Free Trees for Tacoma’s Hilltop Neighborhood.
What it is:
Green Blocks is Tacoma Tree Foundation’s neighborhood-specific program that provides community education and free trees! Our goal is to empower residents by reducing barriers, providing tree care education, and assisting in tree selection, delivery, planting, and maintenance.
By planting around 600 street trees in Hilltop from 2025–2027, TTF hopes to improve community resilience, human health, air and water quality, and individual quality of life.
Where is it and who is it for?
The Green Blocks: Hilltop project area boundaries are 6th Avenue to the North, Tacoma Avenue South to the East, the S 27th St bluff to the South and State Street to the West.
Residents living within the project area can sign up to receive free trees for their right-of-way, as well as resources on tree planting and care through our Tree Stewards training.
We’re prioritizing SINGLE FAMILY homes this year. Apartments, townhouses, duplexes, churches, and businesses may add their name to the waitlist and we’ll contact you next spring.
RENTERS, please forward these resources to your landlord/property owner and invite them to fill out the tree request information.
If you’re unsure if your property falls into the project area, please submit your request anyway and program staff will let you know.
Hilltop has one of the lowest tree canopies in Tacoma. The Hilltop neighborhood still suffers from the racist legacy of redlining. TTF recognizes that environmental movements, past and present, have intentionally and unintentionally marginalized community members who already face significant barriers to healthy and safe neighborhoods. We understand that these communities are disproportionately affected by climate change, gentrification, predatory real estate practices, lack of affordable housing, and over-policing. Coming soon, you can visit our Environmental Justice Commitment page to read more about our commitment.
The Green Blocks program is intended to serve community members who face social, financial, or physical barriers to accessing trees. If you do not face these barriers and are eager to support the greening of Hilltop, we encourage you to volunteer, help to get the word out, and assist in planting trees for your neighbors.
”I would like to become a Tree Steward to help my neighborhood - from the kids playing in the street, to the old folks, to the OGS, to the wannabees, to the crows, to the butterflies, bees, and beyond - Hilltop is somewhere I ended up and it reminds me so much of my neighborhood growing up - often neglected, under-resourced, misunderstood, and systemic troubles.
Hilltop, through the redlining and systemic neglect, lacks the trees it will need to sustain a future that will be hardened by climate change, and I can attest to the calmness, and peaceful energy trees can instill into us even unknowingly, and believe every resident of Tacoma deserves this chance. In a place where the red cedar grows, we have special soil, and trees should take back their rightful place as bastions of peace and embrace of the cycle of nature. Also, I love TTF!” - Tree Advocate & Hilltop Resident
Tree requests, including tree delivery and optional planting assistance, will be open from Jan 21 to Feb 5, 2025. Before completing the form, review our planting and tree spacing guides and confirm that the tree(s) can fit in your right-of-way. Tree requests are limited to preferences for evergreen trees and deciduous trees. Share your goal for tree planting to help guide us in tree selection. Note: If you have a strong preference on tree species and size, we invite you to utilize the other Tacoma Tree Programs like Tree Coupon Program or the Pierce Conservation District Urban Tree Sale.
Request by February 5, 2025 at the link below to participate!
TTF staff will confirm your request via email and remind you to call 811/submit your utility locates for the right of way between Feb 5 - 7.
TTF staff will then consider your preferences, evaluate the right-of-way planting site and underground utilities. We cannot guarantee any trees.
On March 3rd, you’ll receive a tree offer. Confirm acceptance by March 10th in order for us to plan for delivery and planting assistance.
Trees will be distributed during the week of March 17 - 21, 2025 with volunteer planting assistance available on March 22, 2025.
If you miss these deadlines, we have many many more opportunities to acquire free trees. Check out the Tree for Tacoma website AND we’ll also be back in Hilltop the next 3 year!
Our grant funding for Green Blocks: Hilltop allows us to provide tree care resources, watering materials, and support. We will monitor these trees each summer, send watering reminders, and provide once per month watering to trees that need it.
Funding for this project is provided by the Inflation Reduction Act and the USDA Forest Service, Urban and Community Forestry Program in partnership with State of Washington Department of Natural Resources, Urban and Community Forestry Program.
Frequently Asked Questions:
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811 is the national (and free) call-before-you-dig phone number. Anyone who plans to dig should call 811 or go to their state 811 center’s website before digging to request that the approximate location of buried utilities be marked with paint or flags so that you don’t unintentionally dig into an underground utility line.
811 protects you and your community! Hitting a buried line while digging can disrupt utility service, cost money to repair, or cause serious injury or death.
For this program residents will need to submit utility locates for their entire right-of-way between Feb 5-7th. Program staff will then visit each property and assess the underground utility markings and all other infrastructure to decide which type of tree and how many can be safely planted.
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We provide a variety of trees that can meet the diversity of planting sites as well as tolerate the harsh conditions of urban streets. We offer both deciduous and evergreen trees, taking into consideration species that provide color, shade, and noise reduction. We do not guarantee any specific trees. All trees are chosen to comply with right tree, right place standards and will grow to varying heights and widths. If you have a strong preference on tree species and size, we invite you to utilize the Tree Coupon Program or the Pierce Conservation District Urban Tree Sale instead.
The Green Blocks program is intended to serve community members who face social, financial, or physical barriers to accessing trees. If you do not face these barriers and are eager to support the greening of Hilltop District, we encourage you to volunteer, help to get the word out, and assist in planting trees for your neighbors.
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TTF staff will visit each property to assess how many trees appropriately fit within the right-of-way considering underground and above ground utilities as well as sidewalks, powerlines and other infrastructure. Program staff will choose the right tree for the right place using these standard planting guidelines. Your tree offering will factor in these planting site details.
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You won’t be able to receive trees within this program but can take advantage of many other tree share programs. Check out our Community Greening PDF to find out which tree programs you qualify for. We also always welcome tree enthusiasts to volunteer with us, become a tree steward or attend our many tree advocacy events!
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Our grant funding for Green Blocks: Hilltop allows us to provide tree care resources, watering materials, and support. We will monitor these trees each summer, send watering reminders, and provide once per month watering to trees that need it.
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You can share the website with folks or print this flyer for your community spaces like church, school and work! We’ll be canvassing the central neighborhood surrounding MLK (Sheridan to J st) with doorhangers.
Volunteers make Green Blocks possible! Join us on March 22nd
January 25th, 2025 9-4pm
Peace Lutheran Church - 2106 S Cushman Ave, Tacoma, WA 98405
Applications open till Jan 21st.
This FREE day-long training will include information on tree selection, planting, and pruning young trees. Participants will also learn how to communicate about trees with their neighbors and how to engage in their Tacoma neighborhood in tree planting and utilize or promote Green Blocks: Hilltop event.
Up to 20 tree stewards will receive the skills they need to take local actions and engage with their communities about sustainability and stewardship.
Snacks, light refreshments and lunch will be provided. If the applications exceed 20 we will prioritize applicants Hilltop residents and/or members Tacoma Frontline Communities. Residents who complete the program will receive a $125 stipend.
