FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 2, 2024

Charlottesville Utilities Now Offering Free Trees to City Residents Twice a Year

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - The Charlottesville Department of Utilities is excited to announce that the Arbor Day Foundation’s Energy-Saving Trees Program will now run twice a year! Building on the tree-mendous success of the spring event, and further enhancing our environmental stewardship and energy efficiency initiatives, the program will also be offered in the fall. Utilities is providing another 100 free trees this October to customers in the City of Charlottesville to strategically plant on their property to help them conserve energy and reduce their energy bills.

The strategic planting of trees provides a variety of benefits for individual households, as well as the broader community. Properly planted trees can reduce the amount of energy a home requires to remain comfortable by providing a barrier to cold winter winds and delivering shade in the summer. Trees also provide several benefits for the entire community, such as increasing capacity for carbon sequestration, improving air quality, and providing more effective stormwater filtration and runoff reduction to help keep pollutants out of water supplies.

With guidance from the City’s Arborist, tree varieties available this fall include white oak, river birch, American hornbeam, and elderberry. Tree reservations are limited to one tree per service address and made on a first-come, first-served basis beginning Monday, October 7th. Reservations can be made by accessing Utilities’ interactive tree portal provided by the Arbor Day Foundation at www.arborday.org/charlottesville. This user-friendly portal provides simple step-by-step instructions that focus on homeowner education and maximizing environmental impact to calculate where to specifically and strategically plant trees for the greatest energy- and money-saving benefit.

Safety is essential to a successful landscaping project, and this program serves as a great opportunity to reinforce safe digging practices with the community. Prior to planting a tree, customers are expected to follow the law, and contact Virginia 811 at least three working days before planting to have the location of buried utility lines on their property marked by a professional. Knowing the location of buried utilities helps prevent their damage, and a potentially hazardous situation. The service is free and allows customers to dig safely while planting their tree.

For more information about the Energy-Saving Trees Program and the Arbor Day Foundation contact Utilities Outreach at utilitiesoutreach@charlottesville.gov.

Media Contact
Ryan Willis
Utilities Public Engagement Coordinator
City of Charlottesville
434-970-3686
willisr@charlottesville.gov