ST. GEORGE — Ryan Johnson had already hiked for almost six hours by the time his goal was in sight – a towering ponderosa pine rising more than 120 feet above the ground in a remote corner of Zion National Park.
“It had rained the day before we went up there, so the only footprints I saw all day long were my own and those of the person who was leading me to the tree (Casey Jones),” said Johnson, a community forester with the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands. “It was an incredible landscape, and just a beautiful tree – a well-kept secret.”
Jones and Johnson weren’t just there to appreciate the view: they had come to find out just how remarkable this particular specimen was compared to its peers around the state. Its chief competition: a 123-foot tall, 5-foot wide giant located in Beaver County and last measured in 2019.
By combining height and canopy spread (in feet) with circumference (in inches), foresters track the biggest tree of each species across the entire state. With the results tallied for Jones’ find, Washington County can now claim another state champion with the addition of the gargantuan ponderosa pine in Hop Valley.
But why bother taking the time to test competing trees, especially when they’re located in remote areas or are seemingly healthy and undisturbed?
Speaking as someone who’s measured hundreds of competing trees of all shapes, sizes and species, Jeran Farley, urban forestry coordinator for the state of Utah, said the program highlights just as many trees inside city limits as it does in wilderness areas, if not more.
St. George, for example, has the state’s largest Western Soapberry, Afghan Pine and Blue Palo Verde growing in community parks, while Cedar City hosts the largest honeylocust tree in one resident’s backyard. The Big Tree Directory offers exposure to trees near and far, and its value may go even deeper.
“First of all, it showcases the largest of each species of tree that grows in the state of Utah,” Farley said. “Some of the native trees that are up in the mountains or forests are pretty impressive specimens – some are even national champions. The other mission of the big tree program is to showcase the amount of species that really can grow in the state.”
Promoting biodiversity is a major goal for urban foresters like Farley and Johnson, as is public outreach. In their day-to-day work advising city officials, business owners, homeowners, tree care specialists and more, both are quick to point out the potential harms of overreliance on one or two tree families – given historical examples like Dutch elm disease and even ongoing ecological disasters.
“There’s a beetle called the emerald ash borer that was introduced back East, and it’s been raging through the urban forests killing millions and millions of these trees,” Johnson said. “A huge portion of the trees in Washington County are in the ash family – we’re talking 20% of our urban forest, and it’s pretty much an extinction event when they get here.”
To combat this threat, Johnson sets traps and monitors the advance of the beetle species, which has made it as far as Colorado but has not yet established itself in Utah. He said he hopes that programs like the tree species diversity grant or the Arbor Day grant, which offers up to $10,000 to qualifying communities, will encourage residents and municipalities alike to bring more variety to the local urban forest.
Other threats to the survival of Utah’s trees, urban and otherwise, are extreme weather events and ongoing climate change. The drought has intensified in recent years, which only makes survival harder when trees are threatened by wildfire, insect infestation or disease.
“One of my favorite trees was a national champion white fir that was destroyed in a wildfire a few years ago,” Farley said. “It was a real tragedy to find out that incredible tree was destroyed. In the division forestry, fire and state land, we’re really pushing to prevent human-caused wildfires.”
It’s not all doom and gloom. There’s a growing body of evidence that suggests properly maintained urban forests may literally boost the health and safety of individuals and entire neighborhoods, Jonson said.
“Having more trees in a neighborhood has been linked to massively less crime,” he said. “There are massive health benefits. A child growing up around a lot of trees can expect increased life expectancy and better health outcomes. Trees have massive benefits for wildlife. I know it sounds like I’m some hippie, but there is evidence to support this.”
When looking for partners, both for the Big Tree Directory and to support Utah’s urban forests, the state forestry division often turns to the Utah Community Forest Council – the state’s chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture.
The organization is a nonprofit dedicated to training and supporting professional arborists, and it helps raise awareness for proper tree management, Farley said. Its focus is more individual, so it serves as a helpful complement to the ongoing efforts of the state agency or other public entity.
“Having somebody that’s trained and knows about how to diagnose and treat diseases, proper tree planting, species selection and all of those things really helps with the sustainability of the urban forest,” Farley said.
It’s not just state forestry officials or trained arborists who can get involved, either. Private citizens can apply for the tree species diversity grant, join a local tree board or even get one-on-one coaching from professionals with Utah State Extension or the state forestry agency.
“I would love for people to know that I am available,” Johnson said. “I will show up at your house, have a look at your trees and try to help you with your projects. I can get you plugged into your local tree board or get you working on a grant to improve your neighborhood. You’ve already paid for us: you might as well put us to work.”
If you have questions about your trees or you’d like to know more about available resources, visit the state forestry website or reach out directly to Johnson via email.
Photo Gallery
A forestry worker stands beside the national champion Limber Pine located in the Uinta-Cache National Forest in Northern Utah, date unspecified | Photo courtesy of the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, St. George News Flowers bloom at the tip of a Blue Palo Verde in Red Hills Desert Garden, the largest of its kind in the state of Utah, St. George, Utah, July 11, 2022 | Photo by Ammon Teare, St. George News Looking up into the canopy of the largest Afghan Pine in Utah, located in Town Square Park in downtown St. George, Utah, July 11, 2022 | Photo by Ammon Teare, St. George News Ryan Johnson, community forester with the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, said local residents can urge their municipalities to form a tree board and meet with him to access resources that will improve urban forests, St. George, Utah, June 30, 2022 | Photo by Ammon Teare, St. George News 2022 file photo for illustrative purposes only of Vernon Worthen park in St. George, Utah, July 11, 2022 | Photo by Ammon Teare, St. George News Jeran Farley measures the national champion blue spruce in Ashley National Forest, Wasatch County, Utah, date unspecified | Photo courtesy of the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, St. George News A view of the Bristlecone Pine perched high atop Cedar Mountain that currently holds the title as largest of its kind in the state, Iron County, Utah, date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Jeran Farley, St. George News Close-up view of the variegated bark on the state champion Bristlecone Pine growing in Cedar Breaks National Monument, Iron County, Utah, date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Jeran Farley, St. George News The newly crowned state champion ponderosa pine was discovered by a local horticulturist and measured in a late June expedition by Ryan Johnson, Washington County, Utah, date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Ryan Johnson, St. George News Urban Forestry Coordinator Jeran Farley poses with the state champion Joshua Tree near Beaver Dam Wash in southwest Washington County, Utah, date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Jeran Farley, St. George News
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