How to Care for our Urban Trees and the Park Strip

Trees in the park strip are City-owned trees. Please do not alter these trees, which comprise SLC’s 85,000 strong urban forest. Our Division of Urban Forestry will prune, remove, and plant trees in the park strip. Call (801) 972-7818 to request service.

by Sydney Boogaard, SLCgreen intern

It’s a beautiful summer’s day as you walk through the neighborhood with your favorite furry friend at your side. The shade from the trees helps cool the summer heat as you pad along… sound like a lovely afternoon?  We think so. And we have our vibrant urban forest to say thank you to.

Our urban forest comprises nearly 85,000 public trees, including 63,000 street trees and 22,000 trees that reside in our city’s parks and open spaces. These indispensable trees are cared for and maintained by Salt Lake City’s Urban Forestry Division.

Why are Urban Forests Important?

A 2010 census reported that nearly eighty-one percent of Americans now live in urban centers. This means urban forests are becoming more important than ever. They provide essential benefits to our populations and wildlife. Urban trees contribute to cleaning our air, filtering our water, controlling storm water, conserving energy, and providing shade for us and our local animal life. Not to mention, they are aesthetically pleasing, strengthen social structures, and add significant economic value to our communities.

The majority of these trees are located in park strips. So, you may ask, what is the park strip, why is it there, and what do you do with it?

What is a Park Strip?

The park strip is the ground area situated between the back of the curb and the sidewalk or– if there is no sidewalk– the back of the curb and the right of way line.

The city’s park strips play a vital role in contributing to Salt Lake City’s urban forest. Additionally, these spaces provide access for repairs and maintenance to public utilities.

Rose Park street, courtesy Wikimedia.

Salt Lake City’s Urban Forestry Division is responsible for any major maintenance and service to all city trees within the park strip.

They offer various services to help maintain the urban forest:

• Online planting and tree care guidance for residents.
• Treatment for insect and disease issues that affect trees located on public property.
• Tree pruning and crown training for street and park trees (to keep them safe and healthy).
• Tree and stump removal (for trees that have died or become unstable).
• Street tree planting (if you have a suitable planting spot on your park strip).
• Front yard tree planting (for properties adjacent to narrow park strips)
• Permitting for private companies to plant, prune, or remove a City tree (in certain circumstances).

The guidelines for our park strip and street trees are essential to the health of our urban forest:

• There should be one tree for each 30 feet of street frontage.
• No tree shall be planted without a permit from the Urban Forestry Division.
• Tree species and location will be approved by the Urban Forester.
• You may prune, remove or alter your street tree if you obtain a permit from the Urban Forestry Office for service provided by a certified arborist.

To request service for a city tree or to ask questions, contact the Urban Forestry office at (801) 972-7818 or urban.forestry@slcgov.com.

How to Water a New Park Strip Tree

After Salt Lake City plants a tree in your park strip, how do you take care of it?  Here are some important guidelines on watering:

1. The watering bags are intended to supplement other watering techniques (they are not effective as the sole source of water for trees).
2. The watering bags should be filled twice a week. In addition, please provide supplemental watering with an automatic irrigation system, or hose.
3. Begin your tree watering schedule in late March or early April, and continue until the tree goes dormant in autumn.
4. Watering bags should be removed after a tree’s first growing season to prevent damage to the tree’s trunk.
5. After removing the watering bag, trees will still need a deep watering once a week to stay healthy (twice a week when it is really hot out).

Salt Lake City has a beautiful urban forest, comprised of many trees in the park strip.

What Should I do With My Park Strip? 

Beyond serving as a home to city trees, the park strip allows access to the city’s public utilities. This is is why it’s crucial for residents to follow regulations for helping the City maintain access.

These regulations include the following (see PDF and the code here for a complete list):

• Trash, other debris, and noxious weeds should be removed from the park strip.
• Sufficient water should be supplied for groundcover, shrubs, plants, and trees.
• Thirty-three percent or more of the park strip should be covered with vegetation. (This reduces the urban heat island effect and helps with stormwater runoff).
• There should be no concrete in a park strip with existing street trees.
• Asphalt is prohibited in the park strip.
• Thorn-bearing plants are prohibited in the park strip.
• Retaining walls, fences, or steps are prohibited in the park strip.
• Plants should not be above 22 inches in height, though specimen plants can be up to 36 inches in height as long as they do not block sightlines.
• Larger rocks should be buried at least one third the depth of the rock.

For more information on the park strip, visit Salt Lake City’s Building Services website.

If You Xeriscape . . .

Xeriscaping is a great way to save water while keeping the park strip looking attractive. However, remember that 33% of the park strip should be planted with vegetation.  The vegetation and any trees should continue to be watered to keep them healthy.

Not providing adequate water to park strip trees can kill them.

Help us protect our urban forest and be sure to give your tree one deep irrigation per week during the growing season and two during the hottest parts of the year.  

If you have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to our arborists for personalized care tips for your park strip tree!

Salt Lake City’s urban forest is crucial for the health and welfare of our citizens and environment.

We hope these instructions will assist you in developing and conserving your park strip and helping us all enjoy the benefits of Salt Lake City’s trees!