A documentary about Atlanta’s tree canopy has caught the attention of lawmakers in Brookhaven, a metro Atlanta city that takes great measures to protect the environment through law and conservation.
“The Tree Economy,” a film by James Schroeder, explores how urban planning has sped up the loss of trees in metro Atlanta, and what local experts think about the shrinking coverage. According to the USDA, even with 24 million acres of forest land, Georgia is losing more trees per year than any other state in the country.
The inspiration
It was the clearing of woodland near Brookhaven’s southeastern border that influenced Schroeder to make the film. On his usual path down Briarcliff Road near North Druid Hills, Schroeder noticed a wooded area being clear cut. When he discovered the clearing was for a storage facility, he was devastated.
“It broke me,” Schroeder said.
Screened at Brookhaven City Hall on Earth Day 2026, “The Tree Economy” was supported by elected officials, Sustainable Brookhaven, and Brookhaven Parks and Recreation Coalition (PARC).
“As a suburban area flanked on all sides by urban sprawl, preservation of our tree canopy is preservation of our quality of life,” Brookhaven Mayor John Park said.
In Brookhaven, a permit is required for the non-emergency removal of trees. The tree ordinance is strict by state standards. It allows only a limited number of trees at a specific size to be removed after a thorough approval process. Since Brookhaven’s tree ordinance was established in 2014, the city has only tightened its restrictions.
Conservation and education
EcoAddendum is an educational nonprofit that leads events in natural areas around the metro area. Eco-steward classes are held in Brookhaven parks year round to train volunteers on how to restore and appreciate trees, plants, birds, and wildlife.
“It cannot be replaced. You cannot grow it back. It’s disappearing without people realizing that it was here,” EcoAddendum Executive Director Kathryn Kolb said in the film, speaking about forests.
In an effort to combat tree loss, the Brookhaven has created an indigenous tree nursery, preserved acres of land for green space rather than allowing new development, and currently employs several full-time arborists. But Brookhaven isn’t perfect. The city is currently in a fight with locals over a proposed roundabout on Windsor Parkway that could impact the area’s mature tree canopy.
Schroeder told Rough Draft Atlanta that he had no agenda during the making of “The Tree Economy.” Interviews included experts from The Conservation Fund, Trees Atlanta, the West Atlanta Watershed Alliance, Georgia Tech, Park Pride, and others.
A proponent for Brookhaven cityhood, Tom Reilly also helped with the film. A local celebrity, the late Reilly was a resident within the same three-mile area since 1953. He was passionate about preservation and the outdoors. Reilly served on seven different boards, advocating for everything from zoning and land-use to nature conservation.
Schroeder was filming during the time protestors flooded the highly politicized Atlanta Public Safety training facility – known as “Cop City” – in South River Forest. That’s where environmental activist Manuel “Tortuguita” Paez Terán, 26, lost their life to Georgia State Troopers in January 2023. Planned to become the city’s largest green space, South River Forest lost 85 acres of land to the project.
Schroeder’s objective for “The Tree Economy” was simply better protection for trees, he said.
“I worked hard to give everyone their say,” Schroeder explained. “The point of the film is to bring awareness to people, to provide education, and to entertain.”
The film has also captured the attention of some City of Atlanta lawmakers. For now, Schroeder is showing the film around metro Atlanta and submitting it to environmental and local film festivals.
