Growing a Greener Denver: The Impact of Planting Nearly 1,300 New Trees

2022 was a year of dedicated efforts to grow the city’s urban canopy for a more resilient Denver. Here at Denver’s Office of City Forester, we’ve made progress in expanding our urban forest by planting 1,289 new trees.

What else did we do?

We pruned and planted trees in areas of greatest need, removed trees that could cause damage and collected nearly 800 tons of leaves for compost as part of Denver’s LeafDrop program. 

Why are we doing this?

It’s simple – we need trees! And we strive to create a more resilient city through trees—by planting new, protecting those that already exist, clearing the damaged and susceptible to make way for new growth and serving as a resource for residents who want to contribute to our urban canopy, too. Our trees aren’t just lovely to look at, they also cool our air, keep it clean and slow down rain runoff so more water makes its way into the ground, plus a number of other important benefits.

2022 by the numbers:

• 1,289 trees planted
• $681,227 invested in trees, planting and watering
• 420 ash trees removed through the GAP tree removal and replacement plan
• 33 trees pruned and 42 trees removed that pose a risk to public safety through the Forestry Neighborhood Initiative in specific neighborhoods in southwest Denver
• Nearly 800 tons of leaves collected through Denver’s LeafDrop program in partnership with Denver’s Department of Transportation & Infrastructure and Ace Hardware—up 260 tons from last year!

Where were trees planted?

See below for a breakdown by Denver City Council district of where trees were planted in 2022. Denver’s Office of the City Forester works with community partners and researchers to prioritize tree planting in neighborhoods across the city depending on canopy cover and household income.

In 2022, 870 trees (67.5%) were planted in areas of greatest need according to Denver’s Parks and Recreation’s Neighborhood Equity Index.

What’s next in 2023?

This year, we will continue to plant more trees and provide resources to residents on how we can all take care of our urban canopy.

We also want to help you plant a tree! If you have room in the public right-of-way adjacent to your property, you may be eligible to have a free tree planted for you by Denver’s Office of the City Forester. It’s easy to apply online.

Let’s keep working together in 2023 to protect our urban canopy and improve the climate for generations to come. For more information about any of these programs, email forestry@denvergov.org or call Denver’s Office of the City Forester at 720-913-0651.