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Hennepin County recently completed a GIS assessment to better understand the tree canopy cover in the county. Tree canopy cover takes a 30,000 foot view of a specific area to understand the percentage of land that is covered by leaves during the summer.
Hennepin County's tree canopy cover
Analysis using the University of Minnesota Remote Sensing and Geospatial Analysis Lab's 2015 land cover classification data for the Twin Cities found that the average tree canopy cover for Hennepin County is 27 percent. The map below breaks down the data by city, showing that tree cover is not equally distributed throughout the county.
Using tree canopy cover data
The tree canopy cover metric is used by foresters, urban resource managers, and urban planners to set goals and begin planning processes for urban forests. These goals can be linked to overall sustainability plans or integrated into best management practices for specific projects that involve or impact trees. Goal setting can be focused on overall city goals or on specific areas such as rights-of-way, neighborhoods, land use types, private vs. public property, or parks.
Setting goals for tree canopy cover can help promote the long-term benefits that trees provide, including managing stormwater, lowering the urban heat island effect, reducing air pollution, and providing wildlife habitat.
If you are interested in learning more about tree canopy cover for a specific city or would like to talk about planning for the urban forest, contact Jen Kullgren at jen.kullgren@hennepin.us.
Hennepin County and Golden Valley partner to remove and replace ash trees
This summer, Hennepin County and the City of Golden Valley are partnering to proactively remove and replace 70 ash trees along Winnetka Ave from Hwy 55 to 10th Ave N. Since Winnetka Ave is a county road, the county initiated the project and worked with the city to supplement their ongoing removal project.
Golden Valley developed an emerald ash borer management plan in 2010 with the goal of removing all public ash trees over the course of two decades, which means removing up to 100 trees per year. About 23 percent of trees in Golden Valley parks are ash trees.
The Winnetka Ave removal process is scheduled to begin in August. A diversity of new trees will be planted by community volunteers in October to replace the removed ash trees.
Fall tree plantings
Hennepin County is partnering with the following cities on tree plantings this fall. A variety of trees grown in the county’s gravel-bed nursery will be transplanted to enhance the urban tree canopy at the following sites:
- Weaver Lake Road and Elm Creek Boulevard in Maple Grove
- Winnetka Avenue and Douglas Drive in Golden Valley
- Minnetonka Boulevard in St. Louis Park
- Lake Drive in Robbinsdale
Partner with us
Cities seeking to partner with the county on similar projects should contact Dustin Ellis at dustin.ellis@hennepin.us.
Training class for volunteer tree stewards
 Hennepin County is partnering with the University of Minnesota and the City of St. Louis Park to host a class this September for those interested in becoming tree stewards.
Tree stewards are trained volunteers who learn the basics of tree care and then have opportunities to participate in tree care and tree planting events in their community. If you enjoy being outdoors, love trees and want to help your community, becoming a volunteer tree steward is a perfect way to learn new skills and give back.
The class will be held Wednesday evenings, September 6, 13 and 20 at the St. Louis Park Recreation Center. The class will cover the basics of tree biology and care, including tree identification, health, watering, and pruning using a combination of classroom instructions and hands-on, outdoor field experience.
The class is open to the public, and no experience is needed. Learn more and register.
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Trees and forestry field trip with the Hennepin County Green Partners environmental education network
 The next Hennepin County Green Partners environmental education networking meeting will be an opportunity to learn about all things trees during a tour of tree planting and forestry sites.
Join Hennepin County foresters and fellow environmental educators on Tuesday, August 22 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. to learn about tree planting, tree care, tree identification, emerald ash borer and more.
The tour will start and end at Fort Snelling State Park with stops at the Jordan Tree Orchard and the North High School gravel-bed nursery in north Minneapolis.
Bus transportation to and from Fort Snelling State Park, light breakfast refreshments, and lunch will be provided. Free parking will be available at Fort Snelling State Park with a Hennepin County Green Partners sign provided at the meeting.
RSVPs are required. RSVP to Patience Caso at patience.caso@hennepin.us or 612-348-9352![]( "Call: 612-348-9352") .
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MnSTAC Field Day at the University of Minnesota’s UFORE Nursery
Tour the University of Minnesota’s research nursery to learn about the latest and greatest techniques and tree research. The field day will take place on August 17 at the University of Minnesota’s St. Paul Campus, Field Road North in Falcon Heights.
Attend sessions from 10 a.m. to noon and stay for lunch provided by the Minnesota Society of Arboriculture. A walking tree and shrub identification class will be held after lunch from 1 to 3 p.m. You can earn two ISA Certified Arborist CEUs for completing the walking class.
There is no cost to attend but please RSVP.
Volunteers needed for tree planting in Golden Valley
Volunteers are needed for a tree planting on Saturday, October 21 from 9 a.m. to noon along Winnetka Avenue in Golden Valley. Light refreshments and lunch will be served. Space is limited to 10 volunteers from Golden Valley or that are certified tree stewards.
To volunteer, contact Jen Kullgren at jen.kullgren@hennepin.us or 612-596-1175![]( "Call: 612-596-1175")
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