Mays Park reopens in Columbia after tree removal debate | The State:
“I was never against them renovating the park,” Marshall said. “My concern is how many trees have been cut down. … [Citywide] we have lost a lot of trees.”
Indeed, Columbia’s overall tree cover has shrunk. Between 2005 and 2019, the city lost 22% of its tree cover, according to a study conducted by researchers at the University of South Carolina. The loss of tree cover plays a role in the city’s overall heat problems, which plague Columbia every summer.