Hello, Councilmember Allen and members of the Committee. My name is Kelly Collins Choi, and I am the Director of Policy and Land Conservation at Casey Trees. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today. I’d like to start by commending the staff of the Department of Energy and Environment, over the past year we’ve worked with staff from Fisheries and Wildlife, Watershed Protection, Regulatory Review, and Urban Sustainability, and across the board they are deeply committed to creating a green and sustainable city for our residents.

They also run programs that are incredibly impactful to the health and resilience of our communities. At a time when we are collectively facing a retraction of Federal interest and funding in support of environmental and climate initiatives, District support and funding for these programs and staff are more important than ever.

Casey Trees works hand in hand with DOEE to meet our city’s 40% tree canopy goal and last year planted over 3,000 trees across the city in partnership including through the RiverSmart Homes program, planting trees for residents on private lots; and RiverSmart Schools, planting trees to increase shade and outdoor learning spaces on school grounds. We featured school campuses in our Tree Report Card this past year and found that, on average, our city’s schools have only 13% tree coverage, far below our overall canopy goal. We would love to partner in the coming year to further increase schoolyard canopy in every ward.

A sustainable tree canopy does require generational care, which is why we devote significant resources to youth outreach and educational programming. We are thrilled to continue leading the cohort implementing DOEE’s Nature Near School’s Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (or MWEE’s) to 2,000 4th and 5th graders. This program extends to all wards, and 100% of schools are Title 1. We strongly urge DOEE to continue this successful programming, as we strive to ensure all DC students are environmentally literate.

Last year, during performance oversight hearings, we testified about the need for increased management of our city’s forested and natural areas. Primarily to address the invasive plants and dumped trash that are taking years off the life of our city’s trees and reducing the ecosystem services they provide to surrounding neighborhoods. We hope to see Councilmember Lewis George’s bill, the Office of Natural Area Conservation Establishment Act, reintroduced this year and supported by this Committee. We also encourage the city to renew Park Maintenance Grants for community organizations working to improve these natural assets and improve their accessibility to our residents.

Finally, similar to our forests, our Green Infrastructure requires ongoing maintenance just like our gray infrastructure. DOEE’s Green Infrastructure Maintenance Program has been critical to ensuring the investments we’ve made to manage stormwater and improve water quality are maintained over time. The program has the additional benefit of creating local green jobs, providing year-round employment and training opportunities that pay living wages for District residents. We urge the city to fully staff and fund this program in the coming years.

DC is recognized as one of the most vibrant and diverse communities in the nation and our government continues to be a leader in green and resilient development. We appreciate the chance to testify and thank the DC Council and DOEE for their continued dedication to improving the quality of life for District residents and generations to come.