rahm Emanuel says in a news release that the 3,800 trees to be planted is an example of how trees have in the past and continue to be an integral part of the effort to keep the city as green as possible.
"Planting and protecting our trees is part of Chicago's past, but also an important part of creating a greener Chicago for our future," said Mayor Emanuel. "Building a greener and more sustainable Chicago is an important element of all that we do in the city, and will create economic opportunity for our residents while providing a better quality of life not only for us, but leave a better Chicago for our children and grandchildren."
Officials say the U.S. Department of Agriculture has determined Chicago has an estimated 3.5 million trees on public and private property. That means more than 17 percent of the city's acreage has a tree planted on it.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
