Pledge by City of Boise
City of Trees Challenge
Total Trees Pledged: 335,000Supporting actions: Nursery Development, Data and Technological Tools, Tree Protection through Management,
The City of Trees Challenge, launched on Arbor Day 2020, is a call to the City of Boise and its residents to plant 100,000 trees (approximately one for each Boise household) within city limits. The initiative will also sponsor 235,000 seedlings (approximately one for every Boise resident) to be planted in forests around Idaho. During the implementation of this initiative a roadmap of actions will be developed. The roadmap will provide tools and resources for implementing programs similar to the City of Trees Challenge in other cities across Idaho, the US and potentially the world. This will empower other communities to join in the challenge to increase canopy cover in our urban areas.
The City of Boise has allocated more than $68,000 toward this initiative in the first year. This funding will support the project by purchasing trees for distribution, developing an inventory and crowdsourcing platform for tracking, providing outreach materials and paying for project management. Funding for subsequent years of the initiative is yet to be determined.
According to the 1t.org carbon estimator tool, the trees planted as part of the City of Trees Challenge have the potential to sequester 154,124 MTCO2e over a 50-year horizon. The City of Boise will be investigating several routes for estimating carbon offset and ecological service benefits of the initiative. Benefits will be estimated and reported annually throughout the initiative.
We continue to develop partners who will play a role in the City of Trees Challenge (CoTC). The list below includes current and potential future target partners in our effort.
Current partners:
Treasure Valley Canopy Network
Idaho Nursery and Landscape Association
Jayker Re-Wholesale Nursery
The Nature Conservancy of Idaho
Idaho Power Company
Potential future partners (we are currently in discussions with these partners):
American Forests & 1t.org
Arbor Day Foundation & Time for Trees
Idaho Department of Lands (IDL)
USDA Forest Service
Trees: 335,000
Trees: 235,000
Trees: 100,000
Nursery Development -- The City of Trees Challenge (CoTC) is partnering with local nursery organizations to grow and procure the 100,000 trees to support the challenge. The Challenge will grow the local economy and nursery industry while also ensuring the trees planted are cultivated and grown to thrive in our communities and produce maximum benefits in-terms of ecosystem services and quality of life. There is also potential for the City of Boise to develop a municipal tree nursery to support the CoTC initiative.
Data and Technological Tools -- CoTC will produce an interactive web-based application that allows participants to engage in the Challenge and learn about the benefits of the trees that are planted. This tool is currently being developed in partnership with Plan-It Geo and TreePlotter.
Tree Protection Through Management -- As part of CoTC, The City of Boise is committed to ensuring that the trees that are planted (and its collective urban forest now and into the future) are effectively managed. In concert with CoTC, the City is enhancing its current tree inventory program by navigating to the TreePlotter platform and generating a plan to improve their current tree inventory and more effectively plan for and manage their urban forest.
Through long-standing partnerships with industry partners, the City and the Treasure Valley Canopy Network will ensure that all aspects of CoTC are guided by responsible forestry practices. In addition to the aspects described above under the heading Supporting Actions, the following are additional examples of Responsible Forestry:
Our web-based platform will inform and include:
• locally developed videos showing proper tree planting practices (right tree, right place, etc.)
• established industry guidance for tree selection, planting and care (ISA, PNW-ISA, etc.)
The City of Boise (Mayor and Council and across City Departments (Public Works, Parks and Recreation) is committed to CoTC over the next ten years and is building long-term resources to support improved management of their urban forest.
The Treasure Valley Canopy Network is committed to long-term sustainable management of urban forests across the Treasure Valley and Idaho. The Network will leverage partnerships at the local and national level to ensure that all trees and seedlings planted through CoTC have the stewardship and organizational support to thrive for the next 60-100 years.
154,124 MT CO2e