Project Summary
Cuyahoga County’s Healthy Urban Tree Canopy (HUTC) grant program was established in 2019 to assist communities and nonprofits in reversing the trend of tree canopy loss that has persisted over decades. In 2024, West Creek assisted the City of Parma in winning an award of $107,400 through the HUTC grant program; these funds were used to plant 200 native trees at Marlborough Park. As these newly planted trees grow, they will restore a vibrant tree canopy around a recently improved playground, benefitting a local elementary school and neighborhoods in the surrounding area.
This project builds on a 2023 HUTC-funded reforestation initiative completed in partnership between West Creek Conservancy and the City of Parma at Walters Grove Park. 400 new trees have been planted in the past two years between these two projects, supporting the City of Parma’s goal of increasing its tree canopy from 26% to 40%.
Project Partners
The Marlborough Park Tree Canopy Restoration project was made possible through the ongoing partnership between West Creek Conservancy and the City of Parma, with funding provided by Cuyahoga County through its Healthy Urban Tree Canopy grant program. Bartlett Tree Experts completed the tree planting, with ongoing maintenance provided by City of Parma staff and West Creek volunteers.
Expected Outcomes and Benefits
Cuyahoga County has continued to lose tree canopy over decades of development and suburbanization. Data from the 2019 Cuyahoga County Urban Tree Canopy Assessment revealed a net loss of 6.1% in the county’s tree canopy between 2011 and 2017. Tree planting projects like the Marlborough Park project help to reverse this trend of tree canopy loss, ensuring the many benefits of a healthy urban tree canopy – including cooling air temperatures on high heat days, reducing stormwater runoff, improving air and water quality, and supporting people’s mental and physical health – can be enjoyed by all for generations to come.
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