Rooted Together: 24k Trees in Raleigh by 2032
With its vast array of tall pines, maples, and oaks, Raleigh is known for its trees, as evidenced by its long-standing moniker: the City of Oaks. But as the city has grown, its tree canopy has rapidly dwindled.
Wake County lost 11,112 acres of tree canopy over the last decade, a land area double the size of William B. Umstead State Park, according to a county assessment.
To tackle this loss, the City of Raleigh launched Leaf Out, a plan to grow Raleigh’s urban forest. A key part of this plan is to plant 24,000 trees by 2032 in celebration of Raleigh’s 240th anniversary.
But the city can’t do it alone. That’s why we’ve partnered with Trees for the Triangle and We Plant it Forward—to help the city reach its planting goal by 2032 by planting native trees on privately owned property.
If you own property in Raleigh but are unable to plant a tree yourself, fill out this form to get an assessment and a tree planted for free.
Birds rely on urban forests at every stage of their annual life cycle, to rest and refuel during migration, to build nests and raise young. Wood Thrushes, for example, nest in our state’s city and suburban forests, while Kentucky Warblers and other long-distance migrants rely on those woods for stopovers.
Wake County’s trees remove more than 11,000 tons of pollutants from the air every year, giving each resident the benefit of cleaner air.
Wake County trees intercept over 8.1 billion gallons—equal to about 12,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools—of stormwater each year, filtering pollutants away from the rivers, lakes, and reservoirs we all depend on.
Wake County’s trees absorb 414,710 tons of CO2 annually, acting as a natural climate solution.
Wake County’s tree canopy has an estimated $3.2 billion value, lowering county utility and stormwater management costs while increasing home values and foot traffic. Trees also deliver $2,834 in benefits per resident over the life of the trees, from things like reductions to utility costs, boosting home values, and lowering health care costs.
Time spent around trees reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, improves mood, and shields vulnerable residents from dangerous heat.
Source: Wake County Land Cover Analysis and Tree Canopy Assessment, 2023 & EPA Benefits of Trees and Vegetation
Curtis Smalling
Vice President, Audubon North Carolina
Dana Sargent
Community Building Director
Hannah Pursley
Project Manager, Forests
Brittany Salmons
Senior Communications Associate
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