Santa Monica Urban Forest

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City of Santa Monica

Urban Forest News & FAQs

Join us!

The City of Santa Monica’s Arbor Day celebration at Virginia Avenue Park on Thursday April 26 from 3:30 pm – 5:30 pm will feature tree planting, music, and free art and entertainment activities for youth of all ages. No RSVP necessary. Come join us!

Upcoming Urban Forest Task Force meeting:
May 23, 2018 at Ken Edwards Center

Current and Upcoming Projects

Planting of 56 palms in Palisades Park: April 2018

Subscribe!

Sign up for our mailing lists to be notified of upcoming Urban Forest Task Force meetings, learn about scheduled tree removals or check out the Public Landscape Division monthly newsletter!

Talking Trees with Urban Forester Matt Wells

See an interview with Santa Monica's Urban Forest Administrator, Matthew Wells, on what inspires him about working with trees.

Santa Monica has been named a Tree City USA for the 37th year in a row! Our city also qualified for a 2017 Tree City USA Growth Award. Learn more about Tree City USA and the Tree City USA Growth Awards here.

City Council unanimously adopted the revised Urban Forest Master Plan in January 2017.

Over a period of 10 months, city staff worked alongside a subcommittee of the Council-appointed Urban Forest Task Force to revise the existing Urban Forest Master Plan.

Revised Chapters 1-2

Updated Species Designations List

The remaining appendices will be updated throughout 2018.
The original 2011 Urban Forest Master Plan has been archived here.

Guidelines for Tree Watering During a Drought
Please review our guide to learn how to assess trees and calculate the amount of water they need based on their size. Attached to the guide is also an appendix of common trees found in Santa Monica. If your tree species is unknown, we recommend minimal supplemental watering.
Why Water Trees?
The City of Santa Monica has over 34,000 street and park trees. A 2015 research study by the U.S. Forest Service calculated these trees annually deliver $5.1 million dollars' worth of benefits to the community by cleaning the air, increasing property value, and reducing energy use among others. Research has also shown that a good level of tree cover can increase property value from 6% to 9%. Drought directly threatens urban trees, as water is required for healthy growth and functioning. A lack of water causes high levels of stress, increases susceptibility to pathogen attack and can cause eventual death.