City of Colorado Springs striving for an eco-friendlier city, plants five trees for Arbor Day
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- There are roughly 400,000 trees in Colorado Springs. Now, the city's Forester Department is looking to increase that number to create a more eco-friendly environment and increase oxygen and shade in the city.
According to city officials, Colorado Springs was deemed a "Tree City" 46 years ago. However, Mayor John Suthers said the work to get that title started when the city was founded in the 1800s.
“William Palmer personally saw to plant 600 cottonwoods in over the first couple of years in Colorado Springs, and over 10,000 total trees,” said Suthers.
To uphold that namesake, the city planted five trees in Oak Valley Ranch Park in honor of Arbor Day Monday.
"Our canopy cover has grown about 17 percent of the space here for the city, and it means a lot in terms of shade, a set of qualities, filtration of dusk and pollutants, wildlife habitat, and even some fruit trees along the way too,” said Dennis Will, City Forester for Public Works in Colorado Springs.
"As you look over the city of Colorado Springs that's all you can see is tons and tons of trees. We have created that habitat and maintain that habitat and we are all healthier because of it,” said Suthers.
These trees were part of 50 trees citywide that the City Forestry plans to plant in 2023.
According to Tree Equity Score, a website that tracks where trees are planted across the U.S., southern Colorado Springs has a lower "tree equity" score. Officials are hoping to change that.
In addition to the trees planted Monday in the northern part of the city, officials said they've recently focused efforts to help increase the number of trees in the eastern plains of Colorado Springs.
"We have been tree planting for about a month now. Some of them have been along Cascade, some of them will be here, we have some tribute trees, that people have donated money for tributes for their families that we are planting in other parks,” added Will.
