ARTICLE PROVIDED BY DENVER PARKS & RECREATION
DENVER — Are you perturbed at the lack of trees in your neighborhood? 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.
The free tree giveaway program is part of the Be A Smart Ash campaign from the City of Denver, and aims to help Denver diversify its urban canopy. That diversity has the potential to protect Denver’s trees from pests like the emerald ash borer (EAB), which was discovered in Boulder in 2013 and in Longmont just last summer.
EAB is yet to be found in Denver, but considering it has already killed millions of ash trees in more than 25 states, Denver’s Office of the City Forester wants to be proactive in protecting the Denver Metro area’s 1.45 million ash trees from the most destructive forest pest in U.S. history.
“It’s simply a matter of time before EAB arrives in Denver,” said Sara Davis, Program Manager with Denver’s Office of the City Forester. “That’s how we’re viewing this situation.”
In order to apply for a free tree, residents must have adequate space in your right-of-way. That space must be:
• 30 feet from outside edge of intersecting curbs for sight triangle
• 35 feet from large shade trees
• 25 feet from ornamental trees
• 20 feet from street lights
• 20 feet from stop signs
• 10 feet from alleys, driveways, and fire hydrants
• 7 feet behind attached sidewalks
• 5 feet from water meters/pits
• Centered within tree lawns/planters
Visit BeASmartAsh.org for more information about the free tree program.
