\u201cHannah has been an integral part of our team, and we are excited to see her step into this leadership role,\u201d said parks assistant director Joel McElhany. \u201cWe are confident in her ability to lead the continued growth and stewardship of Fort Worth\u2019s tree canopy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Johnson previously served as Fort Worth\u2019s interim city forester.<\/p>\n
As Fort Worth\u2019s top tree expert, Johnson is responsible for an array of things. A day for her could call for reviewing plans in office and on other days she might be on site visits.<\/p>\n
At its core, the job calls for planning the maintenance of the city\u2019s trees as new developments and parks come into the picture. That involves establishing tree protections, mitigating tree removals and maintaining canopy.<\/p>\n
Johnson also oversees the distribution of trees through city programs such as the Neighborhood Tree Planting and Tree Grant.<\/p>\n
She\u2019s proud to work with Fort Worth\u2019s urban forestry team, which she described as a small but mighty department.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a really big impact on the city,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cWe have great crew members that do great work. I\u2019m very grateful to have those crew members.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"(Maria](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0224-UrbanForesterHannahJohnson-MC-06-1-1024x683.jpg\")
Trees of all ages and species grow at the Rolling Hills Tree Farm in south Fort Worth, pictured Feb. 24, 2026. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report\/CatchLight Local\/Report for America)
\nLooking ahead<\/p>\n
It was only natural Johnson pursued horticulture. She got her first gig at a family friend\u2019s greenscaping business in her home state of Wyoming. That job called for maintenance, plant bed upkeep and some tree pruning.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was my deciding factor to go into horticulture,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cI really enjoyed it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her career in horticulture began after earning her bachelor\u2019s degree from the University of Wyoming.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In her home state, she worked as Campbell County\u2019s horticulturalist for seven years before moving to Texas. She did agricultural work in Midland for two years before finally landing in Fort Worth as the city\u2019s natural sciences supervisor and interim city forester.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As Fort Worth continues to see booming growth and development, Johnson has one major goal in mind: creating a five-year plan for tree planting.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As more homes are being built, there is less and less room for tree canopy, she said. Trees are also slowly declining in canopy-dense parts of town.<\/p>\n
![\"(Maria](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0224-UrbanForesterHannahJohnson-MC-03-1-1024x683.jpg\")
Fort Worth city forester Hannah Johnson holds up a young tree in a \u201cbullet\u201d on Feb. 24, 2026, at the Rolling Hills Tree Farm. Seeds are planted in bullet-like form to promote deep-root growth. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report\/CatchLight Local\/Report for America)<\/p>\n
Johnson wants to pursue more care for areas where trees are dying by hosting more planting efforts. She also wants the forestry team to prioritize which parks receive a sapling because of the amount of water needed to help them achieve deep root growth within a two-year period, Johnson said.<\/p>\n
Fort Worth is home to 300 parks. The forestry team waters between three to four parks a day.<\/p>\n
Johnson also wants more people to be aware of what she considers a Fort Worth gem: the Rolling Hills Tree Farm.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The farm sits adjacent to the Tarrant County College South Campus. The land grows trees to stock city initiatives including the Neighborhood Tree Planting, the Tree Grant and the Tree Voucher programs.<\/p>\n
Rolling Hills consists of local and outsourced tree seeds and ranges from 25 to 35 different species. Thanks to the farm, the forestry team provides 1,500 trees a year to those programs.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t want to be a secret. It\u2019s very unique for the city of Fort Worth,\u201d Johnson said.<\/p>\n
Nicole Lopez is the environment reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at nicole.lopez@fortworthreport.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n