Civics 101: Westminster’s Urban Forest
And a Special Event on Aug 28
If you missed it, see my previous newsletter:
Agenda
Civics 101: Westminster’s Urban Forest
🚨 Special Events 🚨
August 28 at 6PM will be a special event with coverage of Westminster City Council, Westminster Public Schools, Adams 12, and JeffCo School Board; will include guest speakers: State Rep Lorena Garcia, Councilor Amber Hott and the candidates will speak and bring literature for attendees to take. Reply to this email for the address.
Civics 101: Westminster’s Urban Forest
“Civics 101” is a series where I shed light on the inner workings of our government and tackle important topics of our political discourse with the public. It's an educational initiative designed to break down complex processes and foster an informed, active community.
I have written countless Civics 101 lessons. Here is a small collection for your perusal:
Westminster has about 184,700 trees.
Roughly 19,400 are publicly managed by the City, while the rest grow on private property, rights-of-way, and open spaces.
Together they form our “urban forest,” which includes everything from street trees and parks to trail corridors, stormwater landscaping, and backyard plantings.
Tree canopy (the area shaded by tree cover) currently spans 11.6% of the city, just above the national average. Westminster’s canopy provides an estimated $705,000 in annual benefits by improving air quality and reducing stormwater runoff. That figure does not even include other gains like property value, energy savings, or public health improvements. The City’s inventoried public trees alone represent an asset value of $26.4 million, about $230 per tree or $26 per resident.
A 2023 inventory found that 10 species make up more than half of all public and private right-of-way trees, leaving our forest vulnerable if pests target a dominant type. Current threats include the emerald ash borer, ips beetle, elm leaf beetle, and thyronectria canker.
Managing the urban forest falls to a small team: only four full-time forestry staff. They maintain city trees, respond to about 1,000 service requests each year, recycle branches, and run programs like Arbor Day events, ReLeaf Westy, and Mulch Madness.
Still, the numbers show a challenge: …
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…from 2013 to 2023, the City removed 4,875 trees but planted only 2,523, an unsustainable gap. Most public trees (84%) are still in good condition, but routine pruning and watering are the top maintenance needs.
The new Urban Forest Management Plan sets a goal to raise canopy coverage to 14% by 2050. That requires planting about 900 trees per year for the next decade, with a projected cost of $612,000 annually. The plan also calls for hiring more arborists, diversifying tree species for climate resilience, and updating city ordinances to strengthen protections.
Community priorities shape the plan. Residents emphasized tree equity, focusing plantings in underserved neighborhoods, along with private property incentives, youth engagement, and partnerships with nonprofits and businesses. To succeed, the plan recommends shifting staff away from non-forestry duties like snow removal and holiday lighting so more hours go into tree care.
Westminster scored 55% on a U.S. Forest Service audit of sustainable urban forestry practices. That is a solid foundation, but also a reminder that building a resilient forest takes steady investment.
The lesson is simple: urban forests do not grow by accident.
They are built…tree by tree… ordinance by ordinance… and with residents’ hands in the soil. Westminster’s green future depends on planting smarter, protecting better, and treating our trees not just as decoration, but as living infrastructure that sustains the whole city.
About Obi Ezeadi
Obi Ezeadi is a first-generation American with a diverse background in entrepreneurship and business leadership across healthcare, housing, technology, transportation, and hospitality. As a City Councilor, he champions economic, democratic, and personal freedoms, ensuring prosperity and protection for families, seniors, and local small businesses.
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Click: Obi’s Community Resources Master List
This page has a collection of links to important community resources related to water bills, housing, healthcare and more. If you know of a resource that should be added to this list, please email me to let me know!
Link to my full voting record.
Some ways I try to meet you where you are:
I hold weekly office hours (every Monday at 4:30PM at City Hall) - no appointment needed
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Text or call me: 720-447-5606
Door-knocking (not for an election) to meet you where you are, connect you to resources and hear from you about issues I should prioritize
City Council Town Halls around the city
My niece is an urban botanist in NYC. She did a pop up forest project years ago. Worked for the city Parks Department but now she’s independent. Also created NYC Wildflower Week years ago & it grows & grows. She’s a big proponent of urban forests & planting indigenous species. I love that you’re addressing trees in urban areas.