Urban Forestry Commission 

The people of Edmond clearly love trees. In the early 1900s, leaders campaigned to plant trees on the flat, treeless prairie. One hundred years later, local citizens convinced the City of Edmond that protecting the trees and the cross-timbers was a priority. 

In 1999, the Edmond Urban Forestry Commission was formed to preserve and enhance Edmond’s tree presence. Now, five full-time employees manage an array of tree-related projects. The team identifies public safety concerns, maintains public trees in parks and medians, enforces codes, and hosts community events. 

“I love connecting people with the trees in their community,” said Leigh Martin, Urban Forester. “Urban Forestry has a strong focus on outreach, hosting volunteer opportunities, tree distributions, classes and more. It’s fun running into past program participants at events and hearing stories about trees they have received from us.” 

Martin, a Tulsa native, attended Oklahoma State University for her forestry degree, where she was introduced to the concept of managing trees in urban environments. Since 2009, she has been a steward of tree health and diversity in Edmond. 

Big, Special, Old Trees 

One project close to Martin’s heart is the Legacy Tree registry. “It highlights significant trees in the community due to their size, botanical interest, landmark location, community ties, or association with a historical event. If the tree meets certain criteria, it can be nominated as a Legacy Tree,” Martin said. 

Legacy Trees located on public property or with a private owner’s permission are added to an interactive online map showing the tree’s location and history. Many of the trees are located at Edmond’s oldest schools and parks, and a few trees in east Edmond are identified as pre-Land Run trees. 

Urban Forestry collaborated with Dr. Chad King from the University of Central Oklahoma biology department to date the oldest trees. “He and his students study tree rings by taking core samples to determine the age,” Martin said. “There’s a huge burr oak at Danforth and Douglas that’s 170 years old!” 

Keeping Trees While Keeping People Safe 

In addition to tree advocacy, Urban Forestry employees must address tree condition and risk. “Public safety is a priority,” Martin said. “Trees are dynamic organisms. We administer a proactive pruning cycle to address concerns such as dead and damaged branches, and when necessary, removal of dead or high risk trees.” 

Removing old-growth trees for new construction, however, has recently been on the community’s radar since east Edmond development ramped up. As a result, Urban Forestry has worked to incentivize the preservation of existing trees during property development. Ordinances that require landscape plantings or save existing trees are what Martin calls “a good step” toward preserving the natural environment. 

“In 2021, Edmond was the first city in Oklahoma to adopt tree preservation requirements,” Martin said. 

Long Live the Trees 

Urban Forestry is already working to prepare the next generation to love trees by reaching out to students through nature classes, educational programs, and art opportunities. Their biggest outreach event is the Arbor Week 5th Grade Art Contest, called Trees in Our Town. The students win tree-related prizes, and their art is displayed at the Edmond History Museum. 

“It’s fun seeing how proud the kids are of their trees,” Martin said. “Our goal is to instill an appreciation for trees by creating positive memorable experiences. We hope Edmond’s long-term investment to value our trees will continue into the future.” 

Learn more about the Edmond Urban Forestry Commission at edmondok.gov/614/Urban-Forestry.