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Urban Forest Initiative
Building a forest within our city for the benefit of all.
About the Urban Forest Initiative
The mission of the Urban Forest Initiative (UFI) is to grow Denver’s urban forest through infrastructure projects, maintenance, and education.
UFI is a City-funded initiative that contributes to creating a tree canopy that is planted and cared for the right way. UFI works directly with property owners to build vibrant, large planting areas to provide a supportive environment for every one of our downtown trees. Providing a larger tree bed gives the tree a 2 - 4x better chance at success compared to a conventional tree bed and reduces overall long-term maintenance costs and needs for replacement.
The program provides financial and technical assistance to downtown properties to complete tree bed enlargement projects. The UFI program is transforming downtown’s public realm - one tree bed at a time. Through partnerships with our downtown community members, the program has provided over 130 trees with larger planting beds that support long term growth.
View Before & After
Apply for a Grant
Are you a property owner within the downtown Denver area? The UFI program has grants available for right of way tree bed construction projects through December 2026. Grants must be used towards the enlargement of at least one tree bed, and cannot be used for one to one tree replacement.
To participate in the program, we ask for your good faith involvement, a commitment of 50% of total project cost, and care over the trees’ lifetime. In exchange - we’ll do the heavy lifting! The Downtown Denver Partnership will provide pro-bono project management services, construction & permitting management, on-call tree care consultations, and 50% of the project expenses.
DDP will serve as the owner’s representative for the project process. We work directly with one of the nation’s premier engineering, planning and design consultants, Kimley Horn.
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Professional landscape architecture and engineering services
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A construction planset deliverable, stamped by a licensed engineer
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Solicitation of construction bids
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Management of Encroachment and right-of-way construction permitting
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Construction management and oversight
This program is an investment in your property and in our community. Join a growing number of your peers and neighbors in participating in this innovative beautification program.
Reach out to Amanda Miller, Senior Manager Downtown Environment for more information.
Maintaining the Forest
Maintenance is crucial to support downtown’s tree canopy. The Downtown Denver Business Improvement District has taken on a stewardship role for our urban forest through the facilitation of the Tree Health Program. The Tree Health Program provides tree care services for commercial property owners in Downtown Denver, totaling 1,850 trees. This program relieves property owners of the burden of tree care, while supporting a healthy tree canopy through a centralized care system.
Although building the infrastructure to support our tree canopy is an expensive feat, the year over year maintenance cost is nominal – about $150 per tree per year. For $150 a year per tree, our trees are protected from pests, insects, and diseases, receive yearly fertilization and organic soil enhancements to provide oxygen and nutrients, and have their structure maintained to reduce risk of branch failure.
All commercial properties within the Downtown Denver BID are automatically enrolled in this program. Non-commercial properties can request a quote for services by contacting Amanda Miller, Senior Manager, Downtown Environment.
Help Plant The Seeds
"Right away we knew building an urban forest was the project that would make a real impact on improving the quality of life in Downtown Denver"
Raju Patel
Denver President, Bank of America
"This could be an investment that pays big dividends to our children and grandchildren for many years to come"
Mike Zoellner
Managing Partner, ZF Capital
What Investors are Saying
Why Trees Matter to Downtown
Trees are essential infrastructure, but they do not receive the same priority as street lights or water lines within our city right-of-ways. Trees are often planted in areas that restrict their growth, are not given the water or care that they need, and used as a relief area for our furry friends.
A healthy tree canopy provides improved air quality, safer streets, higher income streams for businesses, reduced stress among local employees, and a shaded sidewalk for those frequenting our downtown businesses.
Trees play an important role in the future of our city. In The Outdoor Downtown Master Plan – a collaboration between the Downtown Denver Partnership and Denver Parks and Recreation that engaged over 4,000 citizens in outreach – 25% of citizens identified trees as their number one priority for basic amenities within Downtown. Building a healthy and thriving urban forest is no small task, involving more heavy construction than simple tree planting. It is estimated to cost $7.5 million over a ten year period to create the infrastructure needed and provide maintenance to grow our tree canopy. Read more about the importance of trees in our center city: 10 Reasons Why Trees Matter to Downtown Denver.
YEAR 1
One 3” diameter tree will…
Reduce 30 lbs of CO2
Conserve 8kWh
Intercept 40 gal. of stormwater
Save $1,500 per year
YEAR 10
One 8” diameter tree will…
Reduce 165 lbs of CO2
Conserve 44kWH
Intercept 273 gal of stormwater
Save $9,500 per year
YEAR 30
One 18” diameter tree will…
Reduce 754 lbs of CO2
Conserve 193 kWh
Intercept 1,494 gal of stormwater
Save $43,500 per year
Benefits Over Time
Numbers derived from the National Tree Benefits Calculator, developed by Casey tree & Davey Tree Expert Co. Based on an oak tree in a large commercial business land-use type in the Interior West Climate Zone. Overall benefit (i.e. saving per year) is the sum of benefits provided by 500 within the respective size class.
By the Numbers
12%
Economic
Increase in income for businesses on tree lined streets
$5.82
Economic
As much as $5.82 ROI for every $1 invested in the urban forest
12%
Economic
12% decrease in crime with a 10% increase in tree canopy coverage
3-7%
Environmental
3-7% decrease in ozone for every 10% increase in tree canopy
10F
Environmental
10F Cooler temperatures are felt when walking under tree canopies streets
3-7%
Environmental
60% fewer particulates from car exhaust on tree-lined streets.
Property Owners
By municipal ordinance, tree care in the City and County of Denver is the responsibility of the adjacent property owner. The Downtown Denver BID provides a base level of care for trees within its boundary through the tree health program, but we still need your help to keep our trees healthy!
You can help by:
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Ensuring proper irrigation and watering of trees. In Denver’s arid climate, it is essential that the trees are receiving enough water. Irrigation most often comes from the building, make sure you are familiar with your system.
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Keeping an eye on the trees at your property. If the tree’s leaves look brown or wilted it could be a sign that the tree is not getting enough water. Small holes on the trunk of the tree could be a sign of boring insects.
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Keeping tree pits clean. Buildup of trash in tree pits is not only unsightly, it could lead to harmful toxins being leached into the soil.
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Avoiding piling snow at the base of trees. This snow typically has high levels of salt, sand, or de-icing chemicals in them that can leach into the soil and poison your tree.
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Applying mulch. Mulch helps to regulate soil temperature and retain water.
Not sure where to start? The Downtown Denver BID is here to help. We offer tree planting, irrigation turn on and repair services, supplemental watering, additional insect treatments and more. Find out all the services the DDBID Tree Health Program offers here.
Residents & Tree Lovers
It takes a village to care for our urban forest. Although the UFI program does not have volunteer opportunities at this time, we encourage all who come downtown to be stewards of the forest.
You can do this by:
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Being informed about the economic, ecological, environmental, and human benefits of a robust urban forest.
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Advocating for your residential or office building to participate in the Urban Forest Initiative grant program.
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Making sure that your building is caring for their trees
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Report any tree vandalism through the Clean and Safe app