Trees and forestry

Trees and forests provide many benefits, including improving our air and water, making ourselves and our communities healthier, reducing the urban heat island effect, providing wildlife habitat, saving energy and increasing property values.

The tree canopy in Hennepin County faces a number of threats, including development, insects and diseases, climate extremes, and poor installation and maintenance. The county has programs and resources available to help protect and enhance our tree canopy.

Learn more about forestry work, access updates, and ask questions on the Urban and Community Forestry page on Be Heard Hennepin.

Emerald ash borer

Emerald ash borer, an invasive tree pest that attacks and kills ash trees, is the biggest current threat to our tree canopy. There are over 1 million ash trees in Hennepin County, and 100 percent of them are threatened by the emerald ash borer. All ash trees in the county that aren't being treated are likely infested with emerald ash borer, an invasive tree pest from Asia that kills ash trees.

If you have ash trees on your property, it's time to start thinking about what you're going to do to treat or remove them.

Learn more about the threat of emerald ash borer and options for managing ash trees

Resources about managing ash trees from the threat of emerald ash borer

Hennepin County has several resources to learn about emerald ash borer and options for managing ash trees:

Emerald ash borer brochure

• Emerald ash borer brochure - English (PDF, 3MB)
• Emerald ash borer brochure - large print English (PDF, 4MB)
• Emerald ash borer brochure - Hmong (PDF, 3MB)
• Emerald ash borer brochure - Somali (PDF, 3MB)
• Emerald ash borer brochure - Spanish (PDF, 3MB)

Ash tree identification card

• Ash tree identification card - English (PDF, 1MB)
• Ash tree identification card - large print English (PDF, 2MB)
• Ash tree identification card - Hmong (PDF, 1MB)
• Ash tree identification card - Somali (PDF, 1MB)
• Ash tree identification card - Spanish (PDF, 1MB)

Ash tree identification and decision guide

• Decision guide for managing ash trees - English (PDF, 3MB)
• Decision guide for managing ash trees - large print English (PDF, 7MB)
• Decision guide for managing ash trees - Hmong (PDF, 3MB)
• Decision guide for managing ash trees - Somali (PDF, 3MB)
• Decision guide for managing ash trees - Spanish (PDF, 3MB)

Funding for removals

In early 2024 Hennepin County was awarded 10 million dollars in funding from the U.S. Forest Service to remove diseased trees, plant trees, educate residents, and support businesses and workforce development. Work on this project will begin in spring 2024 and continue through January 31, 2029. Hennepin County will help homeowners with low incomes get trees removed and replaced on their properties. Applications will be accepted from residents beginning in June 2024.

Visit Be Heard Hennepin to stay up to date, subscribe for updates, ask questions, and find application materials.

Spread the word

Use these resources to help spread the word about emerald ash borer and options for managing ash trees:

• Newsletter and social media posts (DOCX, 22MB)
• Spread of emerald ash borer image (GIF, 1MB)
• Decision guide for managing ash trees (JPG, 1MB) 

Learning series: trees and forests

We offer free monthly learning opportunities about trees and forests for residents. These sessions require no previous knowledge and are open to the public. See below for meeting topics and registration links.

For notice of future training topics and when registration opens, subscribe to the urban and community forestry newsletter.

Upcoming sessions flyer (PDF, 1MB) 

Fruit tree pruning

Monday, March 16 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Hennepin County Orchard in Minneapolis

Learn best practices for fruit tree pruning and care from Hennepin County Foresters. Topics will include growing fruit trees and shrubs in small spaces, pruning for best fruit production and/or flowering, and protecting trees from disease and damage. Get answers from the experts to questions about tree and shrub care.

This workshop will be fully outdoors. We will meet at the Hennepin County urban fruit orchard on the corner of 25th Avenue N and Hillside Avenue N, one block east of Penn Avenue N in Minneapolis.

Register for March 16 fruit tree pruning

Map to bus, bike, drive, or walk to the Hennepin County Orchard

Tree species selection

Tuesday, April 7 from 4 to 6 p.m. at Folwell Park in Minneapolis

Join Hennepin County Foresters to learn about how to select the right tree species to plant depending on your planting location! We will discuss many factors you should consider when planning to plant a tree, resources on recommended tree species for Hennepin County, and tree care will be provided.
This workshop will be fully outdoors. We will meet outside of the recreation center on Dowling Ave. Map to bus, bike, drive, or walk to Folwell Park.

Register for April 7 tree species selection

Map to bus, bike, drive, or walk to Folwell Park

Recordings and resources from past trainings

Identifying common diseases and infestations in trees webinar

Held April 2024

Brian Schwingle, the Forest Health Program Coordinator from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, educates about common diseases and infestation of trees, including emerald ash borer, Dutch elm disease, and oak wilt. Watch a recording of this training.

