Together, we’re reforesting The Forest City.
Our Mission
The Cleveland Tree Coalition (CTC) is a collaborative group of public, private, and community stakeholders. We’ve partnered with the City of Cleveland to rebuild our urban forest using the Cleveland Tree Plan as our guide. The Cleveland Tree Canopy Goal aims to increase the city’s urban tree canopy cover from 18% to 30%. The coalition strives to create a healthy and vibrant urban forest by working collaboratively and leveraging resources.
Why Trees?
Tree canopy refers to the part of a city that is shaded by trees. If you were a bird flying high above Cleveland, you could look down over the city. The tree leaves and branches covering the ground is our tree canopy.
Cleveland was once nicknamed The Forest City, but since the 1950’s, the city has lost about half its tree canopy. The current canopy cover is 18% and each year an estimated 75 acres of tree canopy is lost. At this rate, canopy will drop to 14% by 2040 unless we act now.
Trees are a critical piece of our community. Trees make us healthier and safer, add economic value to our homes and businesses, help us mitigate flooding, and provide critical wildlife habitat. Cleveland is in the midst of citywide neighborhood revitalization to improve the quality of life for all citizens and improving tree canopy is an important element in that transformation.
Our People
Ryan Grzybowksi, Communications Specialist
Caroline Baas, Intern
Max Bernhofer, Intern
Sara Tillie, Director
Our Plans
The Cleveland Tree Coalition (CTC) is a collaborative group of public, private, and community stakeholders. We’ve partnered with the City of Cleveland to rebuild our urban forest using the Cleveland Tree Plan as our guide. The Cleveland Tree Canopy Goal aims to increase the city’s urban tree canopy cover from 18% to 30%. The coalition strives to create a healthy and vibrant urban forest by working collaboratively and leveraging resources.