City Announces CommuniTree Program, EAB Response Updates

Today, Sioux Falls Parks and Recreation provided an update on the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) infestation and announced the start of the CommuniTree Assistance Program, a five-year tree planting initiative set to begin in 2026. 

The City is moving forward with the CommuniTree program after receiving $3 million in one-time grant funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The program aims to plant over 2,500 new trees in the public right-of-way—the area between the curb and sidewalk—within qualified census tracts across Sioux Falls, some of the areas most affected by EAB. Property owners in qualified areas will be contacted by the City to determine the location and type of street tree they wish to plant near their property. The tree, planting, and first year of watering costs will be covered by the program. 

“Sioux Falls was one of only a few locations to receive this funding, and we are excited to put the money to good use,” said Josh Johnson, the City’s Park Operations Manager. “The CommuniTree program will provide much-needed support to restore and diversify our urban forest in these areas.” 

The EAB is an invasive beetle that kills ash trees and was first found in Sioux Falls in 2018. That year, about 40 percent of the city’s urban forest was ash trees. To address the infestation, Sioux Falls Parks and Recreation created a 10-year response plan to treat and remove ash trees in public spaces. Now in year seven of the plan, EAB continues to be an issue. 

The Forestry team recently completed its annual dead and diseased tree survey, which revealed a growing number of dead and diseased trees on private property throughout the city, most of which are ash trees. Dead and diseased trees can become unstable, fall unexpectedly, or drop large branches, becoming a major safety hazard to people, property, and infrastructure, like power lines. 

“If you have an ash tree on your property, it’s a matter of when, not if, it will become infested with EAB,” said Bryan Peterson, the City’s Urban Forestry Specialist. “As a City, we have made great progress to treat or remove ash trees from public spaces. We are calling on homeowners and property owners to make a treatment or removal plan for the ash trees on their property.” 

Property owners are responsible for the treatment and removal of dead and diseased trees on private property. To help support the growth and diversity of Sioux Falls’ urban forest, the City has the Street Tree Voucher Program that offers a rebate for property owners to plant trees in the public right-of-way. As part of this process, the City issues a permit for the planting and offers a $50 voucher per approved tree, which can be applied toward the purchase of eligible street tree species. Whether they participate in the rebate or not, all property owners need to obtain a permit to plant a tree in the public right-of-way. 

The City reminds people to use only City-licensed arborists when planting or removing trees and to call One Call (811) before digging to locate underground utilities. 

For additional information on the street tree permit process, including recommendations for selecting street trees and a list of nurseries participating in the Street Tree Voucher Program, visit siouxfalls.gov/street-tree-planting.