Over the past 30 years, heat has become the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the United States, with 210 million Americans at risk of health threats due to increasing extreme heat waves. Meanwhile in New Jersey, 181 people have died from heat-related causes between 2000 and 2020; the most recent heat wave earlier in July 2026 was attributed to the deaths of 29 people.
Hospitalizations and deaths from heat are expected to rise worldwide, continuing to pose the greatest threat in major metropolitan regions. The urban heat island effect, caused by a lack of vegetation and darker surfaces, exacerbates the heat in cities. Trees have become an important tool to alleviate heat in urban areas, cooling the surroundings by an average of 2.7 to 7.2℉.
Climate change is increasing the likelihood and severity of extreme heat events, accelerating the urban heat island effect. Since 1970, New Jersey temperatures have risen by 3.5℉, with climate projections predicting warming of 10℉ by 2100. This extreme heat is not equally distributed across cities. Urban heat and the negative health outcomes associated with it disproportionately impact low-income residents and communities of color. Initiatives to grow urban tree canopies can reduce the impacts of climate change and the urban heat island effect, especially in neighborhoods that are overburdened with the adverse effects of extreme heat events.
Redlining affected over 80% of Black households in the 1930s. The impacts of discriminatory lending policies are still evident in the lack of tree canopy coverage and extreme heat. Areas of Newark that were redlined are, on average, 7 degrees warmer than surrounding neighborhoods that were not redlined. Neighborhoods that were given a “D” grade have an average tree canopy coverage of 23% today, while areas that were given an “A” grade have 43% tree canopy coverage today. Low-income and minority communities live in areas with inequitable tree canopy coverage, which contributes to disproportionate negative health outcomes.
In November 2025, the Interagency Council on Climate Resilience released the updated “Extreme Heat Resilience Action Plan,” detailing actions that municipalities can take to address extreme heat. The plan supports community tree canopies through a mix of educational and funding resources, such as the “Leafing Out Grants for Overburdened Communities.”
Established by the NJ Community Forestry Program in 2024, the program leverages a $11.25 million IRA grant to pursue equitable tree canopies across the State. Later that year, the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) announced the dispersal of $8.7 million in forestry grants to 22 municipalities across the state. Through this grant, the state recognized the disproportionate effects of extreme heat and focused efforts on growing tree canopies in overburdened communities. Pauses in the dispersal of IRA funds have disrupted prospects of future “Leafing Out” grant cycles. Applications for funding closed on April 5, 2024.
At the same time, the NJDEP, Urban and Community Forestry Program (NJUCF), and researchers at Rutgers University created NJ Forest Adapt, an interactive website which provides educational resources on tree canopies and ecosystem management for municipalities. Nationally, the Tree Equity Score developed by American Forests allows users to browse their map of nearly 200,000 locations that have been given Tree Equity Scores, compare locations, and calculate the tree planting need for the area.
Addressing the impacts of extreme heat and urban heat island effects in overburdened New Jersey communities will not occur overnight. Sustained commitment to programs that fund urban forestry initiatives can provide the resources for struggling municipalities to manage tree canopies. Developing urban tree canopies requires a commitment to management that lasts longer than a few years. Consistent statewide funds and programs are needed to improve health, remediate the disproportionate impacts of the urban heat island effect, and create equitable tree canopy coverage.
What is your community’s Tree Equity Score?
References:
Climate Change Science (2025, August 22). Extreme Heat. Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved 2026, February 4, 2026, from https://www.epa.gov/climatechange-science/extreme-heat#:~:text=Heat%20is%20already%20the%20leading,death%20in%20the%20United%20States.&text=The%20risk%20of%20heat%2Drelated,become%20more%20frequent%20and%20intense.&text=Extreme%20heat%20threatens%20people%27s%20health,is%20unable%20to%20cool%20down.
Filión, Agosto Nathaly et al (2025, November). New Jersey Extreme Heat Resilience Action Plan. Interagency Council on Climate Resilience. Retrieved 2026, February 2, from https://dep.nj.gov/wp-content/uploads/climatechange/extreme_heat_rap_2025_screen_version.pdf
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