Trees
"There's nothing wrong with having a tree as a friend."
-Bob Ross
Trees are renewable resources that give us economic, environmental, social, and wellness benefits. Trees provide cooling effects by shading our homes and streets, provide habitat for wildlife, create serene environments, and increase property values. Trees absorb and store rainwater, reducing the amount of runoff and sediment entering waterways. They also create a peaceful addition to our neighborhoods and business corridors while calming traffic.
City of Flint Forestry
Genesee Conservation District and the City of Flint are working together to manage the City's trees. The partners envision and strive to maintain a vibrant urban forest. Completed in 2015, the City's street trees were inventoried and assessed for their condition, and a Forestry Management Plan was developed to guide management activities. The inventory is housed in a software program called Tree Tracker. All maintenance activity to street trees are tracked in Tree Tracker.
Street trees are City-owned trees that are located in medians, traffic islands, and in the right-of-ways between the sidewalk and the curb. Residents may report street tree concerns to the City of Flint Street Maintenance Department at (810) 766-7343. The City and the Conservation District will reactively address all concerns through a documented inspection process and follow through with needed tree services at no cost to residents.
Genesee Conservation District, in collaboration with the City of Flint, strive for A Vibrant Urban Forest. This video highlights the dynamic nature of trees with a focus on street trees. We are grateful for the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation's Focus on Flint Initiative for engaging the community's voice in the type of investment needed in the City.
In 2021, the Mott Foundation and the Conservation District are addressed resident concerns regarding street trees in poor condition. Thanks to a grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation awarded to Genesee Conservation District, 350 dead or severely declining street trees were removed throughout the City.
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With financial support from the Mott Foundation, Genesee Conservation District will plant 250 street trees in the City of Flint in 2022 and 2023.
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Residents may contact the City of Flint Street Maintenance Department at (810) 766-7343 to report street trees of concern.
City of Flint Public Trees Resources
City of Flint Street Tree Forest Management Plan
A Vibrant Urban Forest brochure
City of Flint Trees Fact Sheet
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General Tree Care Resources
Avoiding Tree & Utility Conflicts
Right Tree for the Right Place
Conservation Buffers for Streams
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General tree care resources are credited to the Arbor Day Foundation, US Department of Agriculture Forest Service, and International Society of Arboriculture Trees Are Good.