‘Tis once again the season for free trees in Denver

DENVER — If you didn’t end up with a free tree from the Denver Digs Trees program, which began accepting wait list applications earlier this month, there’s still good news: You can now apply for a free tree to be planted in your public right-of-way from Denver’s Office of the City Forester!

That’s right. If your property is adjacent to a public right-of-way that fits these parameters, you can apply to receive a tree at no cost to you.

Why are we so interested in giving away trees? Well, we love trees, for one, and we’re always looking for ways to bolster and diversify our urban canopy in Denver. The second big reason has to do with a tiny green pest.

Emerald ash borer (EAB) was discovered in Boulder in 2013 and in Longmont just last summer, and it’s simply a matter of time before the most destructive forest pest in U.S. history arrives in Denver and poses an immediate threat to the 1.45 million ash trees in the metro area. Considering EAB has already caused billions of dollars in damage in over 25 states, Denver’s Office of the City Forester launched the Be A Smart Ash campaign last spring, aiming to raise awareness about EAB before it descends on our beautiful city.

Along with dozens of great partners like the Park People, we’re working with 9NEWS this year to help raise awareness about EAB and inform Denverites about how they can help us protect our urban canopy from this invasive pest. We also have a plethora of great tools that you can utilize on this very site.

Not sure whether you have an ash tree? We have this nifty interactive map that can help. If you do have an ash tree, head on over to the What Can I Do? page to begin laying the groundwork to defend your tree and our our urban canopy from EAB.