Forestry
Managing the care and growth of a thriving urban forest is crucial to the quality-of-life in Greeley and the health of its parks, neighborhoods and natural areas. To see real-time data that reflects our key tree care priorities, visit our Tree Health Dashboard.
Share the Shade
Greeley’s award-winning residential planting program promotes healthy urban tree planting. Find out how to participate below.
Tree Care
Forestry strives to support the tree canopy of Greeley by monitoring signs of insects, disease and the need for pruning or removal in public spaces.
Memorial Trees and Donations
The City of Greeley accepts tree donations from residents and offers a commemorative tree planting program to honor someone special.
Grow Greeley's Urban Forest
Trees are amazing creations that enhance our quality of life. Trees improve air quality, reduce heat, support wildlife, and enhance neighborhoods. They provide aesthetic qualities of beauty, color, and form, especially in our urbanized landscapes.
Since 2009, Greeley's tree canopy has expanded to 8.2%, an increase of less than 2% of the city over a 14-year period. While this small expansion is good news, significant challenges remain in front of us. Our newly developed Urban Forest Strategic Plan will guide our trees' planting, care, and sustainable growth over the next 20 years.
Greeley loves trees and has been a Tree City USA for over 45 years!
To keep Greeley green, the Forestry Program does the following:
- Maintains trees and shrubs in parks and public grounds
- Monitors for damaging insect and disease issues
- Tests, licenses and monitors tree contractors
- Enforces City codes for tree maintenance and planting
- Manage Greeley’s commemorative tree planting and donation programs
- Plans, implements, and maintains public floral displays
Share the Shade
An average of 250 trees a year are removed from Greeley’s urban forest due to age, insects, diseases, environmental events, and lack of proper care. In one generation, that amounts to more than 6,000 trees removed, and unfortunately, the trend of replanting trees in our community is relatively low. To promote and increase tree-planting efforts in our neighborhoods, the City of Greeley has implemented a residential planting program called Share the Shade.
This program helps residents of Greeley plant trees on their property with an annual goal to plant a minimum of 100 trees throughout the community. Residential property owners can apply to receive up to two trees per year. The City of Greeley covers the expenses that include the tree, supplies, delivery and professional installation by City staff with the help of volunteers.
Quick Links
Urban Forest Strategic Plan
Learn more about Greeley's Urban Forest Strategic Plan, which will serve as a roadmap for our urban forest for the next 20 years.
Commemorative Trees
The Commemorative Tree Program allows individuals, families or businesses to commemorate people or events with special tree plantings. Commemorative tree plantings are recognized in the Explore Greeley map. To view the commemorative trees, please zoom into the park location you are searching for to see the tree information. The map includes the location of the planting and a photograph of the tree.
A small brass leaf is engraved with the individual’s name and is attached to the Commemorative Tree Plaque located at the Family FunPlex. Participants can choose the type of tree and the park where they wish to have the tree(s) planted. The Forestry team plants the tree(s), and participation in the actual planting is welcomed and encouraged. Commemorative trees receive yearly inspections and individual attention in care and maintenance.
Please contact the Forestry program team to learn more about a commemorative tree planting.
Donation Trees
Plants offered as a donation to the City are inspected for suitability (variety, condition, location, size) before being accepted. Types generally accepted include most deciduous trees, conifers, some shrubs (not junipers), perennials, and bulbs.
Transplanting is done during the appropriate seasons and as workload allows. Trees are moved into the closest available park planting space.
Please contact the Forestry program team to learn more about our tree donation program.
Tree Services
Learn more about planting in shared parkway space, hiring a tree service and common tree issues for trees in the region.
Emerald Ash Borer
Learn more about the Emerald Ash Borer, an emerging species threatening Ash trees across the region.