It’s getting hotter every year in Clark County, and shade from trees is one of the highly recommended solutions.
Clark County is again opening up its Community Canopy Project with the Arbor Day Foundation, meant to give residents the chance to plant a free, water-efficient tree that will keep them cool during deadly desert summers. Only 2,300 trees are available.
The shade that trees provide is intended to mitigate the “urban heat island effect,” where pavement and buildings trap heat at all times of the day. Mapping efforts have found that some neighborhoods experience heat more intensely because of a lack of tree canopy and green spaces.
Residents of those areas where heat is felt the most intensely will be given priority, the county said.
Last year, the Las Vegas Review-Journal investigated rising rates of heat-related death in “A fatal forecast,” a series dedicated to honoring those lost to increasing temperatures and exploring what local leaders can do to prevent more deaths as summers get hotter. The summer of 2024 was the hottest on record, with heat playing a role in at least 526 deaths.
The last time Clark County opened up requests for free trees, the entire lot of 4,500 only lasted 72 hours.
To claim a tree for your property, visit ArborDay.org/ClarkCountyDES. Trees are available until May or until supplies run out — likely much sooner.
Contact Alan Halaly at ahalaly@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlanHalaly on X.
