Bozeman forestry staff propose Arbor Day planting sites to restore canopy and improve water quality

Alex Nordquist, the city’s urban forestry division manager, presented three candidate sites and a plan for Arbor Day 2025 at the Jan. 23 Urban Parks and Forestry Board meeting, urging a planting effort focused on canopy restoration and water‑quality benefits.

Nordquist told the board Arbor Day (the last Friday in April) is an opportunity for a visible restoration push. “We’re not looking at cash in lieu funds for these efforts. We are looking for some quick fixes in some focused areas and I think it’s a bit restorative,” he said, and noted Arbor Day 2025 is April 25. Staff recommended Flanders Creek Park, Oak Springs Park and sections along Laurel Parkway for larger plantings and shade at playgrounds.

Nordquist outlined site rationales: Flanders Creek Park has turf and irrigation but limited canopy and nearby ponds where shade would aid water quality; Oak Springs Park is heavily used for athletics and offers peripheral boulevard planting opportunities that won’t conflict with fields; Laurel Parkway playgrounds are exposed and would benefit from shade trees or shade cloth for play equipment. He told the board he expects to avoid planting within athletic field interiors and will check utilities and irrigation lines before planting.

On species and maintenance, Nordquist said park plantings allow more native species and diversity than street boulevards. He described the city inventory as heavily weighted toward two genera — ash (Fraxinus) and maples (Acer) — and said staff will emphasize greater species diversity for resilience. The forestry division will provide establishment care and a multi‑year maintenance plan for planted trees.

Public comment highlighted riparian restoration and the broader ecological benefits of trees. Lily McClain of the Gallatin Watershed Council urged work on riparian corridors and noted that returning channels and banks to native vegetation requires sustained follow‑up beyond a single planting day. “Planting trees along watercourses...restoring our riparian corridors is, like, the single most powerful thing we can do for flood and erosion, safety or mitigation and ... wildlife habitat,” McClain said.

Nordquist asked the board for feedback and said staff will return with a selected site and a finalized volunteer plan and planting list. The board discussed integrating Arbor Day work with the department’s broader grant and master‑planning efforts so selected plantings complement future capital projects.