Matched by an additional $4,500 from the city, Steamboat Springs has been awarded a $4,500 grant from the Colorado Tree Coalition for the second consecutive year. 

“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,” Parks Supervisor Johannes Thorsen said in a news release. “In addition, we’re able to leverage additional volunteer programs that will make this grant sprout further across our park system.”

The grant from the coalition will go toward purchasing a mix of deciduous and coniferous trees that will provide biodiversity to improve wildlife habitats and urban forest resilience, and support healthy ecosystems.

Parks & Recreation has an International Society of Arboriculture certified arborist on staff who specializes in planting, maintaining and removing trees and woody plants. Under their direction, the project will purchase and plant 50 diverse container trees, including bigtooth maple, sensation boxelder, 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 and choice city elm within parks and streetscapes.

Since 1991, the Colorado Tree Coalition has awarded grants to 235 communities and organizations totaling more than $1.2 million. These grants have been matched with more than $8 million in community money and in-kind services.

The Colorado Tree Coalition is a nonprofit 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 and 28 parks, including the Yampa River Botanic Park, six miles of Yampa River Core Trail, multiple miles of mountain biking trails and 22 sports fields. In addition, the city has been awarded Tree City USA designation from the National Arbor Day Foundation for the past 31 years.