A tree in Minto-Brown Island Park. (Saphara Harrell/Salem Reporter)
Salem’s Urban Forestry Division planted 265 trees last year, according to an annual tree report presented to Salem City Council Monday evening.
There were also hundreds more planted from two groups Salem contracts with to plant trees in parks and along streets.
The report didn’t take into account the damage from the Valentine’s Day weekend storm which downed thousands of trees.
Last year, nonprofit Friends of Trees planted 182 stock trees and 2,120 small stock trees, shrubs, and smaller plants in Salem parks and natural areas.
Treecology, which Salem contracts with to plant trees in road rights-of-way, planted 208 trees along streets last year.
Urban Forestry is responsible for tree removal, pruning, stump grinding, planting and all tree-related work in the city right-of-way and on city-owned property.
There is one urban forester and seven full time employees who inventoried nearly 15,000 trees, removed 286 and pruned more than 3,000.
Last year, the city released a Urban Tree Canopy Assessment, showing that each neighborhood saw tree canopy increases albeit at varying levels. It was part of a years-long effort to increase tree canopy in the city to 24%, up from 18% in 2010.
-Saphara Harrell
