Trees in Our Community

The City of Santa Maria's Urban Forest contains over 21,000 trees. Some of these are in parks and others line our City streets.

City trees make our urban neighborhoods more livable. Trees create a buffer from the often frantic pace of urban life, they aid in cooling our homes, provide habitat for urban wildlife, help reduce the global green-house effect and absorb noise, pollutants and unpleasant odors. City trees soften the impacts of concrete and asphalt with greenery. They can buffer noise, block winds, cool temperatures, absorb carbon dioxide, replenish oxygen and filter air and water. An "urban forest" is not just trees, but a biological community closely connected to the human community's quality of life.

Greening the Urban Forest

• Improves Air Quality
• Cleans & Protects Our Water supply
• Creates Wildlife Habitats
• Reduces Urban Sprawl
• Improves Public Health