Tree planting and selection webinar

Held May 2024

Get insight on how to select the right tree(s) for your property and learn techniques from the experts for planting bare root, containerized, and balled and burlap trees. Watch a recording of the tree planting and selection webinar.

Tree planting, identification, and care resources

Tree planting and care

Recommended trees

Order or download a copy of the recommended trees booklet to help develop a planting plan for properties in Hennepin County. This is a great resource to bring with you when shopping for trees! 

When developing a planting plan, use the county's recommended tree list (XLSX, 1MB).

Terrestrial invasive species

There are many invasive plants of concern in Minnesota. Learn how to identify and prevent the spread of terrestrial invasive species. Learn more and access helpful resources about terrestrial invasive species on the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources website.

Planting and tree care videos

Learn how to plant a seedling from a Hennepin County forester in this short video:

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has also produced helpful videos and resources for planting trees and caring for newly planted trees.

Get to know your neighborhood trees

Neighborhood tree bingo

Take a walk around your neighborhood or visit a local park and see how many of these common urban trees you can find on our Neighborhood Tree Bingo card.

• Tree bingo card (PDF, 3MB)
• Tree bingo card (JPG, 1MB)

Tree identification guides

Use these resources to help with tree identification:

• Hennepin County and the University of Minnesota's Tree identification guide (PDF, 5MB)
• University of Minnesota's A beginner's guide to Minnesota trees
• University of Wisconsin's Winter tree ID guide (PDF, 3MB)

Tree steward classes and volunteer opportunities

Hennepin County offers training classes and volunteer opportunities to learn about tree care, improve tree health in your community, and educate others about trees.

Tree steward classes

Tree steward classes cover the basics of tree biology, tree planting, watering, pruning, and tree health through a combination of classroom instruction and hands-on, outdoor field experience. Classes are offered in partnership with the University of Minnesota and host cities.

After completing the class, volunteers have opportunities to help plant and care for trees with the county and partnering organizations.

Classes are open to the public, and no experience is needed. The University of Minnesota provides the necessary tools and safety equipment. Participants should dress appropriately for being outside. Lunch is provided.

Upcoming classes

There are no classes scheduled at this time.

Community volunteer tree plantings

There are no community volunteer tree plantings scheduled at this time.

Urban and Community Forestry

Hennepin County is working to improve tree canopy resilience to climate change, pests, storms, and extreme heat events. The tree canopy in Hennepin County faces a number of threats, including development, insects and diseases, climate extremes, and poor installation and maintenance.

Hennepin County forestry is helping homeowners with low incomes get trees removed and replaced on their properties as well as learn more about tree care and benefits. This work, funded by a U.S. Forest Service grant, this work addresses a significant need identified by community members as the emerald ash borer has swept through the county.

County foresters are also collaborating with the Minnesota Department of Transportation to plant 160 trees across seven sites on state rights-of-way along interstate 94 corridor in Minneapolis during the spring of 2024. These sites present an opportunity to increase the environmental and public health benefits that come from roadside trees.

Learn more about this work, access updates, subscribe to a newsletter, and ask questions on the Urban and Community Forestry page on Be Heard Hennepin.

Planting projects and reforestation

Hennepin County plants and maintains trees on sites throughout the county in partnership with cities, libraries, community organization and schools. Planting projects include along county roadways, at county libraries and facilities, at schools and parks, and in natural areas and conservation easements.

Gravel-bed nursery

Most of the trees the county plants come from the county's gravel-bed nursery, located at the Hennepin County Adult Corrections Facility in Plymouth. The gravel-bed nursery gives the county access to hardy, diverse and cost-effective trees for use on county projects and properties.

Every spring, 1,000 young saplings of a variety of species are purchased from commercial nurseries and planted in the gravel-bed. The trees grow and develop a good root structure throughout the summer, and are ready to be transplanted in the fall.

Compared to conventional nursery trees, the gravel-bed nursery gives the county access to a wider diversity of tree species, produces trees that have a good survival rate, and allows the county to plant trees in a more cost-effective manner. The gravel-bed nursery is also helping the county proactively replace ash trees that will ultimately be infested with the emerald ash borer.

Planting projects

Trees from the gravel-bed nursery are transplanted to a variety of county projects and properties.

