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South Jordan Journal

City Recognized For Outstanding Tree Diversity

Mar 27, 2015 09:22AM ● By James Luke
Since starting as South Jordan’s first Urban Forester seven years ago Jeran Farley has brought acclaim to the city for its tree diversity. In his time on the job Farley has been busy researching and growing trees that will thrive in the area. He has more than tripled the number of tree species planted in city parks and open spaces, from 40 different species when he started to 125 currently. 

 The recent Utah Nursery and Landscape Association Green Conference recognized South Jordan for its outstanding tree diversity that exceeds the range of trees in every other community in the state. The benefits of tree diversity go beyond the simple enjoyment of a range of many different beautiful trees.

Farley notes that, “a diverse range of trees makes the city more interesting and aesthetically pleasing.” A further benefit of tree diversity in the city is that the range of tree types helps to reduce risk of die off due to disease among the 10,000 city maintained trees. If a disease infects a certain type of tree, it typically can spread quickly to other trees of the same species. With 125 different species throughout the city, though, the odds of survival increase.

National Arbor Day is observed on the last Friday of April, which falls on April 24 this year. Every year the city celebrates Arbor Day with tree planting and public involvement in helping to plant and grow a thriving green city. This year South Jordan will receive the Tree City USA Growth Award from the Arbor Day Foundation for the city’s ongoing devotion of resources to urban forestry and healthy trees.