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Tree Canopy Restoration Program
Regrowing Shade in South St. Paul
The City of South St. Paul is undertaking a once-in-a-lifetime effort to restore the local tree canopy through its “Regrowing Shade in South St. Paul” initiative. South St. Paul’s tree canopy was heavily impacted by an invasive insect known as the Emerald Ash Borer, which resulted in approximately one-third of the City’s park and boulevard trees being removed. This has left many of the City’s once tree-lined boulevards without trees or shade during the hot summer months.
Since the diseased trees were removed in 2023, the City has made slow progress on its replanting efforts. The planting process has emphasized creating a diverse, resilient tree canopy with species that are the right size for each planting location. As part of this process, the City worked with a forester to create a diverse list of boulevard tree species so future tree pests are less impactful.
The replanting process has occurred at a slower pace, in part due to the piecemeal funding used for replanting. To date, all replanting efforts have been funded through generous grants from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. The replanting process has generally mirrored the tree removal process, which began in the part of the City south of I-494.
During the 2024 legislative session, State Representative Rick Hansen secured a special allocation of $688,000 for South St. Paul to complete the tree replanting process. This special legislative allocation is being used to fund the “Regrowing Shade in South St. Paul” program. The funding will be used to plant 800 new trees in parks and along boulevards, restoring canopy and creating cooler, healthier public spaces. This funding allows the City to offer replacement boulevard trees to homeowners at no cost!
The replanting process will start this spring and is expected to be completed by June 2027. Planting will take place in three phases, with each phase corresponding to a planting season and a geographic region of the City (Spring 2026, Fall 2026, and Spring 2027). The tree planting process will focus on areas that have not already been planted through other grant funding.
To be apart of this positive change, residents can sign up for a free boulevard tree and help select the species at the following site: https://arcg.is/1SPvD13. Residents are only asked to fill the watering bag that comes with the boulevard tree at least once a week for the first two years after planting, unless there is significant rainfall that week.