With an urban forest of over 18,000 trees in Carson, the very important job of protecting it is carried out by the Public Works Section's Urban Forestry Program. Responsibility for this highly effective program is bestowed upon one Tree Maintenance Supervisor, one Senior Tree Trimmer, four Assistant Tree Trimmers and one Equipment Operator and 8 full time equivalent contract staff with an annual budget of approximately $733,000.

Trees that have been cut down due to necessity are processed as wood chips and used in various locations throughout the City. These wood chips provide aesthetically pleasing ground cover and assist in the control of weed growth. The life cycle of a tree is completed through this process.

City trees fall into the following three categories:

• Streetscape
• Parks
• Residential

The Supervisor works closely with the tree contractor to map every City-owned tree and to record all inspections and work relevant to that tree. Data is collected on an annual basis and all tree categories are updated on a three-year rotation cycle.