Montgomery Trees Information

Founded in 2001, The Montgomery Tree Committee was started by a citizen advocacy group as the urban forestry program in Montgomery, Alabama. Additionally in 2001, an Urban and Community Forest grant was awarded to the city and by 2002, the Montgomery Comprehensive Urban Forest Plan was completed. A second Urban and Community Forest grant was awarded to the city in 2002 for an Urban Ecosystem Analysis of the tree canopy in Montgomery, Autauga, and Elmore counties. This analysis documented significant tree canopy loss between 1986 and 2002. The committee along with the city of Montgomery and the Clean City Commission has worked on other grants to develop data and ideas to benefit the environment and community. One such study looked at the feasibility of a walking trail along Cypress Creek, sponsored by The Kodak Foundation. This is now the Cypress Nature Park, which works with the City of Montgomery, the US Army Corp of Engineers and others to protect, restore and sustainably develop the Cypress Creek area. The City of Montgomery hired an Urban Forester, Mr. Russell Stringer in 2004. Mr. Stringer is assigned to the Planning Controls Department and acts as an advisor to Montgomery Trees Board of Directors. In 2005, the Montgomery Tree Committee incorporated as a non-profit membership organization and in 2006 was recognized as a non-profit 501(c)3 corporation by the IRS. In 2011, The Board of Directors voted to change the name of the organization to Montgomery Trees and Take Root Montgomery was approved as the primary project to raise funds and purchase trees to assist the city implement the Downtown Street Tree Plan.