In 2015, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council requested a committee to promote the valuable role of urban forestry in the city.  This group, known as the Tree Canopy Committee, set out to evaluate the current state of Lexington's urban tree canopy and to strategize ways of  encouraging management and expansion of trees onto private land, which consists of 84% of the city's plantable area within the urban service boundary.  The committee, made up of community leaders, LFUCG representatives, non-profit organizations, arborists, university representatives, and general citizens, successfully outlined a set of goals that would facilitate the coordination of community and government urban forestry efforts.

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In 2016, the Tree Canopy Committee evolved into Trees Lexington!, which attained 501(c)(3) status in 2017.  This organization is now led by a passionate, active Executive Board whose primary mission is to spearhead the success of the existing urban forestry goals in Lexington and to pioneer new initiatives that will elevate the city's tree canopy and unify the community over this shared value.