Richmond has lost 300 football fields of trees in a decade

State of play: The city is in the process of creating a new urban forest plan, backed by a $6 million federal grant.

• The plan will help protect existing trees, expand tree coverage and guide future plantings.

• Richmond's goal is 60% tree canopy coverage by 2037, with at least 30% tree coverage in every neighborhood, per the city's master growth plan, Richmond 300.

Yes, but: Despite an estimated 530,000 trees covering nearly 14,000 acres, the assessment found Richmond is far from its goal.

• The city's tree canopy declined from 37.4% in 2014 to 36.4% in 2025, a net loss of 387 acres.

Zoom in: Tree coverage varies dramatically across Richmond's nine council districts.

• 🌳 The greenest: District 4 — aka South Richmond, including Forest Hill and Stratford Hills — at 56.4% canopy coverage.
• 🌃 The least green: District 2 — that's Scott's Addition, the Fan and Jackson Ward — at just 12.4%.
• ⬇️ The biggest losses: District 1 — the Near West End and the Museum District — shed 2.41 percentage points of canopy coverage since 2014, followed by District 4 at 1.97 points.
• 🔼 The bright spots: Districts 5 (Byrd Park and Woodland Heights), 6 (Manchester and Highland Park) and 7 (Church Hill and Shockoe) gained canopy, even as the city overall lost trees.

Want to get involved? The city is hosting an Arbor Day celebration and tree planting Saturday, Nov. 7, at Libby Hill Park.