As the youth of the colonia mature and grow, so will the seedlings and the trees' effectiveness on combating air pollution in the common airshed of the United States and Mexico.
(El Paso)—National borders are transparent to elusive global enemies such as air pollution. But Texas Forest Service (TFS) and Mother Nature are combating the problem in a way that also transcends the border between the United States and Mexico: trees.
In an air quality mitigation effort, TFS, Texas Commission for Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and the Los Tree Amigos, a regional tree program support council, worked with Las Hormigas de rancho Anapra, a volunteer group in Mexico, to plant 1,000 seedlings in a small colonia near Juárez, Mexico.
The seedlings, grown in TFS's West Texas Nursery and purchased by Los Tree Amigos, were distributed among the residents of Anapra, Mexico, and strategically planted to serve as filters in the common airshed of Juárez, El Paso, and Sunland Park, N.M.
Volunteers from both sides of the U.S. - Mexico border register and distribute 1,000 seedlings to residents of Anapra, Mexico.
According to Texas Environmental Profiles, a joint project of the Texas Center for Policy Studies and Environmental Defense, air pollution originating in Juárez contributes as much or more to air pollution in El Paso than pollution originating on the U.S. side of the border.
Two air quality monitoring stations in Sunland Park, just across the chain-link international boundary from Anapra, consistently record air pollution that exceeds national standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency.
The stations measure the amount of particulate matter (PM) —very small particles made up of mostly dust, smoke, ash and pollen—in the air. PM10 is matter that is 10 micrometers or less in diameter.
In order to reduce PM10 levels in the Rio Grande airshed, Victor Valenzuela of TCEQ initiated a binational tree planting.
The Texas agencies worked with the Mexican volunteer group, Las Hormigas de Rancho Anapra, to distribute seedlings to the Juárez colonia residents of Anapra. Each family registered their seedlings and carried them home to be planted. The new seedling owners received planting and care instructions in Spanish and a contract of adoption of their new baby pines.
Valenzuela documented each planting and will track the tree growth success for years to come.
Maria Woody, Texas Master Gardener and tree-planting project planner, helps the abuelo (grandfather) of a family that just adopted a Texas tree plant it in the Mexican soil.
Trees, whether urban or in forests, improve air quality in several ways. Trees directly reduce pollutants in the air, absorb and store carbon, reduce air temperatures and reduce the amount of energy needed by buildings for heat.
Texas Forest Service Urban Forester Oscar Mestas chose to plant Afghan pine and Italian stone pine for this project.
"Pines are typical in air quality control research," said Pete Smith, co-author of Houston's Regional Forest: Structure, Functions, Values. "Pine trees don't lose their leaves annually, so they work as a natural filter against dust and other particles year-round."
According to the study "Desert Southwest Community Tree Guide: Benefits, Costs, and Strategic Planting," a 20-year-old Aleppo pine, 33 feet tall and with a 27-foot crown spread, will remove .16 pounds of PM10 annually. That number, multiplied by the 1,000 Anapra seedlings, means that approximately 160 pounds of unwanted particles will be removed from the air each year when the trees reach maturity.
Although 20 years may seem like a delayed solution, Smith suggests that big problems need to be thought of over bigger periods of time. "The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago."
The value of a tree is based on its growth.
"We have to start somewhere. What Mestas has done is place these trees in the most effective possible place to impact the future of the community," said Smith.
"Growth and care of these little trees will affect the success of this program," said Mestas. "Hopefully, as the trees grow and mature, the air monitoring station will record lower PM10 levels."
Mestas plans to participate in the tree planting project again next year.
"Crossing borders and agendas, this was a successful project for two state agencies and two non-profit organizations in two countries working together for the benefit of the whole community," Mestas said. 