Cleveland is in the midst of citywide neighborhood revitalization to improve the quality of life for all citizens and address the future challenges that come with re-development and climate change. Tree canopy is an important element of all these efforts. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Cleveland was nicknamed The Forest City. A public tree inventory from the 1940s counted 220,000 street trees. However, Cleveland has lost significant canopy since then, with that count now down to approximately 120,000 street trees. Tree canopy cover is low (19%, only one quarter of what is possible) and each year an estimated 97 acres of tree canopy is lost. At this rate, canopy will drop to 14% by 2040. It is time to rebuild the urban forest and reclaim the Forest City title.

The Cleveland Tree Plan is unique in that it is not a City plan, but a community-wide collaboration to rebuild the urban forest through partnership. This project was inspired by the actions recommended in the 2015 Cleveland Tree Plan to update the city's inventory and to work collaboratively on urban forestry management goals.

American Forests provided funding for the inventory of two Cleveland neighborhoods most in need of trees, as well as funding for tree maintenance and planting, and outreach to the community on the benefits of trees and the importance of public/private partnerships in maintaining a thriving urban forest.