Public Services - Trees & Landscape

Municiple Building Augusta
Public Services

Trees & Landscape Division

Trees and Cemeteries
Jack Key, Operations Manager
702 3rd Street
Augusta, Ga. 30901
Phone: (706) 821-1746
Fax: (706) 821-1753

Visit the Trees & Landscape Pages

Trees and Landscape's responsibilities include the maintenance and improvement of municipal landscape areas, boulevards, medians, garden areas, and operation of two horticulturally oriented parks (Riverwalk and Pendleton King Park). Various beautification projects are ongoing with the establishment of trees, shrubs, and seasonal flowers countywide. The aesthetics of the entire community is enhanced with numerous streetscape improvements completed annually which make Augusta an attractive place to live and work. Year round attention is an ongoing responsibility to keep the "Garden City" green and blooming.

Trees and Landscape is comprised of the following sections:

Maintenance & Beautification
Park Operations
Urban Forestry
Cemetery Operations

The Grounds Maintenance and Beautification Section maintains Augusta's boulevards and garden areas. Landscape maintenance, irrigation repair and installation, and shrub and flower care fall under this division. Herbicide and insecticide application are applied on demand, supervised by licensed certified pesticide applicators. Weed control in garden areas and mulching of ornamental trees and shrubs is an ongoing task. A year round seasonal color schedule is also planted and maintained by the Beautification Section with the establishment of over 84,000 flowers annually. Other areas of responsibility include the landscape management of the following historic sites:

Old Government House
Ezekiel Harris House
Hagler and Maxwell Memorial Gardens

Special landscape projects are designed, installed and maintained by trees and landscape, such as the Daniel Field Airport, Old Government House, Broad Street reforestation (Elm tree installation - sidewalks), Riverwatch Parkway wildflowers (17 Acres), Reynolds Street improvements. All functions are under the direction of graduate horticulturists, landscape architect, certified arborists and licensed pesticide applicators.

The Park Section operates Riverwalk (6 block riverfront facility) and Pendleton King Park (64 acre inner city facility) on a seven day a week basis. Both parks are horticulturally related and passive in nature. Park attendants are used to maintain the expansive landscapes and assist in special events (setup and clean-up). Each park area has an emphasis on beautification rather than recreational programming.

The Urban Forestry Section maintains the Augusta "Urban Forest" with extensive tree care services which include planting, pruning, and removing hazardous trees. Progressive efforts are ongoing to establish new trees on city right-of-ways to enhance the streetscape. Service requests are computer generated from a completed street inventory assessment. This section, to preserve the valuable resource of Augusta's urban tree population, enforces the Augusta Tree Ordinance. Urban Forestry projects have satisfied requirements for Augusta to be designated "Tree City USA" through the National Arbor Day Foundation. Insects and diseases are diagnosed on a routine basis and corrective measures are taken. Hazardous trees are monitored and evaluated to insure safety to motorists and citizens. An after hours standby employee is on call daily to respond to emergency tree requests which require clearing streets and/or traffic areas. Annually, a 40 ft. municipal Christmas tree is located, erected, and decorated, which is the focal point for the Festival of Lights during the holiday season at Riverwalk Augusta.

The Cemetery Section of the Trees & Landscape Division operates three staffed Municipal cemeteries:

Magnolia Cemetery
Cedar Grove Cemetery
Westview Cemetery

Also, Cemeteries maintains three additional non staffed facilities:

Rollersville Cemetery, A.K.A Hick Street Cemetery and Harrisburg Cemetery
Summerville Cemetery, this cemetery is located on Fitten Street
Arsenal Cemetery

Cemetery operations include the coordination of funerals, landscape maintenance, opening and closing of graves, and genealogical research for the general public. Cemeteries are open seven days a week (Staffed Monday thru Friday, 7:00 A.M. thru 4:00 P.M.) from 7:00 A.M. until sundown (8:00 P.M. during summer). Contractual services are used to open most graves, and coordination with monument companies enable grave markers to be placed on the cemetery plots.

Cemetery personnel and inmate labor perform grass mowing and trimming. Herbicide and insecticide are applied by cemetery personnel, supervised by licensed, certified pesticide applicators to assist in control of unwanted vegetation and pests.

Being one of the most visible municipal Divisions; Trees & Landscape strives to keep beautification areas in an aesthetically pleasing condition at all times, which provide safe, clean, and enjoyable landscapes for Augusta's citizens and visitors to enjoy year round. Numerous landscape projects have been recognized on the state level with awards for achievements in the municipal beautification.