Charlottesville utilities offers free trees to residents

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – The Charlottesville Department of Utilities is excited to announce that the Arbor Day Foundation’s Energy-Saving Trees Program has returned for the fall. Customers in the City of Charlottesville can continue the tree-mendous success of this program by planting an additional 100 trees, bringing the total number of trees planted through this program to nearly 1,500. These trees will help residents save on utility bills, filter stormwater runoff, and expand the city’s tree canopy.

The strategic planting of trees provides a variety of benefits for individual households, as well as the broader community. Properly planted trees can reduce the amount of energy a home requires to remain comfortable by providing a barrier to cold winter winds and delivering shade in the summer. Trees also provide several benefits for the entire community, such as increasing capacity for carbon sequestration, improving air quality, and providing more effective stormwater filtration and runoff reduction to help keep pollutants out of local waterways.

With guidance from the city’s arborist, the trees available this fall include sweetbay magnolia, elderberry, river birch, and pignut hickory. Tree reservations are limited to one tree per residential service address and made on a first-come, first-served basis beginning Monday, October 5. Reservations can be made by accessing Utilities’ interactive tree portal developed by the Arbor Day Foundation at https://get.arborday.org/charlottesville. The portal provides simple step-by-step instructions that focus on education and maximizing environmental impact, helping participants strategically plant their tree for the greatest energy- and money-saving benefit.

Safety is essential to any successful landscaping project, and this program serves as a great opportunity to reinforce safe digging practices with the community. Prior to planting a tree, customers are expected to follow the law and contact Virginia 811 at least three working days before planting to have the location of buried utility lines on their property marked by a professional. Knowing the location of buried utilities helps prevent their damage and a potentially hazardous situation. The service is free and allows customers to dig safely while planting their tree.

For more information about the Energy-Saving Trees Program and the Arbor Day Foundation, contact Utilities Outreach at utilitiesoutreach@charlottesville.gov.