You will need broad commitment from officials, stakeholders and the community to assure that the goals of tree equity remain embedded in all elements of municipal policy.
Trees aren’t programmable. They require regular check-ups and, from time to time, maintenance. Your coalition needs to endure so the trees will too.
It actually does take a village
Rooted in Cheyenne traces its own roots to 1882 when a local businessman, James Jenkins, mounted the town’s first Arbor Day celebration. In later years he spearheaded tree planting along miles of Cheyenne, WY streets — the foundation of the city’s current tree canopy. And it rests on the same type of public-private partnership established more than a century ago.
Key Components of Tree Equity
Municipal Commitment Example
"To effectively execute the UFP [Urban Forest Plan], we are expanding City resources for tree planting, preservation,
and proactive care. We will be creating a new, standalone Forestry Division housed in our Parks
and Recreation Department with 11 new full-time staff positions—including a Director of Urban
Forestry. We’ve also scaled up investments in our operating and capital budgets and allocated
federal grant funding to clear our maintenance backlog, accelerate planting and pruning, and
create an innovative pilot program to encourage planting on private properties."
Michelle Wu
Mayor, Boston