"Core Part of Louisville Lost 9% of Tree Canopy"

"Louisville residents have watched storms, disease, drought and age kill trees for years. Now, city officials are getting some of the first numbers detailing the extent of the losses.

A core part of the city, the first area to be assessed in a new study, lost 9 percent of its tree cover from 2004 to 2012. The area extends from Butchertown west to Parkland and south to South Louisville, and most of its losses occurred from 2008 to 2012, according to the study's preliminary findings.

That amounts to 12 acres of lost tree canopy per year, or an estimated 735 trees annually."

James Bruggers reports for the Louisville Courier-Journal August 7, 2014.