Buffalo’s Equity in Street Trees program (BEST) is an initiative of the City of Buffalo Division of Parks and Recreation focused on planting trees in neighborhoods that need them the most. BEST will do this by getting out into the neighborhoods lacking in street trees and giving residents the information and tools to bring trees to their blocks.

The BEST program is funded by a grant from the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry (UCF) Program, provided through the Federal Inflation Reduction Act, and focuses on increasing tree canopy, especially in disadvantaged communities.

If you would like a tree for the front or side of your home, call 311 or visit 311 online to request a tree.

If you need help or are interested in organizing your neighbors to get trees for areas on your block without trees, reach out to the BEST Community Engagement Manager, Yolando Mullen at yolandom@buffalo.edu who can guide you through that process.

Tree plantings occur during the spring (March 15-May 15) or fall (October 15-December 31) dormant seasons. This is because these are the times most suitable to plant trees. To ensure you receive a tree, please call 311 as soon as possible to be added to the list for one of the planting seasons.

A street tree is a tree planted along a public street or sidewalk, usually in the area between the sidewalk and the road. Street trees are an important part of our city’s landscaping and improve air quality, provide shade, enhance neighborhood character, and support environmental sustainability. Learn more about the City of Buffalo street tree planting standards here.

The City of Buffalo only plants trees in front of residents’ homes if they want them. This is because when residents do not want a tree, the chance of it surviving goes down greatly. When a tree gets requested through 311, the City can ensure the tree location matches where the person requesting the tree lives.

For help with the petition process for getting trees planted across your block, reach out to the BEST Community Engagement Manager, Yolando Mullen at yolandom@buffalo.edu who can guide you through that process.

The City of Buffalo will accept petitions from block clubs who want to increase the canopy of trees on their block. In order to do that, the block club will need to get signatures from 75% of block residents supporting the tree planting and bring the petition (or email a digital copy of the petition) to the City of Buffalo Bureau of Forestry. Reach out to the BEST community engagement team to learn more.

Trees planted through the BEST program will receive two years of basic maintenance (including watering 15 times in each year). This critical maintenance is essential to ensure your tree survives over the long run. Learn more for tips on tree maintenance and what you can do to help set your tree up to thrive .

The City of Buffalo only plants trees in front of residents’ homes if they want them. This is because when residents do not want a tree, the chance of it surviving goes down greatly.

If your neighbors petition the City for trees along your entire block, you will receive notification that a tree will be planted in front of your home and will have the opportunity to reject that tree planting by responding to the notification.

The BEST initiative is only planting trees on streets or other public right-of-ways. However, Erie County has a program that is open to City of Buffalo residents and will plant trees in front and back yards. Visit Erie County’s Community Forestry Project site to learn more.

Please call 311 or visit 311 online to log a concern or request an inspection or work on trees within the city right of way. A reference number will be assigned to your request so that you can track its progress.

Buffalo’s Equity in Street Trees program (BEST) is a program of the City of Buffalo Bureau of Forestry. The City is partnering with the UB Regional Institute to develop and implement programming and community engagement for the program.

Buffalo Equity in Street Trees (BEST) is a community-wide effort and invites residents and community groups to be part of the solution. To learn more, visit the Get Involved section of the site.

Starting in spring 2025, BEST will begin recruiting Buffalo Street Tree Ambassadors - community leaders who will help engage with the neighborhoods that need trees the most. Ambassadors will receive training, networking and shared learning opportunities, and a $500 stipend for their commitment to being part of the solution.