The city of Corona won the 2023 Helen Putnam Award for Excellence in the Planning and Environmental Quality category. For more information about the award program, visit www.helenputnam.org.

In 2020, the city of Corona had a pressing environmental challenge: 15,000 missing trees and a glaring absence of a cohesive forestry strategy. But today, Corona finds itself in a distinctly positive trajectory.

This transformation was underscored by the city’s recent recognition by the Arbor Day Foundation as a Tree City USA community. This accolade symbolizes both Corona’s commitment to reinvigorating its green spaces and its newfound dedication to urban forestry and environmental stewardship.

“It’s one of the sadder things to see a bunch of the empty tree wells,” said Council Member Wes Speake. “So, I’m happy to see that we’re going to be filling those up!”

Although an integral part of a city ecosystem, urban forests are often undervalued, neglected, or mismanaged. However, trees provide significant environmental, aesthetic, and social benefits. They can filter pollutants from the air, provide shade, and boost mental health.

A knotty challenge

Beginning in the 1980s, Corona experienced major growth — and with that, new landscaping responsibilities. Several factors, including the 2008 economic downturn, put a dent in the health of city trees. A lack of an integrated forest management plan and significant budgetary constraints led to a pattern of politically reactive pruning, deferred maintenance, unnecessary tree removal, and unfilled tree wells.

In 2019, city leaders decided they needed a framework to guide the protection and investment of the city’s urban forest — one based on best management practices and professional tree care standards. The city meticulously identified areas where infrastructure and community services needed improvement. One key initiative involved conducting a thorough inventory of city trees, mapping their locations, and assessing their health. This helped the city understand ecological gaps and prioritize maintenance and planting efforts.

The city applied for a grant in partnership with CAL FIRE that focused on mitigating dead or diseased trees. Funding in hand, the city began identifying and removing declining trees in early 2020. Soon after, the city began replanting a mix of trees and providing information to residents about the benefits of removing the declining trees and replacing them at a 2:1 ratio. These replanted trees play a vital role in maintaining ecological balance. They help mitigate climate change and improve air quality while contributing to urban cooling and providing shade for people.

Studies consistently show that exposure to greenery can reduce stress levels, enhance people’s moods, and improve overall mental health. By strategically planting trees in urban environments, the city not only beautified its landscapes but contributed to making Corona a healthier, more resilient community. Apart from sustaining the urban canopy, officials also focused on creating visually aesthetic landscaping, as well as maintaining and encouraging a diversity of trees, both in age and species.

A year later in 2021, the city council approved the Urban Forest Management Plan, establishing guidelines for the care and protection of trees. This includes requirements for tree inspections, inventory, maintenance, removal, replacement, and planting, as well as educational and community outreach guidelines.

The plan also serves as the guiding document for correlated landscaping and vegetation maintenance programs. A major goal of the plan is to plant 15,000 trees over a five-year period!

The development of Corona’s Urban Forest Management Plan was made possible through a partnership with the California Urban Forests Council and the Western Chapter International Society of Arboriculture. West Coast Arborists has partnered with the city for nearly 20 years. Patrick Mahoney, president of West Coast Arborist, praised the city’s proactive approach to tree planting and grid tree pruning.

“Our partnership ensures that the city’s urban forest is not only kept healthy and vibrant for future generations but is also managed with the best practices in mind, providing fair and equitable services to the community of Corona,” he said.

Sprucing up Corona

For the city, the revitalized tree canopy is part of creating a community where everyone can thrive. To date, Corona has hosted 25 cleanup events. More than 1,200 volunteers and city employees have planted nearly 6,000 trees.

“There are a lot of volunteer opportunities! I love that! There’s a lot going on!” said Corona Council Member Jacque Casillas. 

Landscaping professionals have also trimmed more than 30,000 trees. Additionally, the city established an interactive grid trimming map where residents can obtain information on scheduling and preventative maintenance.  

The city’s annual investment of nearly $3.5 million in its urban forest has removed an estimated 677.22 tons of carbon. Corona has over 59,700 trees and 14,000 planting sites and the estimated value of its tree inventory is $168,598,070.

Corona’s Urban Forest Management Plan demonstrates how a strategic and systematic approach utilizing industry standards and best practices can engage the community, introduce operational efficiencies, and increase the quality of life of residents in a community. From a city grappling with a significant tree deficit to one recognized for its proactive efforts, Corona stands as a testament to the power of community-driven initiatives and strategic environmental planning.

Moses Cortez is the facilities parks and trails manager for the city of Corona; he can be reached at moses.cortez@coronaca.gov or (951) 739-4957. Watch this video for an overview of the Urban Forest Management Plan.