To further expand its tree canopy, the city of Dearborn offers residents a free tree planting service for their residential easement. Interested residents can order a free tree by going to Dearborn.gov/FreeTrees.
City looks to increase tree coverage with residential tree planting service
DEARBORN — The city has again been recognized as a Tree City USA community by the Arbor Day Foundation for its 38th year this spring.
The global nonprofit organization, which is dedicated to tree planting, advocacy, and education, awarded Dearborn with this designation because of the city’s efforts to expand and maintain its tree canopy and green footprint.
In order to qualify, cities have to adhere to standards as laid out by the Arbor Day Foundation. These include maintaining a dedicated department for tree management, a tree care ordinance, a minimum $2 per capita spent annually on its forestry program, and official Arbor Day observance.
This year, Dearborn celebrated Arbor Day with the City Beautiful Commission by planting trees at Henry Ford Elementary School. The city also routinely utilizes tree coverage in its flood mitigation and air quality improvement efforts.
“We’re proud of this designation and plan on keeping our status as a Tree City USA community for many years to come,” Mayor Abdullah Hammoud said. “We understand the importance of trees not just to our neighborhoods, but to public health and air quality, which is why we’re intentional in our tree planting efforts.”
In an effort to further expand its tree canopy, the city offers residents a free tree planting service for their residential easement. The program, available through the Department of Public Works, will plant a tree on interested homeowners’ front easements upon request. Interested residents can order a free tree by going to Dearborn.gov/FreeTrees.
Residents are able to choose from a wide variety of native trees, as supplies last. The city only plants requested trees on front easements, the area found between the sidewalk and curb of most homes.
Each resident is responsible for the care and upkeep of their tree, with the city assisting with trimming as needed. The city and its tree installation contractor provide residents with detailed tree care information before and after planting.
Upon request, the city also helps residents remove trees from their easement. Typically, this entails the city deploying a certified arborist to inspect the tree to determine whether or not the tree needs to be removed.
More information and rules for private property tree planting and removals are available at Dearborn.gov/Trees.