Urban Forestry

The Mount Horeb Public Services Department is responsible for managing and maintaining Mount Horeb’s urban forest, including over 4,000 street trees and hundreds of park trees. The Village has shown its commitment to forestry management by earning a “Tree City USA” status every year since 1997.

To qualify for Tree City USA, municipalities must have a Tree Board, adopt a Community Tree Ordinance, have a Community Forestry Program, and have an Arbor Day Celebration.

What Is the Urban Forest?

The urban forest consists of all public and private trees in our community. Those trees provide us with many benefits including conserving energy with their shade, reducing stormwater runoff, removing atmospheric pollution such as carbon dioxide, attracting businesses, tourists, and residents, and enhancing our quality of life.

Tree Pruning

Village-owned street trees are located within the Village right-of-way, either behind the curb or between the curb and sidewalk. Village street trees are pruned on a five-year cycle, meaning that each tree gets pruned at least once every five years.

Trees that are young and in a fast-growing stage often require more frequent pruning to provide height clearance and a strong branching structure. All pruning is performed by an International Society of Arboriculture Certified Arborist and follows ANSI Standards for Tree Care Operations.

Tree Removals

A sound forestry management program involves a systematic evaluation of the health and structure of trees. Occasionally, street trees need to be removed for a variety of reasons including poor health, disease, poor structure, vandalism, vehicle collisions, and utility conflicts. When street trees are removed, a replacement tree is planted if there is enough space for one. There is no charge to the adjacent property owner for this service.

Tree Planting

The majority of tree planting takes place in new subdivisions, but trees are also planted in parks, along streets as replacements for trees that have been removed, and in conjunction with street construction projects. The Parks and Forestry Department plants trees in the Village twice a year - spring and fall.