Trees

The city’s trees provide a wide range of benefits to residents ranging from shade to improved air quality to creating a beautiful neighborhood. The City has set a goal of planting 15,000 more trees by 2062, and residents are crucial to this process since they care for most of the trees in the city and have the greatest opportunity to contribute to planting more. See below for more on the Urban Forest Plan, regulations on trees, and how you can get your own tree for free.

Get a free tree

Canopy is a local nonprofit that offers free tree planting to EPA residents. If you’re interested, see here to sign up, and they will be in touch about which kind of tree would work best for you and how to maintain it.

Tree protections

The City has adopted key rules on how tree removal and pruning must be done. Please note that City law requires that residents apply for a permit before removing most private trees as well. The details of the Tree Protection Ordinance are posted here.

Urban Forest Plan

In 2022, the City adopted its first Urban Forest Plan outlining how to reach the City’s goal of planting 15,000 more trees by 2062 and better protecting existing trees. The plan has details on resident priorities for trees, the existing trees in the city, and how we plan to reach our goal of expanding the urban forest. See here to view the plan.