STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, COLORADO-March 12, 2024-With spring officially just a week away, trees, bushes and flowers won’t be the only thing budding out this season but so will a $4,500 grant from the Colorado Tree Coalition (CTC). Matched by an additional $4,500 from the city, this marks the second consecutive year the city has been awarded these funds.
“This project will enhance our annual tree planting program, nearly doubling the number of trees we’re able to plant over spring, summer and fall,” said Parks Supervisor Johannes Thorsen. “In addition, we’re able to leverage additional volunteer programs that will make this grant sprout further across our park system.”
The CTC grant will go toward purchasing a mix of deciduous and coniferous trees that will be planted and will provide biodiversity to improve wildlife habitats and urban forest resilience, and support healthy ecosystems.
Parks & Recreation has an International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) certified arborist on staff that specializes in planting, maintaining, and removing trees and woody plants. Under their direction, this project will purchase and plant 50 diverse container trees (including Bigtooth Maple, Sensation Boxelder, Caddo or John Pair Sugar Maple, Hot Wings Maple, Autumn Brilliance Serviceberry, Northern Catalpa, Hackberry, Winter King Hawthorn, Honeylocust, Kentucky Coffeetree, Flowering Pear, Sucker Punch Chokecherry, Bur Oak, Chinkapin Oak, English Oak, Triumph Elm, Choice City Elm) within parks and streetscapes.
Since 1991, the CTC has awarded grants to 235 communities and organizations totaling more than $1,239,000. These grants have been matched with more than $8 million in community money and in-kind services.
The Colorado Tree Coalition is a non-profit whose mission is to preserve, renew and enhance community forests statewide. The CTC awarded $113,463 in grants to 29 organizations last year. Grants allowed recipients to plant and manage trees in community forests across Colorado and are made possible through the Colorado State Forest Service, the Xcel Energy Foundation, Colorado Public Radio and CTC members and supporters.
Parks & Recreation staff cares for more than 3,000 trees, 28 parks (including the Yampa River Botanic Park which is home to hundreds of trees and shrubs native to the Yampa Valley and Rocky Mountains), six miles of Yampa River Core Trail, multiple miles of mountain biking trails, and 22 sports fields for the community and visitors. In addition, the city has been awarded Tree City USA designation from the National Arbor Day Foundation for the past 31 years.
Contact
Johannes Thorsen, Park Supervisor, 970.871.7010 or email
Ginger Scott, Grants and Project Management Specialist, 970.871.8215 or email
Michael Lane, Communications Manager, 970.871.8220 or email