HIGHLIGHT: MINNESOTA
Minneapolis: The city has planted hundreds of trees in the past few years in an effort to green up downtown, but just half are surviving past their first year. City staff think they might have found the culprit: salt. Soil tests show salinity levels in some of the planting spots are much higher than what’s ideal for trees to thrive, said Ben Shardlow, director of urban design for the Minneapolis Downtown Council and the Downtown Improvement District. Salt is used liberally in downtown Minneapolis to keep sidewalks and parking lots clear of ice. After the ice melts, the extra salt left behind piles up or gets pushed to the side.