The City’s Urban Forestry Division within the Public Works Utilities and Operations Department maintains around 12,000 City street trees, around 15,000 trees in parks and greenbelts, and more than 5,000 trees in the public right-of-way.

Maintenance activities include: planting, pruning, young tree maintenance, and tree and stump removals.

Planning and administrative activities include: the review of tree modification permits, tree removal requests, outreach to the community on the care and importance of trees, maintaining the City's Climate-Ready Tree Lists, and long-term planning for the City’s urban forest, including the eventual replacement of trees over time.

Urban Forestry Division Quick Links

What is a City Tree?	Information about street trees, City trees, the Climate-Ready Tree List, and information on removal or modification requests and process
City Tree Maintenance	Information on the Urban Forestry program’s maintenance of City street and park trees
City Tree Modification & Removal Request Process	Information on the process to request modification or removal of a City tree.
Tree Maintenance and Care	Guidance and best practices on caring for trees. Includes watering, mulching and pruning information
Landmark Trees and Trees of Significance	Information on landmark trees, trees of significance, and regulations within the City of Davis to protect these trees
Information for Developers on Tree Preservation	Tree preservation specifications and best practices to protect trees during construction projects
Documents and Other Resources	Plans, resources and references

 

History of the Urban Forestry Program

The City of Davis Urban Forestry Program officially began in 1963 with the establishment of the Street Tree Committee (now the Tree Commission). Prior to 1963, developers were encouraged to plant a tree in the "parkway" in subdivisions which, in most cases, the City assumed as street trees. The purpose of the program initially was to provide shade and aesthetics for our community, which remains the primary concern. However, through the years, the program has evolved into a much larger one than the initial planting of a street tree.

In 1977, the City received national recognition for our Street Tree Program by the National Arbor Day Foundation. We have continued to receive this annual award, and are known nationally as a "Tree City USA".