Need a tree? North Las Vegas may have you covered
In yet another effort to keep the valley cool, the city of North Las Vegas plans to give away 100 trees to its residents on Saturday in an event it expects to wrap up in less than 30 minutes.
The city, in conjunction with nonprofit Nevada Plants, will set up shop at Valley View Park at 2000 Bennett St. at 11 a.m. to distribute 15-gallon desert-adapted trees that bear fruit and provide shade.
North Las Vegas’ Tree Canopy Coverage initiative is part of a valley-wide effort to address food insecurity and urban heat island effect, where a lack of green spaces and tree cover unequally raises temperatures in neighborhoods that are often low-income and neglected.
Southern Nevada’s summer in 2024 was the hottest and deadliest on record, with nearly 500 deaths that can at least be partially attributed to the desert heat. Local leaders are planning for hotter summers in the future, with initiatives such as North Las Vegas’ tree canopy program and expanded cooling centers where residents can escape the heat.
Trees will be distributed to residents until supplies run out, according to a news release from the city.
The city recommends getting to the park early because of high demand. Clark County’s similar program ran out of 4,500 trees in less than 72 hours last September.
Contact Alan Halaly at ahalaly@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlanHalaly on X.