Examples of planting projects that the county has or is working on include:

• Arbor Day plantings at various locations
• Community locations, including along the Midtown Greenway, at schools and in parks
• Hennepin County facilities and libraries
• Restoration projects in natural areas and conservation easements
• Transportation and transit corridors

Independence conservation easement planting project

Check out this video of our tree planting project at a conservation easement in Independence. We planted 15,000 seedling trees to protect habitat and enhance our tree canopy. This is one of the many projects we're doing to act boldly on climate change. We have committed to planting 1 million trees by 2030 and acquiring 6,000 acres of conservation easements by 2040. Learn more about conservation easements.

Assistance available

Cities and government organizations

Fill out the planting assistance form to express interest in a potential partnership to plant trees on city owned or managed lands that need forest improvement work, reforestation work, or afforestation work. The form can be filled out whether the project is just in planning stages or already underway. Hennepin county can provide assistance in the form of trees and planting labor, with some limited capacity for assistance with site prep.

Planting project and gravel-bed nursery assistance

If you are looking for assistance with a planting project or are interested in installing a gravel-bed nursery, contact Jack Lucas at jack.lucas@hennepin.us or 651-724-5818.

Community forestry strategic plan and progress reports

Community Forestry Strategic Plan

Our Community Forestry Strategic Plan (PDF, 3MB) defines goals and objectives that the county's forestry program will pursue from 2020 to 2025 to protect the county's tree canopy and increase the benefits that trees provide.

The plan includes more than 50 strategies to achieve the following goals:

• Plant, diversify, and maintain trees throughout Hennepin County
• Increase the resiliency of Hennepin County's community forest
• Build organizational capacity to support, value, and maintain trees
• Educate and engage residents to become stewards of the community forest

Together, the strategies outlined in this plan will build stronger internal and external partnerships, get more people involved in caring for trees, and increase awareness of the values of trees. They will also establish effective forestry policies, better prepare communities for current and future threats to trees, ensure trees are used to reduce disparities and respond to climate change, and capture success stories that inspire further action. Pursuing all these strategies will create a healthier and more resilient community forest and ensure more equitable opportunities for communities to experience the benefits that trees provide.

Developing the plan

The strategic plan was developed using a participatory planning process that incorporated feedback from both internal and external partners.

Through a series of workshops, county staff developed a vision for the future of the forestry program, recognized potential barriers, identified strategies, and drafted goals.

A meeting with external partners was held to gather feedback on the draft goals and strategies. The meeting had 40 participants representing forestry and public works programs in Hennepin County cities, past recipients of Heathy Tree Canopy grants, state and regional governmental agencies involved in natural resource management, the University of Minnesota, and local nonprofits involved in green space management and education. Key insights from those meetings were incorporated into the plan.

Implementing the plan

Hennepin County foresters are beginning to implement strategies identified in the plan as they carry out their 2021 work plan. The plan will be submitted to the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners for formal adoption along with the updated Natural Resources Strategic Plan later this year.

Hennepin County foresters are interested in discussing partnership opportunities that help meet the goals of the strategic plan or hearing any additional ideas you have. Connect with them by emailing trees@hennepin.us.

Community forestry progress report: 2024

Creating a community forestry program in the Environment and Energy Department was part of the county's expanded role in natural resource conservation. The forestry program focuses on protecting the county's tree canopy to increase the benefits that trees provide. Trees improve air quality by absorbing fine particulate matter and other pollutants and protect water by slowing down and infiltrating stormwater runoff. They also provide shade, reduce the urban heat island effect, lower stress, and increase property values.

Aspects of the county's forestry program include growing healthy trees, partnering in large-scale planting events, managing threats to the tree canopy, raising awareness about tree pests and disease, educating the public on the benefits of trees and supporting partners through the Healthy Tree Canopy Grant program.

Hennepin County foresters were busy throughout 2024. Some highlights of the work that was accomplished include:

• Planted 1,956 gravel bed trees and shrubs throughout the county.
• Planted 30,345 seedlings.
• Removed 115 trees on private property of homeowners with low incomes.
• Held a tree sale where residents purchased nearly 8,350 seedlings.
• Funded 17 Healthy Tree Canopy grant projects totaling $433,923. The grants include thirteen cities, two affordable housing providers, and ten schools and nonprofits. More than 920 trees will be planted or treated through grant projects.
• Planted 72 different species of trees to maximize tree canopy diversity and resilience.

Learn more in the 2024 Community forestry annual report (PDF, 3MB).

Additional reports

• 2023 Community forestry annual report (PDF, 5MB) 

Disposing of tree waste

Tree waste is a valuable resource that can be recycled into compost. It is illegal to put this kind of waste in your household garbage.

Leaves can be composted in your backyard or brought to a yard waste site.

Branches, logs and stumps should be brought to a yard waste site. See a listing of yard waste sites in Hennepin County.