Rancho Cordova Receives Recognition for Tree Planting Program

The Sacramento Tree Foundation awarded the City of Rancho Cordova its “Growing Greenprint" Tree Hero Award on Wednesday, May 31st for the City’s efforts towards expanding its urban tree canopy. With support from elected officials, City staff and community volunteers, tremendous work has gone into planting more trees across Rancho Cordova on both public and private property.

Commitment to an improved tree canopy began in 2015, when the City outlined a tree plan and hired a contract arborist to assist with its development.

In May 2016, the City planted 100 trees in Lincoln Village as part of its first neighborhood planting event. More recently, the City completed an inventory of its public trees and vacant planting sites to create a tree maintenance and planting plan. The City developed a goal to plant one tree a day or 365 trees during the fiscal year in neighborhoods and private property, churches, businesses, and parks.

“The City’s tree program has been a great community effort with residents and businesses coming together to identify planting sites, as well as physically getting the trees in the ground,” said Steve Harriman, the manager of the tree program for the City of Rancho Cordova.

In collaboration with the Sacramento Tree Foundation, the City of Rancho Cordova and community volunteers planted 35 trees in the Cordova Meadows and Cordova Gardens neighborhoods, and 100 trees were planted on church properties. 100 additional trees will be planted on neighborhood, commercial, and church sites, and the remainder of the trees will be planted on City property by June 30, 2017.

The City is also working to improve its tree ordinances and is drafting its Urban Forest Management Plan to further support efforts to grow trees in Rancho Cordova and increase shade.

“The robust urban forest that we are building makes Rancho Cordova a cleaner, healthier and even more beautiful community. This program will be a lasting legacy for the City,” Harriman said.