CASPER, Wyo. — The City of Casper has been recognized by the Wyoming State Forestry Division as the state’s 2026 Urban & Community Forestry Program of the Year, an award announced this month during the division’s annual Wyoming Tree Academy in Cheyenne.
Longstanding commitment to the urban canopy
The award acknowledges Casper’s sustained work managing and expanding its urban forest. City leaders and forestry staff have kept Casper designated as a Tree City USA community for nearly three decades, a distinction that reflects ongoing investments in public trees and urban green infrastructure.
Jacob Mares, the State Forestry Division’s Urban and Community Forestry program manager, praised Casper for two core elements of its forestry program: maintaining an active tree inventory and closely monitoring the condition of public trees to address hazards.
“The goal is not simply to remove problem trees. It is to think strategically about what replaces them. That means selecting appropriate species for Casper’s climate, increasing diversity, and making investments today that will strengthen the city’s forest well into the future.”
Rebuilding and reimagining green space
Mares also highlighted infrastructure that emerged from a difficult circumstance. After a fire in 2024 destroyed a playground at Sage Park, Casper’s urban forestry division converted that site into a new arboretum. The arboretum serves both as a public amenity and a living demonstration of tree species suited to central Wyoming.
“It’s a beautiful public space, but it’s also an opportunity for people to experience different trees, learn about them, and see species that can thrive in our region,” Mares said, noting the project as an example of turning a challenge into an educational and ecological asset.
What the award recognizes
The State Forestry Division’s accolade centers on programs that show strong planning, proactive maintenance and community engagement. In Casper’s case, the division emphasized:
- Comprehensive tree inventory and condition monitoring
- Strategic species selection and efforts to increase diversity
- Adaptive reuse of a burned park site into an arboretum for education and resilience
Those elements align with broader goals among urban foresters to reduce hazards, improve public safety, and create long-term canopy resilience against pests, disease and changing climatic conditions.
| Program attribute | Casper status |
|---|---|
| Tree City USA designation | Nearly 30 years |
| Recent high-profile project | Sage Park arboretum (post-2024 fire) |
| State recognition | Wyoming Urban & Community Forestry Program of the Year, 2026 |
Local implications
For Casper residents, the award underlines the city’s emphasis on public-tree safety and ecosystem services trees provide — from shade and cooling to stormwater management and wildlife habitat. City forestry investments and improved species diversity aim to reduce long-term maintenance costs and limit the need for emergency removals of hazardous trees.
The Sage Park arboretum also presents an opportunity for hands-on learning. By showcasing trees suited to Casper’s climate, the site helps homeowners and landscapers make informed choices about plantings that are more likely to survive and thrive here.
Statewide context
The award was presented during the Wyoming Tree Academy, an annual event hosted by the State Forestry Division that gathers municipal foresters, volunteers and partners to discuss best practices, training and regional challenges. The recognition of Casper underscores a statewide push to professionalize urban forestry work and support municipalities in managing and expanding tree canopy where appropriate.
Officials with the State Forestry Division have emphasized strategic, long-term thinking in municipal forestry — a message reflected in the praise Mares offered for Casper’s approach.
As cities across Wyoming face the twin pressures of aging trees and extreme weather events, the practices recognized in Casper — inventory-driven planning, species diversification and creative reuse of damaged public spaces — offer a model other communities may look to replicate.
Cody Marsh is the state correspondent for WE NEWS. Reporting from Casper contributed to this article.
