City of Lakewood Implements Proactive Tree Strategy

Tree maintenance and plantings planned to preserve beauty of Lakewood’s tree canopy

In an effort to preserve and increase the impressive amount of trees within its borders, the City of Lakewood has updated its Tree Action Plan. The goals of the plan include maintaining the health and vigor of trees throughout the City and its parks. This strategic initiative will ensure that Lakewood’s rich tree canopy will benefit generations to come.

The Tree Action Plan, created by the City’s Forestry Division, is regularly updated to allow the City to act swiftly to leverage opportunities for new trees while addressing threats to existing trees. This includes strategically staffing the Forestry Division to increase capacity to care for the more than 13,000 trees in Lakewood. A current area of focus of the plan is ensuring that the tree presence in City parks is maintained and expanded. Most recently, four matures were planted at Madison Park with the goal of the trees growing to large scale and providing a century or more of value to the community.

At Lakewood Park, the annual inspection showed a number of mature trees around the Kids Cove playground were damaged years ago during construction and some must be removed. In partnership with City staff and Bartlett Tree Experts, the administration has made it a priority to replace those trees with mature trees that will grow to the same stature. The remaining trees will receive root invigoration treatment and careful pruning of dead limbs to ensure proper care and survival.

With aspirations of meeting or exceeding a recommended canopy coverage of 33% in the next 12 years, the Tree Action Plan also includes a program where Lakewood homeowners can request to have a tree or multiple trees professionally planted each spring by a professional for below market cost.  The tree professionals involved use ODNR Division of Forestry and Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association approved methods, and all trees come with a one-year warranty.

“Lakewood’s tree canopy is one of the natural treasures of our city, and we are proud that we have been recognized with the Tree City USA designation for 45 years,” said Mayor Meghan F. George. “It is a priority of my administration to ensure the preservation and maintenance of our trees while maintaining safe, beautiful, and healthy places for children and families to enjoy our parks and public spaces.”

For more information about the Tree Action Plan, click here.