As early as the 1950s, there was an idea amongst municipal foresters to have a group where they could share industry knowledge and have a network to promote community forestry. In the 1980s, in response to Dutch Elm Disease, a group of metro foresters came together to form the Colorado Urban Forestry Council.

Increased funding from the Community Forestry Assistance Act in the early 1990s allowed the Colorado Tree Coalition (CTC) to grow from modest beginnings as a group of metro foresters into a statewide nonprofit. The CTC incorporated in 1995 with a mission to lead statewide efforts to preserve, renew, and enhance community forests.

Today, many of the original founders of the Colorado Urban Forestry Council are still active participants in CTC. Their original idea has grown into numerous programs, which will have a lasting legacy on communities across Colorado.