Made in the shade: Ogden gives away free trees to plant in park strips

OGDEN, Utah (ABC4) — Tree-lined streets not only make a city beautiful, but the trees provide several benefits.

Monte Stewart, Ogden’s city parks manager, said trees give shade for the grass, habitat for wildlife, and they also absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

“One really great benefit most people don’t think about is that they slow down rainwater,” Stewart said. “They slow that down so we don’t have overflowing gutters.”

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As part of a long-running program in Ogden, residents can get a free tree from the city to plant along their park strip. This is the area between the sidewalk and the edge of the road.

Each year, the city gives away about 160 trees. In order to get the tree, Ogden homeowners need to make an appointment with the city, where officials determine if the park strip is suitable.

“We want something to survive,” Stewart said, noting that the full benefits from trees aren’t usually realized until decades down the road.

City officials will help homeowners pick the right tree. Typically, the city’s options include 20 different tree species.

To get in on this year’s trees, Ogdenites will need to ask fast. According to Stewart, there are fewer than 20 trees left.

This free tree program is all part of a bigger, sustained effort from the city.

For nearly 40 years, Ogden has received a Tree City USA certification. To get one, a city must have a tree board department, a tree care ordinance, a community forestry program with an annual budge of at least $2 per capita, and also observe Arbor Day.

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This year, Arbor Day is this Friday, and Ogden officials plan to plant several trees in one of the city’s parks.

The city says that the combined cost of this year’s tree planting — in both the park and in the park strip program — amounts to about $20,000.

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