The City of Edwardsville is home to a vast assortment of trees and green space, many of which have grown and flourished for more than a century. This natural abundance is a recognized and valued asset in the City. To celebrate some of the oldest, most notable and significant of these trees and to highlight the importance of preservation, the City has established a Heritage Tree Program.
Through the Heritage Tree Program, the City hopes to encourage efforts to protect, maintain and preserve the trees that are designated for the program. It's also intended to educate all residents on the importance of a healthy tree population, which contributes to the character and well-being of a community. They also serve as critical habitats for wildlife, improve air quality, and provide cooling shade that helps to combat the urban heat island effect.
What Trees Are Eligible?
For a tree to be considered for this voluntary program, it must meet one or more criteria in the following categories:
- SIZE: The tree is in the top 10% of tree sizes of its inventoried species in Edwardsville.
- RARITY: It is a one-of-a-kind tree due to species type, characteristic and/or a species of less than 10% of all inventoried trees in Edwardsville.
- HISTORIC OR NOTABLE EVENT: There is a documented association with a historic event of 75 or more years ago and/or a more recent event of notable worth.
- AGE: The tree is more than 100 years old.
- SPECIAL ECOLOGICAL VALUE: The tree is shown to provide soil stabilization, an important genetic resource, or offers critical habitat for important plant or animal species.
- LOCATION: The tree is considered of public value as a prominent visual focal point as viewed from public streets and right-of-ways.
- AESTHETICS: The tree has a distinct or unusually appealing visual characteristic.
