Local & Community
Coachella Valley Residents Can Enter to Get Free Shade Trees
Coachella Valley residents have until Monday to enter for a chance to have a free shade tree planted at their home.
The Shade Trees for Southern California Deserts program, led by the Imperial Irrigation District in partnership with the Coachella Valley Association of Governments, plans to plant 6,000 shade trees across the Coachella and Imperial valleys over the next three years.
The program is designed to expand tree canopy, help cool neighborhoods, improve air quality and build community resilience in desert communities.
Half of the trees will be planted at residential properties, while the other half will go into public spaces, with an emphasis on disadvantaged and underserved communities. Residential trees will be planted by certified arborists.
Residents do not have to be IID customers to apply.
One tree will be provided to selected residential participants through a random lottery, while supplies last. The trees are expected to begin being planted next month.
The initiative is funded through a $2.9 million grant from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection through the Inflation Reduction Act. IID and CVAG developed the project as a three-year effort focused on increasing urban tree canopy in communities experiencing extreme heat and limited access to shade and green space.
Residents interested in applying can sign up through the program's enrollment page before the Monday deadline.
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By: NBC Palm Springs
September 19, 2026
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