City Begins Planting 5,000 Trees for Assistance Project
Published on April 06, 2026
The City of Sioux Falls began the tree-planting phase of its CommuniTree Assistance Program, a five-year initiative to invigorate the city’s urban forest by planting new street trees.
Using a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the city will plant 5,000 new trees in the public right-of-way – the space between the curb and sidewalk – within low-canopy areas of Sioux Falls.
“Sioux Falls is one of only a handful of communities to receive this level of funding,” said Josh Johnson, parks operations manager for the city. “Seeing these trees go in the ground is exciting. This work helps strengthen our neighborhoods and our urban forest for years to come.”
The program is offered at no cost to eligible homeowners. It includes a free tree from a list of approved species, professional installation and coverage of care and maintenance for the tree’s first growing season. The city contacted eligible property owners last fall, inviting them to participate and select a tree for the voluntary program.
Beginning April 6, Hoffman & McNamara, a landscaping and wholesale nursery contractor, will be in Sioux Falls to plant trees for about two weeks, weather permitting. Crews will move block by block using an assembly‑line approach to prepare planting sites, deliver trees and plant them, with a final crew mulching and staking each tree and cleaning up the site.
“This is an important moment in our long-term work to rebuild a healthy urban forest,” said Bryan Peterson, the city’s urban forestry specialist. “Every tree planted through this program helps us recover from the impacts of Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) and ensures future generations will enjoy the benefits of a stronger tree canopy.”
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, the city’s Parks and Recreation Department created a 10-year response plan to remove ash trees in public spaces. The CommuniTree Assistance Program will help offset the impacts of EAB infestation and accelerate replanting efforts.
Additionally, to support the growth and diversity of Sioux Falls’ urban forest, the city established a Street Tree Voucher Program that offers a rebate for property owners to plant trees in the public right-of-way. There is no application for the voucher as it is automatically issued to residents who have an approved planting permit. When the planting permit is issued, a $100 voucher per approved tree can be used toward the purchase of eligible street tree species from local nurseries participating in the program. Whether they participate in the rebate or not, property owners must obtain a permit to plant a tree in the public right-of-way.
The city reminds residents to call 811 before digging to locate underground utilities.