Urban Forestry

The urban forest is a breathing, responsive, living entity that interacts with and contributes to Salt Lake City’s beautiful environment. Stewardship, renewal and protection of the City’s urban forest influence public health and safety, property values, and energy conservation.

Many of Salt Lake City’s trees were planted years ago and new ones are being planted for the years to come. The inheritance and legacy they represent is temporarily entrusted to the care of everyone, public and private, dedicated to their well being. Members of the City’s urban forestry staff are privileged to be a part of this vital work.

Points of Interest

Trees are among the earth’s biggest and oldest inhabitants. Coast Redwoods can compete in stature with a 30-story skyscraper. Giant Sequoias can tip the scales at 600 tons whereas Blue Whales weigh-in at 150 tons. And if we celebrated the birthday of some Bristlecone Pines a big cake would be needed for its 4,000-plus candles.

Perhaps most amazing of all are the routine functions of trees. Leaves capture and convert the sun’s energy to produce its own food. Roots seek and absorb mineral elements in solution. The vascular system transports resources against gravity from roots to the shoots and back again from shoots to the roots. Cells divide for growth and to reinforce points of structural stress. And the chemical command and control system operating in concert with biofeedback directs resource allocation. All of this happening while standing in one place for a lifetime relying solely on sunlight, soil, air and water. There’s more going on in our trees than meets the eye.