A partnership between the City of Chattanooga, Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center and EPB aims to put 1,000 free trees in the hands of Chattanooga residents and EPB customers.
Local EPB customers can receive up to two free trees per household while the supply of 1,000 trees lasts.
The goal of the effort is to enhance the community’s tree canopy so area residents can enjoy greater beauty and cleaner air along with the cooling and stormwater drainage benefits trees provide.
Reflection Riding and the EPB are also providing guidance for selecting, planting and maintaining healthy trees, including tips on the proper distance from power lines each variety of tree should be planted to help prevent future power outages and avoid costly maintenance.
Customers will also receive customized expertise and resources, including personalized advice from Reflection Riding staff and volunteers about which trees will thrive in specific ZIP codes.
More information is available at epb.com/free-tree-releaf. Customers may also check tree inventory at the site but may not reserve trees.
Ten varieties of native trees are available through Free Tree ReLeaf: American holly, arrowwood viburnum, beautyberry, black elderberry, bottlebrush buckeye, southern crabapple, spicebush, sweetbay magnolia, wax myrtle and yaupon holly.
The free tree program originally launched in 2020 as a partnership between the City of Chattanooga and Reflection Riding intended to improve stormwater drainage and water quality following the Easter tornadoes.
Since then, the program has reduced the burden on the city’s stormwater system by preventing more than 7,600 gallons of water from entering it.
With the addition of EPB as a partner, all EPB customers are now eligible to participate in the program.
Source: EPB