City leaders tout success of 3-year initiative with 11K new saplings planted

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - With more than 11,000 new trees planted across Kansas City, local leaders are beaming at the conclusion of a 3-year project.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas announced on Friday, April 25, that he planted the ceremonial 10,000th tree at Ivanhoe Park to mark a milestone in the Tree Preservation and Protection program. The mission was to increase the city’s tree canopy with the addition of 10,000 trees in 3 years.

Mayor Lucas noted that the program exceeded expectations with 11,072 trees planted and distributed to Kansas Citians.

“Planting the ‘10,000th’ tree represents our commitment to creating a greener, healthier Kansas City,” Lucas said. “When we launched the tree-planting initiative, we set an ambitious goal, and I’m proud to announce that we’ve exceeded our target and improved the environment and the tree canopy throughout our city.”

City leaders indicated that the initiative’s success was the result of a collaboration between the Kansas City Parks and Recreation Department, Neighborhood Services Department and Canopy Cover KC. Its roots dig back to March 2023, when the Mayor sponsored the Tree Preservation Protection ordinance to provide $1 million.

After the ordinance was signed, the Mayor said the Canopy Cover KC program was launched in the spring of 223 with 150 trees distributed to residents to mark the beginning of the ambitious effort.

Since then, city officials noted that the program has been bolstered by funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and from the annual budget. The program has rapidly accelerated the distribution and planting of trees citywide.

“From absorbing stormwater to removing pollution from our air, the tree initiative will make Kansas City healthier, safer, and more climate resilient,” added Mayor Lucas. “As our trees grow and thrive, they will serve as a living testament to our shared commitment to environmental stewardship.”

City leaders indicated that the Tree Preservation and Protection initiative engaged community members across the area to plant trees in parks, along streets and in front yards as educational resources on tree care were provided.

The Mayor concluded that urban trees deliver various benefits like the improvement of air quality, reduction of heat and floods, support of wildlife, increase in property values and enhancement of well-being to represent an investment in a healthier and more sustainable Kansas City.

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