If more trees were saved and planted as houses were being built in a new development, would home buyers care? According to recent surveys, the answer is an emphatic "yes".

These surveys quantify an environmental trend that home builders are adding to new homes every day: an abundance of trees. There is a growing consumer preference for homes where trees are a visible element in residential developments.

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) polled 1,000 homeowners on how builders can help the environment; 89 percent advised them to leave as many trees as possible. In that same survey, 77 percent said builders should add more trees to developments. Mobil Land Development conducted a survey of nearly 6,000 recent or prospective buyers and found that more than 50 percent of the respondents preferred communities with "natural open spaces with trees." In 1995 , American Lives Inc., polled home buyers and found that 77 percent ranked lots with open, natural space as a "very important" or "extremely important" feature; trees were ranked nearly twice as high as golf courses, tennis courts and other amenities. Another survey by Arbor National Mortgage Inc. conducted in 1994 found that trees enhance property values up to 17 percent.

The importance of trees in new communities goes beyond consumer preferences. Mature trees offer shade to homes and neighborhoods, act as natural filter to help reduce water runoff from storms and improve the air quality of the immediate and surrounding areas. A neighborhood with an abundance of trees also can improve the quality of the area's gardens by preventing soil erosion.

Trees also play other vital roles for safety, environmental protection and recreational purposes. Trees serve as pleasant scenery on major roads and protect pedestrians as buffers between traffic and surrounding buildings. Trees also are planted and transplanted by home builders to create habitat for wildlife and play areas for children.

In short, trees provide environmental, social, psychological and economic reward to new home buyers and their community.

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and American Forests are providing technical knowledge to preserve trees to home builders and land developers across the country. Through the Global ReLeaf for New Communities program, builders are learning how to preserve and plant trees, build beautiful homes with an abundance of greenery and attract the interest of home buyers who reward the environmentally-sensitive builder with faster home sales.

This kind of green home building takes patience and teamwork. Builders need the expertise of natural resources experts. They also need the cooperation of local governments to save existing trees and to plant or transplant trees in areas that might be considered off-limits under local law. But according to the NAHB and American Forest publication Building Greener Neighborhood: Trees are Part of the Plan, if it is done right, tree preservation need not be a costly affair.

Builders of real estate projects are now earning the NAHB and American Forest Global ReLeaf designation. Their work offers proof that when if comes to trees, patience, expertise and cooperation pays off with home buyers who appreciate good environmental hard work . Simply put, a development that conserves trees and woodlands is good for home buyers, home builders and the environment.