South St. Paul Boulevard Tree Planting

In an effort to replace the trees lost to Emerald Ash Borer and to increase shade cover to South St. Paul, the city is partnering with Tree Trust to plant shade and ornamental trees on the boulevards in your neighborhood at no cost to homeowners! This area has been identified as one that will benefit for from additional tree coverage. Since 1/3 of South St. Paul’s public trees were removed due to Emerald Ash borer, we are looking to rebuild a healthy canopy with more diverse species to create a more resilient urban forest and are hoping YOU will help us make a greener future for South Saint Paul.

We are looking for residents with boulevard space that are eager to join us in creating a greener, tree-lined community with healthy trees that begin to address the canopy loss we are facing. Tree-lined streets reduce speeding incidences, reduce stress, and helps to cool the streets (as well as many other environmental benefits). Do you have boulevard space in front of your home that would benefit from homing a new tree? Let us know by opting in here. 

If you opt-in, we will attempt to pair homeowners with a tree of their preferred species, but we cannot guarantee that you will get your top choice. Diversity is very important within a tree canopy and this project is one stop towards creating healthier canopy.

In 2023, the City changed its sidewalk assessment policy to no longer require homeowners to pay to address damage to the sidewalk. The financial responsibility of sidewalk maintenance now belongs to the City. This includes the cost to repair/replace a sidewalk panel if the panel gets pushed up by a boulevard tree.

Details:

• Trees will be planted in the city-owned boulevard outside of your home.
• Trees will be approximately 6-8 feet tall at the time of planting and will be planted in collaboration with volunteers.
• Maintenance and watering will be done by Tree Trust and the city, but homeowners are asked to help water the newly planted trees for the first two years.