Missoula's Urban Forest
The trees of Missoula’s urban forest provide countless environmental, health and social benefits. They have helped create Missoula’s unique character while fostering a strong sense of community.
History
“The first record of trees being imported into the Missoula valley dates to 1874 when Judge Frank Woody and Francis Worden planted the first fruit trees, cherry and apple. That same year Francis Worden planted imported Norway Maples around his home on East Pine Street.” - Missoula Urban Forest Master Management Plan, pg 15
With Missoula’s geological history, its valley floor is not ideal for trees.
“As the glacial lake filled and drained over the years, much of the top soil was stripped away leaving a flat valley floor with a thin, nutrient-poor soil layer covering a deep, gravelly bed. The City of Missoula was built directly on top of this layer and therefore does not have a soil base with adequate nutrients or water retention necessary for trees to grow and thrive. Before settlement, the Missoula valley was a broad plane without trees except for the small riparian zones of the Clark Fork River and its tributaries.”
- Missoula Urban Forest Master Management Plan, pg 15
Considering the geological events that left minimal soil combined with Missoula’s semi-arid climate, extra care in choosing, planting and watering trees is an absolute necessity.
Missoula Urban Forest Facts (from 2013 Missoula Street Tree Inventory)
Number of Trees: 22,537 (As of May 2018 we have 29,656 trees that provide $102,029,830 in benefits.)
Replacement Value: $22.9 M
Property Values Increased: $2 M
Unique Species: 117
Stormwater Runoff Reduction: 12 M gallons annually
Air Pollutants Removed: 2,011 lbs. annually
Energy Saved: 1,926,018 Kwh and 181,726 Therms annually
Carbon Dioxide Sequestered: 290,483 lbs. annually
Carbon Dioxide Avoided: 335,941 lbs. annually