Tree Canopy
Green Cincinnati Plan Actions:
- Focus city tree planting in neighborhoods with highest heat island effect as measured in the Climate Equity Indicators Report or most recent data
- Provide incentives and support for the use of carbon crediting and/or carbon offset program to fund tree planting, maintenance, land conservation, and forest rehabilitation.
- Plant more native tree species through education with non-profits, nurseries, and schools.
- Implement policies that protect existing trees during development efforts.
Ohio is home to over 90 native tree species. Below are resources to identify native tree species in Ohio:
National Wildlife Foundation Native Plant Finder
Native Trees: Creating Living Landscapes for Birds, Butterflies, Bees, and Other Beneficials
Trees provide many benefits and essential ecosystem services, including reducing stormwater runoff, reducing urban heat by cooling the pavement on hot days, and providing habitats for wildlife. Trees and greenspace also can improve social cohesion, reduce crime, and raise property values.
Cincinnati Parks – Street Trees
Cincinnati Parks Urban Forestry maintains 85,000 public street trees along Cincinnati streets. Every year preventive maintenance includes the inspection and pruning of one sixth of the city’s trees. This helps eliminate public tree hazards and to improve tree health and overall aesthetics throughout the urban forest.
Cincinnati Parks ReLeaf Program
For the last 35 years, Cincinnati Parks’ Fall ReLeaf program has grown, improved and sustained the canopy coverage of our city. The highly successful effort has given away 20,000 free trees consisting of more than 40 species. In fact, this is one of the programs helping raise Cincinnati's overall tree canopy 5% in just the last 5 years (38% - 43%).
Cincinnati Parks Urban Forestry team maintains 85,000 public street trees along Cincinnati streets. The team completes preventive maintenance, inspection, and pruning of the city’s trees. This helps eliminate public tree hazards and to improve tree health and overall aesthetics throughout the urban forest.
Street Tree issues can be submitted by:
1. Call the Urban Forestry office at 513-861-9070 | Monday through Friday | 9am - 5pm.
2. Fill out at Customer Service Request at 311 Cincy where you can live track your request progress.
3. Need to report after hours? If you identify an emergency tree related hazard after hours or on weekends, please call the Police Dispatch number at 513-765-1212 who will contact the on-call Cincinnati Parks Urban Forestry staff member to review and address the situation.
4. Are electric lines involved? If there are electric lines involved, please call Police Dispatch 513-765-1212 and contact Duke Energy as soon as possible at 1(800)-543-5599.
5. All options will take your information about the issue and respond within 24 to 48 hours depending on the nature of the emergency.
Taking Root inspires and empowers all to conserve and improve our region’s unique and threatened tree canopy.
GWORV's Green Team develops high school students for job readiness in the green industry with training in soft skills, natural resource management, energy efficiency, composting, recreation skills, urban agriculture, and green infrastructure.
With our forests facing unprecedented risks from disease, invasive species, and human development, our local trees need our help! The Civic Garden Center's Treeforestation initiative aims to restore Cincinnati forests for the benefit of community members, native wildlife, and future generations. This effort is part of a larger global movement to restore forests of all sizes in order to preserve biodiversity and combat climate change.
The main intention of our Greenspace program is to help improve neighborhoods across Cincinnati where ecological issues occur, equitable life is not flourishing, and consequential community infrastructures are in need of support.
The Common Orchard Project works to install and maintain hundreds of small orchard plantings across Greater Cincinnati and grows “commonly held” resources by educating communities on fresh food and urban land management.