# Clark Park is Chicago's second park arboretum. The trees on your street are a City Council budget question

*The North Center riverfront park earned Level 1 accreditation as the Park District inventories about 250,000 park trees. The Mayor's budget would add 10 forestry crews for parkway trees.*

By Chicago Politics · Updated Oct 26, 2026

Richard Clark Park, the 22-acre riverfront park at 3400 N. Rockwell St., has been accredited as a Level 1 arboretum, making it the Chicago Park District's second after Palmer Square Park, [Block Club Chicago reported](https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/10/26/clark-park-named-citys-2nd-arboretum-after-palmer-square-park/) Monday. The designation, from the ArbNet program run through the Morton Arboretum, requires at least 25 tree species and people dedicated to teaching the public about them.

Why it matters: the label does not come with money, but volunteers told Block Club they hope it brings more attention and resources to one of the last natural stretches along that part of the Chicago River. It also comes as the Park District counts its trees for the first time.

## What happened

The Clark Park Advisory Council, a volunteer group, led the application, Block Club reported. The park sits on land once occupied by Riverview amusement park, which closed in 1967. A Park District official told Block Club a few other parks are working toward the same status, and that the district is doing its first districtwide inventory of about 250,000 park trees to track species and age and make the canopy more resilient to storms.

The park will mark the accreditation at a community bonfire from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27, and volunteer work days are held the last Saturday of each month, according to Block Club.

## What our records add: who handles which trees

The tree count Block Club described is the Park District's, covering trees in parks. Trees along Chicago's streets are trimmed by the City's Department of Streets and Sanitation forestry crews, which are paid for in the City budget the Council must pass by Dec. 31. That is where alderpersons come in.

**More forestry crews proposed for 2027.** In his Oct. 21 budget address, Mayor Brandon Johnson proposed 10 more forestry crews to trim 15,000 more trees ([watch at 57:52](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/6AE8B3E3-86C9-F111-AAAE-001DD80FDA55?t=3472)), as [we reported](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/on-my-block/chicago-2027-budget-libraries-homelessness-youth-jobs-cuts).

**What members have asked.** At last year's Streets and Sanitation budget hearing, Ald. Matthew O'Shea (19th) asked about tree planting and removals ([watch at 7:43:22](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/C4B82512-C69F-F011-B4CB-001DD8001AAF?t=27802)). At a hearing the next day, Ald. Daniel La Spata (1st) asked for the number of trees removed for water projects in 2025 and how the Water Department works with Forestry on replacements ([4:20:05](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/2901D28F-C69F-F011-B4CB-001DD8001AAF?t=15605)). This April, Ald. Ronnie Mosley (21st) asked whether the City tracks parkway trees as assets and whether sidewalk repairs deal with roots that cause trip hazards ([43:58](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/A2CA6694-E426-F111-8341-001DD803F9B1?t=2638)).

**After the planting goal.** At a Sept. 1 hearing of the Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy, chair Ald. Maria Hadden (49th) described the tree canopy as part of flood control and asked how planting will continue once the City meets its 75,000-tree goal ([watch at 2:35:13](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/4593541C-F685-F111-AB0E-001DD81326F5?t=9313)).

## What's next

Streets and Sanitation, which runs the forestry crews, testifies at the Council's budget hearings on Thursday, Oct. 29 ([meeting page](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/31EFF839-92C9-F111-AAAE-001DD80B58E5)).


## Sources

1. Block Club Chicago: [Block Club Chicago reported](https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/10/26/clark-park-named-citys-2nd-arboretum-after-palmer-square-park/)
2. City of Chicago: [Neighborhood and community area boundaries (Chicago Data Portal)](https://data.cityofchicago.org/d/y6yq-dbs2)

On the map: [North Center](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/on-my-block/neighborhoods/north-center), [Avondale](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/on-my-block/neighborhoods/avondale)

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Source: https://www.chicagopolitics.org/on-my-block/clark-park-arboretum-chicago-park-district-tree-inventory-forestry-budget · Chicago Politics, an independent tracker of the Chicago City Council. Guide for agents: https://www.chicagopolitics.org/llms.txt