Boulder Named Tree City USA For 35th Consecutive Year

BOULDER, CO — Boulder has been designated Tree City USA for the 35th continuous year, according to a release from the city. Alongside that honor, Boulder was awarded the Tree City USA Growth Award in 2018 by the National Arbor Day Foundation.

"The Tree City USA designation is in honor of the city’s commitment to community forestry and the Growth Award is awarded by the Arbor Day Foundation to recognize higher levels of tree care by participating Tree City USA communities," the city's release said.

Boulder "highlights innovative programs and projects as well as increased commitment of resources for urban forestry," the release said.

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The city's longstanding commitment to the importance of trees is illustrated by matching the four requirements to be named Tree City USA, joining over 3,400 other communities around the country. They are:

• maintaining a tree board or department
• having a community tree ordinance
• spending at least $2 per capita on urban forestry
• celebrating Arbor Day.

Here's some of what Boulder is doing to support its valuable trees through June 1, as obtained from the Boulder city website:

March through May | Tree Plantings

Boulder Forestry is planting approximately 500 trees in city parks and public street rights-of-way in both residential and commercial sites throughout the city. The city also is planting 10 trees at both Columbine Park and Melody Park with local elementary school students as part of their Arbor Day month events. If you would like a free tree planted into the public right-of-way adjacent to your home in spring 2020, please visit BoulderForestry.org to request a tree.

Saturday, June 1, 7 a.m. | Your Neighborhood Christmas Tree Farm Tree Giveaway

Your Neighborhood Christmas Tree Farm, located at 4340 North 13th Street (one block east of Broadway between Upland and Violet) has 400 small seedling trees to give away while supplies last. The free trees are 1 to 3-foot-tall Kentucky coffeetree, swamp white oak, chokecherry, lindens, horse chestnut, hackberry, ginnala maple, Russian hawthorn, golden rain, honeylocust, and catalpa. Many of these trees are flowering and pollinator friendly. Look for "Nelly-Belle the Carbon Cart" in front of the house and pick out your tree. Planting instructions are in a box on the cart.

To see how you can help Boulder's future forest, visit the websites for Boulder Forestry and the PLAY Boulder Foundation Tree Trust.