The Kalispell Parks and Recreation’s Urban Forestry Division officially launched a tree planting program on Monday.

The 50/50 Boulevard Cost Share Tree Planting Program asks residents to work with the city where trees have been removed or were never planted in the city’s boulevard areas.

When a site is approved, residents pay half the cost per tree — $162.50 of the total $325 — and an approved contractor will plant the tree. Residents get to choose the tree from a list of different large, medium and small-growing-space species provided by the city.

After the tree has been planted, watering and maintaining the tree will be the property owner’s responsibility.

Parks and Recreation Superintendent Fred Bicha said in the past, the city covered the full cost of planting the trees, but the city staff is too small to regularly water and maintain each tree in the city’s boulevards. The new program draws on the public’s desire and effort to plant more trees.

“In the past there was no buy-in from the adjacent property owners,” Bicha said. “There were a lot of dying trees.”

The Parks and Recreation Department had a “soft launch” of the program last fall, and 25 new trees have been planted since then. It’s a small step toward restoring Kalispell’s once-healthy urban forests, much of which Bicha said were wiped out by disease.

“I think it’s fair to say all over town we’ve been hit hard by Dutch elm disease,” Bicha said. “About 500 elms have been removed in the last 10 years due to that.”

Bicha said both east and west sides of Kalispell could use the cost-sharing program to fill the spaces affected by the disease or aging of trees. Where trees are planted, Bicha recommended watering trees every 10 days during the summer months.

“Both sides can definitely use more trees,” he said. “There’s a lot of space out there.”

Choices of tree species include New Horizons elm, red oak, green spire linden, amur chokecherry and more. Residents can apply for or find more information on the 50/50 Boulevard Tree Planting program at www.kalispell.com/parks_and_recreation/parks_urban.

Reporter Seaborn Larson may be reached at 758-4441 or by email at slarson@dailyinterlake.com.