About Our Urban Forest

Tree Data and the Benefits of Trees  
There are approximately 15,000 trees in the Corvallis tree database. This includes all street trees counted in the 2009 inventory as well as several of the city’s parks and all trees that have been planted or inventoried since that time. Maintaining the city inventory is an ongoing project and the database is updated daily as old trees are removed and new trees are planted. Based on our 2009 inventory the trees in Corvallis provide a net financial benefit to the city of Corvallis.

As you can see trees not only provide environmental benefits but also increase property values from 3-15% (City Trees and Property Values,Wolf;2007), provide shade in which to recreate and beautify our streets. They also protect our urban streams by reducing run-off from major rain events and providing shade to moderate water temperature for wildlife.

Our urban forest is currently valued at more than $26,872,286.93. This number is based on our inventory data and the current valuation standards of the International Society of Arboriculture & the Council of Tree and Landscape Appraisers.  

The department is striving for diversity in our urban forest and we currently have over 300 unique species of trees in the inventory from 90 genera. Diversity is important to reduce the impact of diseases and pests which specialize on a particular genus or group of trees such as the Emerald ash borer and Bronze Birch Borer.

Top 10 Genera of Corvallis Trees

As you can see Maples make up over 30% of our urban street trees. As such we are reducing the number of Maples planted in the right of way.