Branch Out Bozeman (BOB)

Bozeman’s urban forest provides an array of benefits to the human and wildlife communities alike. Trees in an urban landscape provide economic benefits such as energy savings and increased property values, environmental benefits such as carbon sequestration and stormwater filtration, public health benefits such as air purification and shade, and social benefits such as crime reduction and stress relief.

Bozeman, Montana, has been ranked as the fastest-growing micropolitan city in the United States. As the population continues to grow, so does the need for housing accommodation and additional infrastructure for new residents. It is crucial to protect the existing canopy in Bozeman and to replace the trees that are removed during development and growth. 

To provide a healthy and resilient urban forest for all community members and critters, the Gallatin Watershed Council (GWC) and the City of Bozeman Forestry Division, with funding from the National Park Service Rivers Trails and Conservation Assistance Program, have partnered to develop Branch Out Bozeman: Urban Forest Network (BOB). We hope to increase Bozeman’s tree canopy to its full potential and to develop tools that guide the community to strategically plant trees in priority areas.

Mission & Vision:

Mission: Engage the greater Bozeman community in the stewardship of an urban forest that enriches the health of people and nature throughout its lifecycle.

Vision: An urban forest that promotes a healthy, resilient, and equitable future for the watershed, wildlife, and people of the greater Bozeman area.

The efforts of Branch Out Bozeman align with Bozeman’s Urban Forest Management Plan (2016) and with the City of Bozeman Climate Plan, both of which acknowledge the importance of a healthy urban forest in combating climate change and addressing community health.  

Trees planted:

• 2021: 20 trees on S 20th Blvd, an area highly lacking in tree canopy

• 2022: 60 trees planted

  • 25 more trees on S 20th Blvd, in partnership with Oboz Footwear

  • 25 trees in Bronken Park, in partnership with Oboz Footwear

  • 15 trees in Kirk Park, in partnership with a local Eagle Scout troop

• 2023: 229 trees and shrubs planted

  • 30 trees along Highland Boulevard and the Softball Complex that drains into the East Gallatin

  • 66 native riparian plants along the East Gallatin in Story Mill Park with Trout Unlimited

  • 58 native plants in Gallatin County Regional Park with Sacajawea Audubon Society and the Craighead Institute

  • 75 trees and shrubs along Mandeville Creek by Bozeman High School

Volunteer!

Visit our events page for upcoming tree-planting opportunities. If you have a site in mind and would like to lead your own planting event, email info@gallatinwatershedcouncil.org for more information.